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Sample records for single chinese centre

  1. Fabrication of single optical centres in diamond-a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orwa, J.O.; Greentree, A.D.; Aharonovich, I.; Alves, A.D.C.; Van Donkelaar, J.; Stacey, A.; Prawer, S.

    2010-01-01

    Colour centres in diamond are rapidly becoming one of the leading platforms for solid-state quantum information processing applications. This is due in large part to the remarkable properties of the nitrogen-vacancy colour centre. From initial demonstrations of room-temperature single photon generation and spin single spin readout and quantum control, diamond nanocrystals are also finding application in magnetometry and biosensing. This review discusses the state of the art in the creation of isolated and small ensembles of optically active diamond defect centres, including nitrogen and nickel-related centres.

  2. Colour centre-free perovskite single crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petit, Pierre-Olivier; Petit, Johan; Goldner, Philippe; Viana, Bruno

    2009-01-01

    Yb 3+ :YAlO 3 (YAP) and Yb 3+ :GdAlO 3 (GAP) are interesting 1 μm high-power laser media thanks to their very good thermo-mechanical properties. However, as-grown perovskite single crystals exhibit colour centres. Parasitic thermal load generated by these centres is deleterious for high-power laser action and can lead to crystal damages. Moreover these defects decrease Yb 3+ lifetime. They are related to trapped holes on the oxygen network. In the present work, several schemes to remove colour centres are presented. Attention is focused on cerium codoping, thermal annealing under reducing atmosphere and growth of non-stoechiometric compounds.

  3. Single-sided natural ventilation through a centre-pivot roof window

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iqbal, Ahsan; Nielsen, Peter V.; Gunner, Amalie

    2014-01-01

    The characteristics of centre pivot roof windows for wind driven single-sided ventilation has not been studied before. These types of windows are dominating roof windows in Europe. Knowledge of flow characteristics of this kind of window is essential for accurate designing of natural ventilation...... systems. In this study, numerical methods were used to characterise a centre-pivot roof window for wind-driven single-sided ventilation. A 1:20 scale model house of the Energy Flex House (Denmark) was used in this study. The roof slope was 36o. It was found that the single-sided ventilation through...

  4. 11th October 2011 - Chinese University of Science and Technology President J. Hou signing the guest book with Adviser R. Voss; in the ATLAS visitor centre with Former Collaboration Spokesperson P. Jenni and Members of the ATLAS Chinese Collaboration.

    CERN Multimedia

    2011-01-01

    11th October 2011 - Chinese University of Science and Technology President J. Hou signing the guest book with Adviser R. Voss; in the ATLAS visitor centre with Former Collaboration Spokesperson P. Jenni and Members of the ATLAS Chinese Collaboration.

  5. Evaluation of family-centred services from parents of Chinese children with cerebral palsy with the Measure of Processes of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, M; Petrini, M A; Guan, Q

    2015-05-01

    Family-centred service (FCS) has become essential to parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and professionals in Chinese paediatric rehabilitation services. FCS practice meets the unique needs of the child and family, through facilitation of optimal service provision delivered by professionals, and ensures service systems to be flexible, appropriate and actively responsive to the family needs. Parents used the Measure of Processes of Care 20 (MPOC-20) questionnaire to evaluate and verify the efficacy of use in China. The aims of the present study were twofold: to assess the validity and reliability of the Chinese MPOC-20, and investigate the range of parents' satisfaction with service provision in an FCS practice using the MPOC-20. The Chinese MPOC-20 was selected to assess parent satisfaction with service provision of professionals in FCS practice. Participants were parents of children under 8 years of age with CP, who had received rehabilitation services between May 2012 and May 2013, and were receiving rehabilitation services in May 2013 at a hospital outpatient department and a rehabilitation centre. The reliability and validity of the Chinese MPOC-20 were confirmed. Parents evaluated FCS practice with the MPOC-20 survey. Respectful and supportive care was rated with the highest score and providing general information the lowest. Parents according to the data were dissatisfied with the lack of information. Parents fairly evaluated service provision of professionals in FCS practice with the Chinese MPOC-20. Professionals received feedback reports of parents, summaries of the inadequacy of service delivery, and developed and implemented ameliorated measures in the FCS policy to strive to provide exemplary service. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. The impact of single and shared rooms on family-centred care in children's hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtis, Penny; Northcott, Andy

    2017-06-01

    To explore whether and how spatial aspects of children's hospital wards (single and shared rooms) impact upon family-centred care. Family-centred care has been widely adopted in paediatric hospitals internationally. Recent hospital building programmes in many countries have prioritised the provision of single rooms over shared rooms. Limited attention has, however, been paid to the potential impact of spatial aspects of paediatric wards on family-centred care. Qualitative, ethnographic. Phase 1; observation within four wards of a specialist children's hospital. Phase 2; interviews with 17 children aged 5-16 years and 60 parents/carers. Sixty nursing and support staff also took part in interviews and focus group discussions. All data were subjected to thematic analysis. Two themes emerged from the data analysis: 'role expectations' and 'family-nurse interactions'. The latter theme comprised three subthemes: 'family support needs', 'monitoring children's well-being' and 'survey-assess-interact within spatial contexts'. Spatial configurations within hospital wards significantly impacted upon the relationships and interactions between children, parents and nurses, which played out differently in single and shared rooms. Increasing the provision of single rooms within wards is therefore likely to directly affect how family-centred care manifests in practice. Nurses need to be sensitive to the impact of spatial characteristics, and particularly of single and shared rooms, on families' experiences of children's hospital wards. Nurses' contribution to and experience of family-centred care can be expected to change significantly when spatial characteristics of wards change and, as is currently the vogue, hospitals maximise the provision of single rather than shared rooms. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Knowledge sharing in Chinese hospitals identifying sharing barriers in traditional Chinese and Western medicine collaboration

    CERN Document Server

    Zhou, Lihong

    2015-01-01

    This book aims to identify, understand and qualify barriers to the patient-centred knowledge sharing (KS) in interprofessional practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine (WM) healthcare professionals in Chinese hospitals.  This collaboration is particularly crucial and unique to China since, contrary to Western practice, these two types of professionals actually work together complimentary in the same hospital. This study adopted a Grounded Theory approach as the overarching methodology to guide the analysis of the data collected in a single case-study design.  A public hospital in central China was selected as the case-study site, at which 49 informants were interviewed by using semi-structured and evolving interview scripts.  The research findings point to five categories of KS barriers: contextual influences, hospital management, philosophical divergence, Chinese healthcare education and interprofessional training.  Further conceptualising the research findings, it is identifie...

  8. Measuring the preference towards patient-centred communication with the Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale: A cross-sectional study among physicians and patients in clinical settings in Shanghai, China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, J. (Jie); Zou, R. (Runyu); Fu, H. (Hua); Qian, H. (Haihong); Yan, Y. (Yueren); Wang, F. (Fan)

    2017-01-01

    textabstractObjectives To adapt the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), to a Chinese context, and explore the preference towards patient-centred communication among physicians and patients with the Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (CR-PPOS). Design A cross-sectional

  9. Perceptions and attitudes towards exercise among Chinese elders - the implications of culturally based self-management strategies for effective health-related help seeking and person-centred care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhenmi; Speed, Shaun; Beaver, Kinta

    2015-04-01

    Encouraging the uptake of physical activity among a culturally diverse elderly population presents a challenge for health-care providers across the world. Little is known about the health-care needs of these populations, for example the increasingly ageing group of Chinese elders in many parts of the world who are now facing later life and increasing challenges to their health. This study aimed to explore behaviours and attitudes towards exercise among older Chinese immigrants in the UK to provide insights into the health of Chinese populations in the UK and elsewhere. A Grounded Theory approach using purposive and theoretical sampling with in-depth semi-structured interviews. Chinese elders were recruited from Chinese communities in the North West of England. Thirty-three participants were interviewed face-to-face and audio-recorded. Participants self-managed exercise based on cultural perceptions of health and ingrained Chinese values. Professional support and information was lacking and relied on folk norms rather than person-centred recommendations for healthy living. Inappropriate exercise regimes could act as a substitute for seeking health-related advice when exercise was often used as a self-monitored barometer to assess their perceived health status. Chinese elders may undertake inappropriate exercise, leading to high-risk situations, if appropriate professional information is not provided. Health-care practitioners should devote attention to understanding Chinese elders' attitudes towards exercise, as this may ultimately lead to successful health promotion activities. A person-centred approach that acknowledges and works with self-management practices is advocated. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Force-induced chemical reactions on the metal centre in a single metalloprotein molecule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Peng; Arantes, Guilherme M.; Field, Martin J.; Li, Hongbin

    2015-01-01

    Metalloproteins play indispensable roles in biology owing to the versatile chemical reactivity of metal centres. However, studying their reactivity in many metalloproteins is challenging, as protein three-dimensional structure encloses labile metal centres, thus limiting their access to reactants and impeding direct measurements. Here we demonstrate the use of single-molecule atomic force microscopy to induce partial unfolding to expose metal centres in metalloproteins to aqueous solution, thus allowing for studying their chemical reactivity in aqueous solution for the first time. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate two chemical reactions for the FeS4 centre in rubredoxin: electrophilic protonation and nucleophilic ligand substitution. Our results show that protonation and ligand substitution result in mechanical destabilization of the FeS4 centre. Quantum chemical calculations corroborated experimental results and revealed detailed reaction mechanisms. We anticipate that this novel approach will provide insights into chemical reactivity of metal centres in metalloproteins under biologically more relevant conditions. PMID:26108369

  11. Ultrabright and efficient single-photon generation based on nitrogen-vacancy centres in nanodiamonds on a solid immersion lens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroeder, Tim; Gaedeke, Friedemann; Banholzer, Moritz Julian; Benson, Oliver

    2011-01-01

    Single photons are fundamental elements for quantum information technologies such as quantum cryptography, quantum information storage and optical quantum computing. Colour centres in diamond have proven to be stable single-photon sources and thus essential components for reliable and integrated quantum information technology. A key requirement for such applications is a large photon flux and a high efficiency. Paying tribute to various attempts to maximize the single-photon flux, we show that collection efficiencies of photons from colour centres can be increased with a rather simple experimental setup. To do so, we spin-coated nanodiamonds containing single nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) colour centres on the flat surface of a ZrO 2 solid immersion lens. We found stable single-photon count rates of up to 853 kcts s -1 at saturation under continuous wave excitation while having access to more than 100 defect centres with count rates from 400 to 500 kcts s -1 . For a blinking defect centre, we found count rates up to 2.4 Mcts s -1 for time intervals of several tens of seconds. It seems to be a general feature that very high rates are accompanied by blinking behaviour. The overall collection efficiency of our setup of up to 4.2% is the highest yet reported for N-V defect centres in diamond. Under pulsed excitation of a stable emitter of 10 MHz, 2.2% of all pulses caused a click on the detector adding to 221 kcts s -1 thus, opening the way towards diamond-based on-demand single-photon sources for quantum applications.

  12. Buckwheat: a crop from outside the major Chinese domestication centres? A review of the archaeobotanical, palynological and genetic evidence

    OpenAIRE

    Hunt, Harriet Vaughan; Shang, X; Jones, Martin Kenneth

    2017-01-01

    The two cultivated species of buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum (common buckwheat) and F. tataricum (Tartary buckwheat) are Chinese domesticates whose origins are usually thought to lie in upland southwestern China, outside the major centres of agricultural origins associated with rice and millet. Synthesis of the macro- and microfossil evidence for buckwheat cultivation in China found just 26 records across all time periods, of which the majority are pollen finds. There are few or no identifyi...

  13. Analysis of factors influencing the outpatient workload at Chinese health centres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yin Ping

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the community health service system is now established in China, the utilisation of the community health service institutions is low due to the lack of a gate-keeping role of the primary health service providers and referrals among the three-tiered health service institutions. In addition to this, patients who can afford to pay, often seek best services in big hospitals to guarantee the quality of care. Thus, the need of guiding the patients to the community health services and increasing the utilisation of the community health service institutions is becoming an urgent problem, which hinders the future development of community health services. This study focuses on the question of how to increase the utilisation of Chinese community health centres (HCs. Methods A cross-sectional Base-line Survey of Chinese City Community Health Service System Building using the multi-staged cluster sampling was conducted to collect data from all HCs in 28 key contact cities. Relevant indicators of totally 1790 HCs were analysed. The statistical methods included ANONVA and logistic regression. Results and Conclusions The analysis suggested several key factors for increasing the outpatient workload (OW at the HCs: establishing an adequate referral system among the different levels of the health system; enhancing the qualification of health personnel and increasing the compensation by the health insurance for services provided at HCs. Other key factors with a positive effect on the OW included: the government ownership of the HCs, the scale of the institutions, the medical equipment used, the mix of health services provided, and the women in childbearing age in the residence.

  14. Ultrabright and efficient single-photon generation based on nitrogen-vacancy centres in nanodiamonds on a solid immersion lens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schroeder, Tim; Gaedeke, Friedemann; Banholzer, Moritz Julian; Benson, Oliver, E-mail: tim.schroeder@physik.hu-berlin.de [Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Institut fuer Physik, AG Nano Optics Newtonstrasse 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2011-05-15

    Single photons are fundamental elements for quantum information technologies such as quantum cryptography, quantum information storage and optical quantum computing. Colour centres in diamond have proven to be stable single-photon sources and thus essential components for reliable and integrated quantum information technology. A key requirement for such applications is a large photon flux and a high efficiency. Paying tribute to various attempts to maximize the single-photon flux, we show that collection efficiencies of photons from colour centres can be increased with a rather simple experimental setup. To do so, we spin-coated nanodiamonds containing single nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) colour centres on the flat surface of a ZrO{sub 2} solid immersion lens. We found stable single-photon count rates of up to 853 kcts s{sup -1} at saturation under continuous wave excitation while having access to more than 100 defect centres with count rates from 400 to 500 kcts s{sup -1}. For a blinking defect centre, we found count rates up to 2.4 Mcts s{sup -1} for time intervals of several tens of seconds. It seems to be a general feature that very high rates are accompanied by blinking behaviour. The overall collection efficiency of our setup of up to 4.2% is the highest yet reported for N-V defect centres in diamond. Under pulsed excitation of a stable emitter of 10 MHz, 2.2% of all pulses caused a click on the detector adding to 221 kcts s{sup -1} thus, opening the way towards diamond-based on-demand single-photon sources for quantum applications.

  15. Coupling single NV-centres to high-Q whispering gallery modes of a preselected frequency-matched microresonator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schietinger, Stefan; Benson, Oliver

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we report the controlled coupling of fluorescence from a single NV-centre in a single nanodiamond to the high-Q modes of a preselected microsphere. Microspheres from an ensemble with a finite size distribution can be characterized precisely via white light Mie-scattering. The mode spectrum of individual spheres can be determined with high precision. A sphere with an appropriate spectrum can be selected, and a nanodiamond containing a single NV-centre can be coupled to it. The spectral position of the calculated lowest order whispering gallery modes are found to be in very good agreement with the experimentally observed resonances of the coupled fluorescence from the single NV-re.

  16. A model for facilitating translational research and development in China: Call for establishing a Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Biomaterials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liming Bian

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available With significant improvements in living standards in China and the aging population that accompanies these improvements, the market demand for high-quality orthopaedic biomaterials for clinical applications is tremendous and growing rapidly. There are major efforts to promote cooperation between different scientific institutes with complementary strengths for the further development of the biomaterial industry in China to achieve the technological level of developed countries. An excellent example is that the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (MOST; Beijing, China established the Chinese National Engineering Research Centres (CNERCs, which serve as a major initiative in driving basic and applied technological research and development (R&D in mainland China. To create a win-win situation with Hong Kong, the MOST and the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission are jointly establishing the Hong Kong Branch of the CNERCs. Through an amicable arrangement, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK; Shatin, Hong Kong and the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Biomaterials (i.e., Main Centre in Chengdu, People's Republic of China have decided to apply to establish the Hong Kong Branch of the CNERC for Biomaterials at the CUHK. The effort in establishing the Hong Kong Branch of Biomaterials seeks to promote further collaboration with the Main Centre with the goals of promoting synergy and a win-win cooperation between mainland China and Hong Kong in scientific research, talent cultivation, clinically driven novel biomaterials product design, and preclinical and clinical testing. It will thus become a model for the successful collaboration between the Hong Kong research institutions and the mainland CNERCs in the area of biomaterials. Such initiatives will facilitate close collaboration in translational medicine associated with biomaterial development and application.

  17. SINGLE FIXED CRANE OPTIMISATION WITHIN A DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Matthews

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available

    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper considersthe optimisation of the movement of a fixed crane operating in a single aisle of a distribution centre. The crane must move pallets in inventory between docking bays, storage locations, and picking lines. Both a static and a dynamic approach to the problem are presented. The optimisation is performed by means of tabu search, ant colony metaheuristics,and hybrids of these two methods. All these solution approaches were tested on real life data obtained from an operational distribution centre. Results indicate that the hybrid methods outperform the other approaches.

    AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die optimisering van die beweging van 'n vaste hyskraan in 'n enkele gang van 'n distribusiesentrum word in hierdie artikel beskou. Die hyskraan moet pallette vervoer tussen dokhokke, stoorposisies, en opmaaklyne. Beide 'n statiese en 'n dinamiese benadering tot die probleem word aangebied. Die optimisering word gedoen met behulp van tabu-soektogte, mierkolonieoptimisering,en hibriede van hierdie twee metodes. Al die oplossingsbenaderings is getoets met werklike data wat van 'n operasionele distribusiesentrum verkry is. Die resultate toon aan dat die hibriedmetodes die beste oplossings lewer.

  18. Family-centred care: a qualitative study of Chinese and South Asian immigrant parents' experiences of care in paediatric oncology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watt, L; Dix, D; Gulati, S; Sung, L; Klaassen, R J; Shaw, N T; Klassen, A F

    2013-03-01

    Over the past two decades, there is increasing emphasis being placed upon providing family-centred care (FCC) in paediatric oncology settings. However, there is a lack of knowledge of FCC in paediatric oncology from the perspectives of immigrant parents. The purpose of this paper is to describe Chinese and South Asian immigrant parents' experiences of FCC in paediatric oncology settings in Canada. This study adopted a constructivist grounded theory approach. Fifty first generation Chinese and South Asian parents of children with cancer who were at least 6 months post-diagnosis were recruited from six Canadian paediatric oncology centres. Interviews were conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Urdu, Punjabi or Hindi, and transcribed into English. Analysis involved line-by-line, focused and theoretical coding, and the use of the constant comparison method. Findings indicated that overall parents were highly satisfied with the care and services they received, and their experiences were reflective of the key elements of FCC. However, there were some areas of concern identified by participants: parents not perceiving themselves as a member of the medical team; inconsistency in the quality and co-ordination of services among healthcare providers; disrespectful and mechanical manner of a few healthcare providers; and parents' discomfort with healthcare providers communicating sensitive health-related information directly with their child. In order to successfully provide family-centred services to immigrant parents of children with cancer, better communication of the elements of FCC between healthcare staff and families is needed to negotiate a clear role for the parents as partners of the healthcare team. Moreover, a better understanding of how family relationships are structured in immigrant families will assist healthcare providers to balance the best interests of the child with that of the family as a unit. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Measuring the preference towards patient-centred communication with the Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale: a cross-sectional study among physicians and patients in clinical settings in Shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jie; Zou, Runyu; Fu, Hua; Qian, Haihong; Yan, Yueren; Wang, Fan

    2017-09-18

    To adapt the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), to a Chinese context, and explore the preference towards patient-centred communication among physicians and patients with the Chinese-revised Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (CR-PPOS). A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Clinical settings from eight medical units, including four community hospitals and four general hospitals, in Shanghai, China. 1018 participants, including 187 physicians and 831 patients, completed this study in two successive stages. Psychometric properties of the CR-PPOS and participants' score on the CR-PPOS. Compared with the original PPOS, the 11-item CR-PPOS obtained better psychometric indices. Physicians and patients scored differently on both the total CR-PPOS and its two subscales. Compared with physicians, the scores of patients were more influenced by their personal characteristics, such as age and education. The CR-PPOS is a better instrument in a Chinese context than the original translated version. The divergence in the extent to which patient-centred communication is preferred among Chinese physicians and patients should be noted. Adapting physicians' communication strategy to patients' preferences based on their personal characteristics can be a viable approach towards improving clinical efficiency. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. Telephone-delivered psychoeducational intervention for Hong Kong Chinese dementia caregivers: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwok T

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Timothy Kwok,1,2 Bel Wong,2 Isaac Ip,2 Kenny Chui,2 Daniel Young,2 Florence Ho2 1Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region; 2Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region Purpose: Many family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD are unable to participate in community center-based caregiver support services because of logistical constraints. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a telephone-delivered psychoeducational intervention for family caregivers of PWD in alleviating caregiver burden and enhancing caregiving self-efficacy. Subjects and methods: In a single-blinded randomized controlled trial, 38 family caregivers of PWD were randomly allocated into an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received psychoeducation from a registered social worker over the phone for 12 sessions. Caregivers in the control group were given a DVD containing educational information about dementia caregiving. Outcomes of the intervention were measured by the Chinese versions of the Zarit Burden Interview and the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-efficacy. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare the differences between the intervention and control groups. Results: The level of burden of caregivers in the intervention group reduced significantly compared with caregivers in the control group. Caregivers in the intervention group also reported significantly more gain in self-efficacy in obtaining respite than the control group. Conclusion: A structured telephone intervention can benefit dementia caregivers in terms of self-efficacy and caregiving burden. The limitations of the research and recommendations for intervention are discussed. Keywords: telephone intervention, psychoeducation, dementia caregivers

  1. Towards improving the safety and diagnostic yield of stereotactic biopsy in a single centre

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R. Dammers (Ruben); J.W. Schouten (Joost); I. Haitsma (Iain); A.J.P.E. Vincent (Arnoud); J.M. Kros (Johan); C.M.F. Dirven (Clemens)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Previously, we reported on our single centre results regarding the diagnostic yield of stereotactic needle biopsies of brain lesions. The yield then (1996-2006) was 89.4%. In the present study, we review and evaluate our experience with intraoperative frozen-section

  2. Active and fast charge-state switching of single NV centres in diamond by in-plane Al-Schottky junctions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Schreyvogel

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrate an active and fast control of the charge state and hence of the optical and electronic properties of single and near-surface nitrogen-vacancy centres (NV centres in diamond. This active manipulation is achieved by using a two-dimensional Schottky-diode structure from diamond, i.e., by using aluminium as Schottky contact on a hydrogen terminated diamond surface. By changing the applied potential on the Schottky contact, we are able to actively switch single NV centres between all three charge states NV+, NV0 and NV− on a timescale of 10 to 100 ns, corresponding to a switching frequency of 10–100 MHz. This switching frequency is much higher than the hyperfine interaction frequency between an electron spin (of NV− and a nuclear spin (of 15N or 13C for example of 2.66 kHz. This high-frequency charge state switching with a planar diode structure would open the door for many quantum optical applications such as a quantum computer with single NVs for quantum information processing as well as single 13C atoms for long-lifetime storage of quantum information. Furthermore, a control of spectral emission properties of single NVs as a single photon emitters – embedded in photonic structures for example – can be realized which would be vital for quantum communication and cryptography.

  3. Quality Assurance in Chinese Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuan

    2010-01-01

    Quality assurance has been integrated into the fabric of higher education in China, with the issue of quality in higher education--how to evaluate it and how to enhance it--now taking centre stage in Chinese higher education. In the past decade, the development of quality assurance in Chinese higher education has covered a broad spectrum of…

  4. Vancomycin-induced acute kidney injury in elderly Chinese patients: a single-centre cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Kun-Ming; Wu, Yi; Chen, Can; Chen, Zhang-Zhang; Xu, Jian-An; Cao, Lei; Xu, Qing; Wu, Wei; Dai, Pei-Fang; Li, Xiao-Yu; Lv, Qian-Zhou

    2018-04-01

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the current situation concerning, and risk factors for, vancomycin (VAN)-induced acute kidney injury (VI-AKI) in elderly Chinese patients, to assess outcomes and risk factors in patients who have developed VI-AKI, in order to provide suggestions for improving the prevention and treatment of this condition in these patients. We retrospectively identified elderly older inpatients who had received four or more doses of VAN treatment. We compared patients with VI-AKI with those who received VAN treatment and had not developed AKI (NO-AKI). We defined VI-AKI as developing AKI during VAN therapy or within 3 days after withdrawal of VAN. A total of 647 out of 862 elderly inpatients were included in the study. Among those excluded, in 89.3% of cases (192/215) this was because of lack of data on serum creatinine (SCr). Among included patients, 32.5% (210/647) of patients received therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) during VAN therapy. In 66.9% of cases (424/634), there was insufficient TDM, and in 3.9% (25/634) this was appropriate. A total of 102 patients had confirmed VI-AKI, with an incidence of 15.8% (102/647). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that hyperuricaemia [odds ratio (OR) = 3.045; P = 0.000)], mechanical ventilation (OR = 1.906; P = 0.022) and concomitant vasopressor therapy (OR = 1.919; P = 0.027) were independent risk factors for VI-AKI; higher serum albumin (OR = 0.885; P = 0.000) was determined to be an independent protective factor for VI-AKI. For the elderly Chinese patients treated with VAN, there was insufficient monitoring of SCr, too little use of VAN TDM, and lower rate of patients whose VAN though serum concentrations were not obtained at the correct time. We recommend that hospital managers increase investment in clinical pharmacists, to strengthen professional management. Patients with concomitant hyperuricaemia and on mechanical ventilation and vasopressor therapy should be paid

  5. Excitation of different chromium centres by synchrotron radiation in MgO:Cr single crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shablonin, E. [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila Str. 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); Popov, A.I., E-mail: popov@latnet.lv [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga 8, Riga LV-1063 (Latvia); Lushchik, A., E-mail: aleksandr.lushchik@ut.ee [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila Str. 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); Kotlov, A. [Photon Science at DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany); Dolgov, S. [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila Str. 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia)

    2015-11-15

    The excitation spectra for the emissions of chromium-containing centres have been measured at 10 K using synchrotron radiation of 4–32 eV in MgO single crystals with different content of Cr{sup 3+} (5–850 ppm) and Ca{sup 2+} impurity ions. Both virgin crystals and the samples preliminarily irradiated with x-rays at 295 K have been studied. The role of complex chromium centres containing two Cr{sup 3+} and a cation vacancy (sometimes nearby a Ca{sup 2+} ion) on the luminescence processes and the transformation/creation of structural defects has been analysed. Such anharmonic complex centres could serve as the seeds for the creation of 3D defects that facilitate the cracking and brittle destruction of MgO crystals under their irradiation with ∼GeV heavy ions providing extremely high excitation density within cylindrical ion tracks.

  6. Learner motivation in teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ruan, Youjin

    -centred method, such as task-based teaching and learning or a method inspired by problem-based learning, can be employed as a motivating methodology to provide a supportive environment for language and culture learning (i.e., Chinese language and culture learning), particularly in an intercultural (or Danish......This PhD study explores the influence of teaching and learning methods on learner motivation in teaching Chinese as a foreign language in an intercultural (or Danish) context and illustrates how the learners are motivated to learn Chinese language and culture through task-based teaching...... and learning in a student-centred learning environment. Both qualitative and mixed methods approaches have been employed to examine learner motivation and the effects of certain teaching and learning methods (i.e. student-centred methods) in a given context. The findings have shown that a student...

  7. Optical properties of a single-colour centre in diamond with a green zero-phonon line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Jason M; Grazioso, Fabio; Patton, Brian R; Dolan, Philip R; Markham, Matthew L; Twitchen, Daniel J

    2011-01-01

    We report the photoluminescence characteristics of a colour centre in diamond grown by plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition. The colour centre emits with a sharp zero-phonon line at 2.330 eV (λ=532 nm) and a lifetime of 3.3 ns, thus offering potential for a high-speed single-photon source with green emission. It displays a vibronic emission spectrum with a Huang-Rhys parameter of 2.48 at 77 K. Hanbury-Brown and Twiss measurements reveal that the electronic level structure of the defect includes a metastable state that can be populated from the optically excited state.

  8. ART drugs help reduce HIV transmission, Chinese study finds ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    International Development Research Centre Government of Canada ... ART drugs help reduce HIV transmission, Chinese study finds ... where only one person has HIV can reduce HIV transmission rates, at least in the short term, a Chinese study has found. ... Ecohealth Field-building Leadership Initiative in Southeast Asia.

  9. [Substance basis research on Chinese materia medica is one of key scientific problems of inheriting, development and innovation of Chinese materia medica].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiu-wei

    2015-09-01

    The compound Chinese materia medica is the medication pattern of the traditional Chinese medicine for the disease prevention and treatment. The single Chinese materia medica (mostly in decoction pieces) is the prescription composition of the compound Chinese materia medica. The study of the effective substance basis of Chinese materia medica should be based on the chemical compositions of the compound Chinese materia medica as an entry point considering the different status of "Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Guide" for a certain single Chinese materia medica in the different compound Chinese materia medica while substance basis research of a certain single Chinese materia medica should be a full component analysis as well as both stable and controllable quality. Substance basis research on Chinese materia medica is one of key scientific problems of inheriting, development and innovation of Chinese materia medica.

  10. Strategies for Internationalization of Higher Education. A Case Study--the Nordic Centre at Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holtermann, Sigrid

    1996-01-01

    The Nordic Centre at Fudan University (China) links it with Norwegian universities, and has resulted in: a new Norwegian School of Management program; a Chinese-Norwegian dictionary; short credit courses on Scandinavian affairs for Chinese students; language courses and examinations for Norwegian students of Chinese; establishment of a library on…

  11. Analyzing the Diffusion of Chinese Rice Farming Technologies in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006, the Chinese government pledged to build 10 agro-technology demonstration centres across Africa. Since then, the figure has increased to 25 and it will likely increase again in the future. One of the main goals of the demonstration centres is to ...

  12. Simultaneous fabrication of laser-active colour centres and permanent microgratings in lithium fluoride by a single femtosecond pulse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurobori, Toshio; Kawamura, Ken-ichi; Hirano, Masahiro; Hosono, Hideo

    2003-01-01

    We report, for the first time, simultaneous fabrication of laser-active F 2 and F 3 + colour centres in lithium fluoride and permanent periodic gratings with fringe spacings as fine as sub-micron size by two interfering infrared femtosecond (fs) laser pulses. In particular, the optical properties (absorption and luminescence) of F 2 and F 3 + colour centres produced by a single fs laser pulse are compared with those created by damage from radiation such as x-rays. The present technique of simultaneously fabricating laser-active colour centres and functional fine-periodic structures in photo-insensitive transparent materials may well be a useful method for making miniaturized optical devices. (letter to the editor)

  13. A Single Centre Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment of Endocrine Pancreatic Tumours

    OpenAIRE

    Adil, M. T.; Nagaraja, R.; Varma, V.; Mehta, N.; Kumaran, V.; Nundy, S.

    2015-01-01

    Background. Endocrine Pancreatic Tumours (PENs) are rare and can be nonfunctioning or functioning. They carry a good prognosis overall though high grade lesions show a relatively shorter survival. The aim of the current study is to describe a single centre analysis of the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment of PENs. Patients and Methods. This is a cohort analysis of 40 patients of PENs who underwent surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India, from 1995 to 2013. Patient pa...

  14. 18th May 2011 - Chinese State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) Deputy Director-General M. LU (State Council of China) in the ATLAS visitors centre with Collaboration Deputy Spokesperson A. Lankford and Collaboration member Z. Ren.

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2011-01-01

    18th May 2011 - Chinese State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) Deputy Director-General M. LU (State Council of China) in the ATLAS visitors centre with Collaboration Deputy Spokesperson A. Lankford and Collaboration member Z. Ren.

  15. Efficacy and safety of rasagiline as an adjunct to levodopa treatment in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, multi-centre trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lina; Zhang, Zhiqin; Chen, Yangmei; Qin, Xinyue; Zhou, Huadong; Zhang, Chaodong; Sun, Hongbin; Tang, Ronghua; Zheng, Jinou; Yi, Lin; Deng, Liying; Li, Jinfang

    2013-08-01

    Rasagiline mesylate is a highly potent, selective and irreversible monoamine oxidase type B (MAOB) inhibitor and is effective as monotherapy or adjunct to levodopa for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, few studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of rasagiline in the Chinese population. This study was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of rasagiline as adjunctive therapy to levodopa treatment in Chinese PD patients. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multi-centre trial conducted over a 12-wk period that enrolled 244 PD patients with motor fluctuations. Participants were randomly assigned to oral rasagiline mesylate (1 mg) or placebo, once daily. Altogether, 219 patients completed the trial. Rasagiline showed significantly greater efficacy compared with placebo. During the treatment period, the primary efficacy variable--mean adjusted total daily off time--decreased from baseline by 1.7 h in patients treated with 1.0 mg/d rasagiline compared to placebo (p rasagiline treatment. Rasagiline was well tolerated. This study demonstrated that rasagiline mesylate is effective and well tolerated as an adjunct to levodopa treatment in Chinese PD patients with fluctuations.

  16. [A study on the true nature of "Chinese jinseng"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jeong-pil; Yeo, In-sok

    2003-12-01

    Studies generally, it is believed that the ancient 'Chinese ginseng' did exist due to the fact that it is clearly recorded in the Chinese historical and medicine-related sources. Although it is hard to deny that such 'ginseng' did exist in ancient China, the re-examination of its true nature is also necessary. In other words, certain refutation can be made against the claim that ancient 'Chinese jinseng' was in fact 'Panax jinseng' (C. A. Mey.), since the Chinese jinseng accounts do not tell that it is such. For example, when looking into its shape based on descriptions, the 'Chinese Jinseng' has black seed, hairy stem, and violet flower. ' Panax jinseng' on the other hand, has opal seed, no-hair stem, and light-green flower. In terms of cultivation centre, most of mainland China is unsuitable for Jinseng production with the exception of the Shangdang area of Shanxi province, which solely had the reputation of being the production centre of ancient 'Chinese jinseng'. However, when looking into the Chinese sources for jinseng-producing areas, they show that Hepei and Liaoning province and Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze river) areas also have had some jinseng-related history. Regardless of such instance, these regions did not cultivate Panax jinseng. As shown above, ancient 'Chinese jinseng' was far from being identical, in respect to its shape or production areas, to Panax jinseng. Hence, this study came to the conclusion that there is indeed very high skepticism about whether the true nature of 'jinseng' in ancient China was in fact Panax jinseng. On the contrary, there is higher possibility that the ancient 'Chinese jinseng' is totally different plant from Panax jinseng which is actually Codonopsis pilosula. When examining the shape and production areas of Codonopsis pilosula, it is closely matched with many parts of ancient 'Chinese jinseng' texts. In short, it is presumed that the 'Chinese jinseng' did indeed exist in ancient China but it was Codonopsis pilosula

  17. 16 February 2012 - Chinese Taipei Ambassador to Switzerland F. Hsieh in the ATLAS visitor centre, ATLAS experimental area and LHC tunnel at Point 1 with Collaboration Deputy Sookesperson A. Lankford, throughout accompanied by International Relations Adviser R. Voss.

    CERN Multimedia

    Jean-Claude Gadmer

    2012-01-01

    16 February 2012 - Chinese Taipei Ambassador to Switzerland F. Hsieh in the ATLAS visitor centre, ATLAS experimental area and LHC tunnel at Point 1 with Collaboration Deputy Sookesperson A. Lankford, throughout accompanied by International Relations Adviser R. Voss.

  18. Yield of chest X-ray tuberculosis screening of immigrants during the European refugee crisis of 2015: a single-centre experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weinrich, Julius Matthias; Sauer, Markus; Henes, Frank Oliver; Adam, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Hamburg (Germany); Diel, Roland [University Medical Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Institute for Epidemiology, Kiel (Germany); Meywald-Walter, Karen [Public Health Department Hamburg Central, Hamburg (Germany); Schoen, Gerhard [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Hamburg (Germany)

    2017-08-15

    Our aim was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), the number needed to screen (NNS), and the diagnostic accuracy of chest X-ray (CXR) screening to detect active pulmonary TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis. We evaluated data of all refugees who underwent CXR screening in a single-centre of one German metropolitan area in 2015. We determined the prevalence of TB, NNS, and accuracy of CXR to detect active pulmonary TB. Reference method for active TB was the database of all definite TB cases registered at the Department of Public Health. A total of 17,487 immigrants underwent single-centre CXR screening in 2015; prevalence of definite pulmonary TB was 0.103%. The NNS for detecting one case of active pulmonary TB was 1749. CXR had a sensitivity of 55.6% 95% confidence interval (CI 30.8-78.5%) and a specificity 98.3% (CI 98.1-98.5%) to reveal one case of active TB. Our single-centre study indicates that chest X-ray screening for TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis was of low yield due the low prevalence of TB and high number needed to screen, thus implicating the need for improved screening algorithms adapted to the overwhelming number of refugees. (orig.)

  19. Yield of chest X-ray tuberculosis screening of immigrants during the European refugee crisis of 2015: a single-centre experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weinrich, Julius Matthias; Sauer, Markus; Henes, Frank Oliver; Adam, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter; Diel, Roland; Meywald-Walter, Karen; Schoen, Gerhard

    2017-01-01

    Our aim was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), the number needed to screen (NNS), and the diagnostic accuracy of chest X-ray (CXR) screening to detect active pulmonary TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis. We evaluated data of all refugees who underwent CXR screening in a single-centre of one German metropolitan area in 2015. We determined the prevalence of TB, NNS, and accuracy of CXR to detect active pulmonary TB. Reference method for active TB was the database of all definite TB cases registered at the Department of Public Health. A total of 17,487 immigrants underwent single-centre CXR screening in 2015; prevalence of definite pulmonary TB was 0.103%. The NNS for detecting one case of active pulmonary TB was 1749. CXR had a sensitivity of 55.6% 95% confidence interval (CI 30.8-78.5%) and a specificity 98.3% (CI 98.1-98.5%) to reveal one case of active TB. Our single-centre study indicates that chest X-ray screening for TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis was of low yield due the low prevalence of TB and high number needed to screen, thus implicating the need for improved screening algorithms adapted to the overwhelming number of refugees. (orig.)

  20. Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of apixaban in healthy Chinese subjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cui Y

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Yimin Cui,1 Yan Song,2 Jessie Wang,2 Zhigang Yu,2 Alan Schuster,2 Yu Chen Barrett,2 Charles Frost2 1Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China; 2Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA Background: The pharmacokinetics (PK, pharmacodynamics (PD, and safety of apixaban were assessed in healthy Chinese subjects in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-sequence, single- and multiple-dose study. Subjects and methods: Eighteen subjects 18–45 years of age were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio to receive apixaban or matched placebo. Subjects received a single 10 mg dose of apixaban or placebo on day 1, followed by 10 mg apixaban or placebo twice daily for 6 days (days 4–9. The PK and PD of apixaban were assessed by collecting plasma samples for 72 hours following the dose on day 1 and the morning dose on day 9, and measuring apixaban concentration and anti-Xa activity. Safety was assessed via physical examinations, vital sign measurements, electrocardiograms, and clinical laboratory evaluations. Results: PK analysis showed similar characteristics of apixaban after single and multiple doses, including a median time to maximum concentration of ~3 hours, mean elimination half-life of ~11 hours, and renal clearance of ~1.2 L/hour. The accumulation index was 1.7, consistent with twice-daily dosing and the observed elimination half-life. Single-dose data predict multiple-dose PK, therefore apixaban PK are time-independent. The relationship between anti-Xa activity and plasma apixaban concentrations appears to be linear. Apixaban was safe and well tolerated, with no bleeding-related adverse events reported. Conclusion: Apixaban was safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects. Apixaban PK and PD were predictable and consistent with findings from previous studies in Asian and non-Asian subjects. The administration of apixaban does not require any dose modification based on race. Keywords: apixaban, oral

  1. 6 June 2012 - Chinese Nanjing University President J.Chen in the ATLAS visitor centre with Member of the ATLAS Collaboration I. Wingerter and International Relations Office Adviser E. Tsesmelis. M. Qi, Nanjing University and ATLAS Collaboration, accompanies the delegation.

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2012-01-01

    6 June 2012 - Chinese Nanjing University President J.Chen in the ATLAS visitor centre with Member of the ATLAS Collaboration I. Wingerter and International Relations Office Adviser E. Tsesmelis. M. Qi, Nanjing University and ATLAS Collaboration, accompanies the delegation.

  2. Interaction Patterns in Synchronous Chinese Tutorials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Lijing; Stickler, Ursula

    2018-01-01

    Speaking in Chinese is problematic for all learners, particularly for beginners and more so during online interaction. Despite the fact that interaction has been identified as crucial for the development of speaking skills, it can be hindered by students' lack of language competence or their anxiety. Teacher-centred practices in tutorials can…

  3. Association of Interleukin-1 Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms with Keratoconus in Chinese Han Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yani; Wei, Wei; Zhang, Changning; Zhang, XueHui; Liu, Ming; Zhu, Xiuping; Xu, Kun

    2016-05-01

    To investigate whether interleukin-1 alpha (IL1A) and interleukin-1 beta (IL1B) polymorphisms are associated with keratoconus (KC) in unrelated Chinese Han patients. The IL1A (rs2071376) and IL1B (rs1143627, rs16944) polymorphisms were genotyped in 115 unrelated Chinese Han KC patients and 101 healthy Chinese Han volunteers with the Sequenom MassARRAY RS1000. Sequenom Typer 4.0 software, PLINK 1.07, Haploview 4.0 software platform were used to analyze the allelic variants of IL1A and IL1B genes, and their association with KC risk factors were assessed. Among the variants, the three SNPs (rs2071376 in IL1A, rs1143627 and rs16944 in the promoter region of IL1B) were different between the two groups. The A allele of rs2071376 (A > C, p = 0.017, OR = 1.968, 95% C.I. 1.313-3.425), the C allele of rs1143627 (C > T, p rs16944 (A > G, p = 0.002, OR = 2.401, 95% C.I. 1.396-4.161) were associated with a increased risk of KC in Chinese Han patients. This study showed that rs2071376, rs1143627 and rs16944 had significant differences in associations between KC patients and the control group when different genotypes were analyzed in three models (dominant, recessive, and additive). In the haplotype analysis, the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1143627 and rs16944 showed strong linkage disequilibrium. In addition, Haplotype "ACA" was found to be associated with a higher risk of developing KC (OR = 12.91, p < 0.001). Keratocyte apoptosis is an initiating event in the pathogenesis of KC which could be induced by the altered levels of IL1 gene. These findings confirmed that polymorphisms in IL1 genes were associated with risk of KC in the Chinese Han population, which help us to gain insight into the pathogenesis of KC.

  4. Pharmacokinetics of colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) in healthy Chinese subjects after single and multiple intravenous doses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Miao; Wu, Xiao-Jie; Fan, Ya-Xin; Zhang, Ying-Yuan; Guo, Bei-Ning; Yu, Ji-Cheng; Cao, Guo-Ying; Chen, Yuan-Cheng; Wu, Ju-Fang; Shi, Yao-Guo; Li, Jian; Zhang, Jing

    2018-05-01

    The high prevalence of extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens has forced clinicians to use colistin as a last-line therapy. Knowledge on the pharmacokinetics of colistin methanesulfonate (CMS), an inactive prodrug, and colistin has increased substantially; however, the pharmacokinetics in the Chinese population is still unknown due to lack of a CMS product in China. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of a new CMS product developed in China in order to optimise dosing regimens. A total of 24 healthy subjects (12 female, 12 male) were enrolled in single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetic (PK) studies. Concentrations of CMS and formed colistin in plasma and urine were measured, and PK analysis was conducted using a non-compartmental approach. Following a single CMS dose [2.36 mg colistin base activity (CBA) per kg, 1 h infusion], peak concentrations (C max ) of CMS and formed colistin were 18.0 mg/L and 0.661 mg/L, respectively. The estimated half-life (t 1/2 ) of CMS and colistin were 1.38 h and 4.49 h, respectively. Approximately 62.5% of the CMS dose was excreted via urine within 24 h after dosing, whilst only 1.28% was present in the form of colistin. Following multiple CMS doses, colistin reached steady-state within 24 h; there was no accumulation of CMS, but colistin accumulated slightly (R AUC  = 1.33). This study provides the first PK data in the Chinese population and is essential for designing CMS dosing regimens for use in Chinese hospitals. The urinary PK data strongly support the use of intravenous CMS for serious urinary tract infections. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  5. Surgical treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis: single-centre ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Materials and methods This study was conducted at the regional tertiary care referral centre. The study design was a retrospective one. ... Two (33.33%) of the six RA patients, four (25%) of 16 stoma patients and two (100%) with corporation panintestinal disease died. Conclusion The most common indication for laparotomy ...

  6. Prenatally Diagnosis and Outcome of Fetuses with Cardiac Rhabdomyoma – Single Centre Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bejiqi, Ramush; Retkoceri, Ragip; Bejiqi, Hana

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Cardiac rhabdomyoma (CRs) are the most common primary tumour of the heart in infants and children. Usually are multiple and, basing on the location can cause a haemodynamic disturbance, dysrhythmias or heart failure during the fetal and early postnatal period. CRs have a natural history of spontaneous regression and are closely associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). It has an association with tuberous sclerosis (TS), and in those, the tumour may regress and disappear completely, or remain consistent in size. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the prenatal diagnosis, clinical presentation and outcome of CRs and their association with TSC in a single centre. The median follow-up period was three years (range: 6 months - 5 years). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records of all fetuses diagnosed prenatally with cardiac rhabdomyoma covering the period January 2010 to December 2016 which had undergone detailed ultrasound evaluation at a single centre with limited technical resources. RESULTS: Twelve fetuses were included in the study; mostly had multiple tumours and a total of 53 tumours were identified in all patients - the maximum was one fetus with16 tumours. All patients were diagnosed prenatally by fetal echocardiography. In two patient’s haemodynamic disturbances during the fetal period was noted and pregnancies have been terminated. After long consultation termination of pregnancy was chosen by the parents in totally 8 cases. In four continuing pregnancies during the first year of live tumours regressed. TSC was diagnosed in all patients during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac rhabdomyoma are benign from the cardiovascular standpoint in most affected fetuses. An early prenatal diagnosis may help for an adequate planning of perinatal monitoring and treatment with the involvement of a multidisciplinary team. Large tumour size, the number of tumours and localisation may cause hydrops, and they are significantly associated with poor

  7. Pharmacokinetics of lansoprazole and its main metabolites after single intravenous doses in healthy Chinese subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dan; Yang, Man; Liu, Man; Zhang, Yanan; Wang, Xiaolin; Xiao, Xue; Liu, Huichen

    2012-11-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of lansoprazole (LPZ) and its main metabolites 5'-hydroxy lansoprazole (HLPZ) and lansoprazole sulphone (LPZS) after single intravenous (i.v.) doses of LPZ in healthy Chinese subjects, and the relationship between the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 phenotypes and the plasma concentrations of LPZS at the time-points in the elimination phase of LPZ. Twelve subjects were given lansoprazole by i.v. infusion. Blood samples were collected at designated time points up to 24 h. Plasma concentrations of LPZ, HLPZ and LPZS were quantified by a selective and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method. After single i.v. doses of 15, 30 and 60 mg LPZ, C(max) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-t)) of LPZ were 725 ± 151, 1480 ± 190, 3130 ± 480 µg · L(-1) and 1690 ± 1210, 3630 ± 2530, 8080 ± 4550 µg · h · L(-1), respectively. LPZ was generally well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects, and displayed linear PK in the range of 15-60 mg. There were significant differences in the elimination of LPZ and the formation of LPZS between the single CYP2C19 poor metabolizer (PM) and the CYP2C19 extensive metabolizers (EM). The concentration of LPZS at the time-points in the elimination phase of LPZ could be monitored for CYP2C19 phenotyping. As a probe drug for CYP2C19 phenotyping, LPZ for injection might be more suitable than LPZ oral formulations.

  8. Changing epidemiology of AA amyloidosis: clinical observations over 25 years at a single national referral centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Thirusha; Pinney, Jennifer H; Gilbertson, Janet A; Hutt, David F; Rowczenio, Dorota M; Mahmood, Shameem; Sachchithanantham, Sajitha; Fontana, Marianna; Youngstein, Taryn; Quarta, Candida C; Wechalekar, Ashutosh D; Gillmore, Julian D; Hawkins, Philip N; Lachmann, Helen J

    2017-09-01

    Systemic AA amyloidosis is a serious complication of chronic inflammation; however, there are relatively few published data on its incidence. We investigated the changing epidemiology of AA amyloidosis over a 25-year period at a single national referral centre. We conducted a retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with AA amyloidosis who had attended the centre between 1990 and 2014 inclusive. Six hundred and twenty-five patients were studied in three cohorts: C1: 1990-1997; C2: 1998-2006; C3: 2007-2014. Mean age at presentation increased from 46 in C1 to 56 in C3 (p AA amyloidosis over a quarter of a century, reflecting advances in therapeutics and overall management of complex chronic disease in an ageing population. AA amyloidosis of uncertain aetiology presents an emerging major problem. Newer techniques such as next-generation sequencing may aid diagnosis and effective treatment, thereby improving overall survival.

  9. Bilateral adrenal masses: a single-centre experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilesh Lomte

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Background Bilateral adrenal masses may have aetiologies like hyperplasia and infiltrative lesions, besides tumours. Hyperplastic and infiltrative lesions may have coexisting hypocortisolism. Bilateral tumours are likely to have hereditary/syndromic associations. The data on clinical profile of bilateral adrenal masses are limited. Aims To analyse clinical, biochemical and radiological features, and management outcomes in patients with bilateral adrenal masses. Methods Retrospective analysis of 70 patients with bilateral adrenal masses presenting to a single tertiary care endocrine centre from western India (2002–2015. Results The most common aetiology was pheochromocytoma (40%, followed by tuberculosis (27.1%, primary adrenal lymphoma (PAL (10%, metastases (5.7%, non-functioning adenomas (4.3%, primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (4.3%, and others (8.6%. Age at presentation was less in patients with pheochromocytoma (33 years and tuberculosis (41 years compared with PAL (48 years and metastases (61 years (P<0.001. The presenting symptoms for pheochromocytoma were hyperadrenergic spells (54% and abdominal pain (29%, whereas tuberculosis presented with adrenal insufficiency (AI (95%. The presenting symptoms for PAL were AI (57% and abdominal pain (43%, whereas all cases of metastasis had abdominal pain. Mean size of adrenal masses was the largest in lymphoma (5.5cm followed by pheochromocytoma (4.8cm, metastasis (4cm and tuberculosis (2.1cm (P<0.001. Biochemically, most patients with pheochromocytoma (92.8% had catecholamine excess. Hypocortisolism was common in tuberculosis (100% and PAL (71.4% and absent with metastases (P<0.001. Conclusion In evaluation of bilateral adrenal masses, age at presentation, presenting symptoms, lesion size, and biochemical features are helpful in delineating varied underlying aetiologies.

  10. Bilateral adrenal masses: a single-centre experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandgar, Tushar; Khare, Shruti; Jadhav, Swati; Lila, Anurag; Goroshi, Manjunath; Kasaliwal, Rajeev; Khadilkar, Kranti; Shah, Nalini S

    2016-01-01

    Background Bilateral adrenal masses may have aetiologies like hyperplasia and infiltrative lesions, besides tumours. Hyperplastic and infiltrative lesions may have coexisting hypocortisolism. Bilateral tumours are likely to have hereditary/syndromic associations. The data on clinical profile of bilateral adrenal masses are limited. Aims To analyse clinical, biochemical and radiological features, and management outcomes in patients with bilateral adrenal masses. Methods Retrospective analysis of 70 patients with bilateral adrenal masses presenting to a single tertiary care endocrine centre from western India (2002–2015). Results The most common aetiology was pheochromocytoma (40%), followed by tuberculosis (27.1%), primary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) (10%), metastases (5.7%), non-functioning adenomas (4.3%), primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (4.3%), and others (8.6%). Age at presentation was less in patients with pheochromocytoma (33 years) and tuberculosis (41 years) compared with PAL (48 years) and metastases (61 years) (P<0.001). The presenting symptoms for pheochromocytoma were hyperadrenergic spells (54%) and abdominal pain (29%), whereas tuberculosis presented with adrenal insufficiency (AI) (95%). The presenting symptoms for PAL were AI (57%) and abdominal pain (43%), whereas all cases of metastasis had abdominal pain. Mean size of adrenal masses was the largest in lymphoma (5.5cm) followed by pheochromocytoma (4.8cm), metastasis (4cm) and tuberculosis (2.1cm) (P<0.001). Biochemically, most patients with pheochromocytoma (92.8%) had catecholamine excess. Hypocortisolism was common in tuberculosis (100%) and PAL (71.4%) and absent with metastases (P<0.001). Conclusion In evaluation of bilateral adrenal masses, age at presentation, presenting symptoms, lesion size, and biochemical features are helpful in delineating varied underlying aetiologies. PMID:27037294

  11. Pharmacokinetics of lansoprazole and its main metabolites after single and multiple intravenous doses in healthy Chinese subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dan; Zhang, Yanan; Liu, Man; Wang, Xiaolin; Yang, Man; Han, Jing; Liu, Huichen

    2013-09-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the pharmacokinetics of lansoprazole (LPZ) and its main metabolites, 5'-hydroxy lansoprazole (HLPZ) and lansoprazole sulfone (LPZS), after single and multiple intravenous (i.v.) doses of LPZ in healthy Chinese subjects. Twelve subjects (six males and six females) were given a single dose of LPZ by i.v. infusion on day 1, and multiple doses from day 2 to day 6. Blood samples were collected at designated time points for analysis of plasma concentrations of LPZ, HLPZ and LPZS by an LC-MS/MS method. LPZ was generally well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects. After single and multiple i.v. doses of 30 mg LPZ, the C max values of LPZ, HLPZ and LPZS were 1490 ± 290 and 1450 ± 280, 175 ± 71 and 154 ± 56, and 51.3 ± 82.9 and 74.1 ± 158.7 ng/mL, with the AUC0-t values 3280 ± 2550 and 4260 ± 3880, 381 ± 128 and 389 ± 111, and 389 ± 1204 and 700 ± 2255 ng h/mL, respectively. The t 1/2 and CL values of LPZ after single and multiple i.v. doses were 1.48 ± 1.03 and 2.19 ± 1.03 h, and 11.67 ± 4.49 and 9.56 ± 4.08 L/h, respectively. Compared with the pharmacokinetics of LPZ after a single dose, t 1/2 increased markedly, CL decreased significantly and AUC increased by over 20 % after multiple doses. The results indicated that there was drug accumulation of LPZ after multiple i.v. doses, and there was no gender-related difference in pharmacokinetics of LPZ and its two metabolites.

  12. Management of Epistaxis – A Single Centre Experience and Economic Considerations

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Keane, E

    2016-06-01

    Epistaxis represents the most common ENT emergency and its management has been a focus of audit recently, with consideration given to the associated economic burden. The aim of our study is to evaluate the management of epistaxis in terms of treatments used, duration of stay, recurrence and cost. A retrospective review of hospital inpatient enquiry (HIPE) data from a single secondary referral centre was undertaken during a four year period. Four hundrefd and thirty-four patients were identified. The majority (n= 262, 60.3%) were male and the average age was 64.2 years. The vast majority (n=362, 83.4%) were managed non-operatively. Only 15 patients (3.4%) were managed surgically. The average length of stay was 2.5 days and did not vary greatly between the treatment groups. The recurrence rate was 8.2% (n=36). Approximate costs of packing vs EUA and cautery suggest that packing alone is more economical but more data is needed to fully compare the options.

  13. MeV single-ion beam irradiation of mammalian cells using the Surrey vertical nanobeam, compared with broad proton beam and X-ray irradiations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prakrajang, K. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Faculty of Science, Maejo University, Chiang Mai 50290 (Thailand); Jeynes, J.C.G.; Merchant, M.J.; Kirkby, K.; Kirkby, N. [Surrey Ion Beam Center, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford Surrey, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Thopan, P. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Yu, L.D., E-mail: yuld@fnrf.science.cmu.ac.th [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)

    2013-07-15

    Highlights: •Recently completed nanobeam at the Surrey Ion Beam Centre was used. •3.8-MeV single and broad proton beams irradiated Chinese hamster cells. •Cell survival curves were measured and compared with 300-kV X-ray irradiation. •Single ion irradiation had a lower survival part at ultra-low dose. •It implies hypersensitivity, bystander effect and cell cycle phase of cell death. -- Abstract: As a part of a systematic study on mechanisms involved in physical cancer therapies, this work investigated response of mammalian cells to ultra-low-dose ion beam irradiation. The ion beam irradiation was performed using the recently completed nanobeam facility at the Surrey Ion Beam Centre. A scanning focused vertical ion nano-beam was applied to irradiate Chinese hamster V79 cells. The V79 cells were irradiated in two different beam modes, namely, focused single ion beam and defocused scanning broad ion beam of 3.8-MeV protons. The single ion beam was capable of irradiating a single cell with a precisely controlled number of the ions to extremely low doses. After irradiation and cell incubation, the number of surviving colonies as a function of the number of the irradiating ions was measured for the cell survival fraction curve. A lower survival for the single ion beam irradiation than that of the broad beam case implied the hypersensitivity and bystander effect. The ion-beam-induced cell survival curves were compared with that from 300-kV X-ray irradiation. Theoretical studies indicated that the cell death in single ion irradiation mainly occurred in the cell cycle phases of cell division and intervals between the cell division and the DNA replication. The success in the experiment demonstrated the Surrey vertical nanobeam successfully completed.

  14. Digital Rights Management for a Chinese XML Text Centre

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2002-01-01

    The Electronic Text Centre of the OpenUniversity of Hong Kong(OUHK)has been in full operationsince early 2001.It currently houses 7,300+electronictexts,including free electronic titles,electronic titlespurchased directly from the market,and about,1,000 locallyproduced electronic titles.The locally produced titles are notavailable in the market but require local digitization andnegotiation with publishers with regard to the right to use(RTU)them so as to meet the learning needs of the OUHKcommunity.Nearl...

  15. Initiation of non-invasive ventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and clinical practice guidelines: Single-centre, retrospective, descriptive study in a national reference centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Georges, Marjolaine; Golmard, Jean-Louis; Llontop, Claudia; Shoukri, Amr; Salachas, François; Similowski, Thomas; Morelot-Panzini, Capucine; Gonzalez-Bermejo, Jésus

    2017-02-01

    In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), respiratory muscle weakness leads to respiratory failure. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) maintains adequate ventilation in ALS patients. NIV alleviates symptoms and improves survival. In 2006, French guidelines established criteria for NIV initiation based on limited evidence. Their impact on clinical practice remains unknown. Our objective was to describe NIV initiation practices of the main French ALS tertiary referral centre with respect to guidelines. In this retrospective descriptive study, 624 patients followed in a single national reference centre began NIV between 2005 and 2013. We analysed criteria used to initiate NIV, including symptoms, PaCO 2 , forced vital capacity, maximal inspiratory pressures and time spent with SpO 2 NIV initiation, 90% of patients were symptomatic. Median PaCO 2 was 48 mmHg. The main criterion to initiate NIV was 'symptoms' followed by 'hypercapnia' in 42% and 34% of cases, respectively. NIV was initiated on functional parameters in only 5% of cases. Guidelines were followed in 81% of cases. In conclusion, despite compliance with French guidelines, the majority of patients are treated at the stage of symptomatic daytime hypoventilation, which suggests that NIV is initiated late in the course of ALS. Whether this practice could be improved by changing guidelines or increasing respiratory-dedicated resources remains to be determined.

  16. Yield of chest X-ray tuberculosis screening of immigrants during the European refugee crisis of 2015: a single-centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinrich, Julius Matthias; Diel, Roland; Sauer, Markus; Henes, Frank Oliver; Meywald-Walter, Karen; Adam, Gerhard; Schön, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter

    2017-08-01

    Our aim was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), the number needed to screen (NNS), and the diagnostic accuracy of chest X-ray (CXR) screening to detect active pulmonary TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis. We evaluated data of all refugees who underwent CXR screening in a single-centre of one German metropolitan area in 2015. We determined the prevalence of TB, NNS, and accuracy of CXR to detect active pulmonary TB. Reference method for active TB was the database of all definite TB cases registered at the Department of Public Health. A total of 17,487 immigrants underwent single-centre CXR screening in 2015; prevalence of definite pulmonary TB was 0.103%. The NNS for detecting one case of active pulmonary TB was 1749. CXR had a sensitivity of 55.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 30.8-78.5%) and a specificity 98.3% (CI 98.1-98.5%) to reveal one case of active TB. Our single-centre study indicates that chest X-ray screening for TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis was of low yield due the low prevalence of TB and high number needed to screen, thus implicating the need for improved screening algorithms adapted to the overwhelming number of refugees. • Prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) among refugees in 2015 was low (0.103%). • The number needed to screen to detect one case of active pulmonary TB was 1749. • Tuberculosis X-ray screening resulted in a low sensitivity and high specificity. • Tuberculosis X-ray screening during the European refugee crisis is of low yield. • Improved screening algorithms are needed due to the overwhelming the number of refugees.

  17. Access to Community Living Infrastructure and Its Impact on the Establishment of Community-Based Day Care Centres for Seniors in Rural China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Man; Zhong, Renyao; Zhu, Shanwen; Ramsay, Lauren C; Li, Fen; Coyte, Peter C

    2018-06-06

    Community-based day care centres play an important role in service delivery for Chinese seniors. Little research has examined how community living infrastructure has influenced the establishment of these day care centres in rural communities. The purposes of this study were: (1) explore regional differences in community living infrastructure; and (2) to examine the impact of such infrastructure on the establishment of day care centres for Chinese seniors in rural communities. The data were derived from “The Fourth Sample Survey on the Living Conditions of Elderly People in Urban and Rural China (2015)”. The establishment of at least one day care centre was the outcome of interest, which was dichotomized at the community level into the establishment of at least one day care centre or the absence of any day care centres. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of various community living infrastructural characteristics on the establishment of day care centres. The results showed that of the 4522 rural communities surveyed in 2015, only 10.1% had established at least one day care centre. Community living infrastructural characteristics that were significantly associated with the establishment of day care centres were the availability of cement/asphalt roads, natural gas, tap drinking water, sewage systems, and centralized garbage disposal. Our findings suggest that the significant association between community-level characteristics, especially community living infrastructure, and the establishment of rural day care centre for seniors may inform policy decision making.

  18. Access to Community Living Infrastructure and Its Impact on the Establishment of Community-Based Day Care Centres for Seniors in Rural China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Man Li

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Community-based day care centres play an important role in service delivery for Chinese seniors. Little research has examined how community living infrastructure has influenced the establishment of these day care centres in rural communities. The purposes of this study were: (1 explore regional differences in community living infrastructure; and (2 to examine the impact of such infrastructure on the establishment of day care centres for Chinese seniors in rural communities. The data were derived from “The Fourth Sample Survey on the Living Conditions of Elderly People in Urban and Rural China (2015”. The establishment of at least one day care centre was the outcome of interest, which was dichotomized at the community level into the establishment of at least one day care centre or the absence of any day care centres. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of various community living infrastructural characteristics on the establishment of day care centres. The results showed that of the 4522 rural communities surveyed in 2015, only 10.1% had established at least one day care centre. Community living infrastructural characteristics that were significantly associated with the establishment of day care centres were the availability of cement/asphalt roads, natural gas, tap drinking water, sewage systems, and centralized garbage disposal. Our findings suggest that the significant association between community-level characteristics, especially community living infrastructure, and the establishment of rural day care centre for seniors may inform policy decision making.

  19. Health literacy issues in the care of Chinese American immigrants with diabetes: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Angela Yee Man; Bo, Ai; Hsiao, Hsin-Yi; Wang, Song Song; Chi, Iris

    2014-11-18

    To investigate why first-generation Chinese immigrants with diabetes have difficulty obtaining, processing and understanding diabetes related information despite the existence of translated materials and translators. This qualitative study employed purposive sampling. Six focus groups and two individual interviews were conducted. Each group discussion lasted approximately 90 min and was guided by semistructured and open-ended questions. Data were collected in two community health centres and one elderly retirement village in Los Angeles, California. 29 Chinese immigrants aged ≥45 years and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for at least 1 year. Eight key themes were found to potentially affect Chinese immigrants' capacity to obtain, communicate, process and understand diabetes related health information and consequently alter their decision making in self-care. Among the themes, three major categories emerged: cultural factors, structural barriers, and personal barriers. Findings highlight the importance of cultural sensitivity when working with first-generation Chinese immigrants with diabetes. Implications for health professionals, local community centres and other potential service providers are discussed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  20. Emergency Aeromedical Services in Ireland – A Single-Centre Study in 2014

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Sheridan, G.A.

    2017-03-01

    This retrospective analysis includes patients requiring Emergency Aeromedical Services (EAS) in 2014. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the HEMS service in a single centre and to accurately assess whether certain internationally validated criteria can predict admission rates better than the currently used criteria. Using the American College of Surgeons (ACS) trauma-related dispatch criteria, each case was retrospectively evaluated. Results showed the mean total criteria met were 2.73 (σ=0.88) and 1.45 (σ=0.82) in admitted and discharged patients respectively. The total criteria met had a significant predictive value on admission rates (p<0.05). Increased admission rates were shown in patients with a high Mechanism of Injury (MOI) (p<0.05). False positive rates of HEMS transfer were higher when applying the current criteria compared to the ACS criteria. ACS total criteria can predict admission in HEMS patients with a higher specificity than currently used guidelines.

  1. Antenatal risk factors for postnatal depression: a prospective study of chinese women at maternal and child health centres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siu Bonnie WM

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Risk factors for postnatal depression (PND are under-explored in the Chinese populations. There is increasing recognition of the importance of identifying predictive factors during the antenatal period for PND. The present study aimed to identify the risk factors for postnatal depression in a community cohort of Chinese women with special focus on the antenatal risk factors. Methods Eight hundred and five Chinese women were interviewed during their third trimester of pregnancy and at around 2 months postnatally. Putative risk factors for PND were collected and the diagnosis of PND was confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. The 2-month postnatal depression status was used as the dependent variable for univariate and multivariate analyses against putative risk factors. Results Marital dissatisfaction (Relative Risk = 8.27, dissatisfied relationship with mother-in-law (Relative Risk = 3.93, antenatal depressive symptomatology (Relative Risk = 3.90, and anxiety-prone personality (Relative Risk = 2.14 predicted PND in Chinese women independently. Conclusions Chinese women tend to keep their own feelings and emotions and it is important to monitor Chinese pregnant women with these predictive risk factors so that PND can be identified early.

  2. The Effects of Single and Dual Coded Multimedia Instructional Methods on Chinese Character Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ling

    2013-01-01

    Learning Chinese characters is a difficult task for adult English native speakers due to the significant differences between the Chinese and English writing system. The visuospatial properties of Chinese characters have inspired the development of instructional methods using both verbal and visual information based on the Dual Coding Theory. This…

  3. Laser writing of coherent colour centres in diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu-Chen; Salter, Patrick S.; Knauer, Sebastian; Weng, Laiyi; Frangeskou, Angelo C.; Stephen, Colin J.; Ishmael, Shazeaa N.; Dolan, Philip R.; Johnson, Sam; Green, Ben L.; Morley, Gavin W.; Newton, Mark E.; Rarity, John G.; Booth, Martin J.; Smith, Jason M.

    2017-02-01

    Optically active point defects in crystals have gained widespread attention as photonic systems that could be applied in quantum information technologies. However, challenges remain in the placing of individual defects at desired locations, an essential element of device fabrication. Here we report the controlled generation of single negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV-) centres in diamond using laser writing. Aberration correction in the writing optics allows precise positioning of the vacancies within the diamond crystal, and subsequent annealing produces single NV- centres with a probability of success of up to 45 ± 15%, located within about 200 nm of the desired position in the transverse plane. Selected NV- centres display stable, coherent optical transitions at cryogenic temperatures, a prerequisite for the creation of distributed quantum networks of solid-state qubits. The results illustrate the potential of laser writing as a new tool for defect engineering in quantum technologies, and extend laser processing to the single-defect domain.

  4. Hydroxyurea therapy in UK children with sickle cell anaemia: A single-centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Kate; Healy, Laura; Smith, Louise; Keenan, Russell

    2018-02-01

    Despite the demonstrated efficacy of hydroxyurea therapy, children with sickle cell anaemia in the UK are preferentially managed with supportive care or transfusion. Hydroxyurea is reserved for children with severe disease phenotype. This is in contrast to North America and other countries where hydroxyurea is widely used for children of all clinical phenotypes. The conservative UK practice may in part be due to concerns about toxicity, in particular marrow suppression with high doses, and growth in children. We monitored 37 paediatric patients with sickle cell anaemia who were treated with hydroxyurea at a single UK treatment centre. Therapy was well tolerated and mild transient cytopenias were the only toxicity observed. Comparative analysis of patients receiving ≥26 mg/kg/day versus hydroxyurea as a disease-modifying therapy, which we advocate for all children with sickle cell anaemia. © 2017 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Impact of job characteristics on psychological health of Chinese single working women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeung, D Y; Tang, C S

    2001-01-01

    This study aims at investigating the impact of individual and contextual job characteristics of control, psychological and physical demand, and security on psychological distress of 193 Chinese single working women in Hong Kong. The mediating role of job satisfaction in the job characteristics-distress relation is also assessed. Multiple regression analysis results show that job satisfaction mediates the effects of job control and security in predicting psychological distress; whereas psychological job demand has an independent effect on mental distress after considering the effect of job satisfaction. This main effect model indicates that psychological distress is best predicted by small company size, high psychological job demand, and low job satisfaction. Results from a separate regression analysis fails to support the overall combined effect of job demand-control on psychological distress. However, a significant physical job demand-control interaction effect on mental distress is noted, which reduces slightly after controlling the effect of job satisfaction.

  6. Energy centre microgrid model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pasonen, R.

    2011-09-15

    A simulation model of Energy centre microgrid made with PSCAD simulation software version 4.2.1 has been built in SGEM Smart Grids and Energy Markets (SGEM) work package 6.6. Microgrid is an autonomous electric power system which can operate separate from common distribution system. The idea of energy centre microgrid concept was considered in Master of Science thesis 'Community Microgrid - A Building block of Finnish Smart Grid'. The name of energy centre microgrid comes from a fact that production and storage units are concentrated into a single location, an energy centre. This centre feeds the loads which can be households or industrial loads. Power direction flow on the demand side remains same compared to the current distribution system and allows to the use of standard fuse protection in the system. The model consists of photovoltaic solar array, battery unit, variable frequency boost converter, inverter, isolation transformer and demand side (load) model. The model is capable to automatically switch to islanded mode when there is a fault in outside grid and back to parallel operation mode when fault is removed. The modelled system responses well to load changes and total harmonic distortion related to 50Hz base frequency is kept under 1.5% while operating and feeding passive load. (orig.)

  7. Living in Two Cultures: Chinese Canadians' Perspectives on Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Chunlei; McGinn, Michelle K; Xu, Xiaojian; Sylvestre, John

    2017-04-01

    Chinese people have distinctive perspectives on health and illness that are largely unrecognized in Western society. The purpose of this descriptive study was to develop a profile of Chinese immigrants' beliefs and practices related to diet, mental and social health, and sexual health. A quantitative survey with descriptive and correlational analyses was employed to examine 100 first-generation Chinese immigrants living in four urban centres across Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax, and St. Catharines). Although most Chinese immigrants preferred a Chinese diet, where they resided affected the groceries they bought and the meals they ate. Almost all participants reported their mental health was important to them and most felt comfortable discussing mental health issues with others. However, only a third would see a psychiatrist if they believed they had a mental health problem. Most participants believed social relationships were important for their health. Only a small number of participants, however, preferred making friends with mainstream Caucasian Canadians. More men than women believed sexuality contributed to health and were comfortable talking about sexual health. Chinese immigrants should be encouraged to be more engaged in the larger community in order to fully integrate themselves into Canadian society while still being encouraged to retain their healthy practices. These findings may help educators and practitioners enhance their understandings of Chinese immigrants' perspectives on health and develop culturally competent education and services in health care and health promotion.

  8. Media Development with Chinese Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iginio Gagliardone

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Chinese authorities often frame their activities in the development sector as distinctive from those pursued by Western donors by stressing that they are not seeking to export a specific model but simply to help countries reach their potential. This demand-driven approach has applied to old and new development areas, from education to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs, and has appeared fairly consistent across countries. This pledge, however, has not meant that Chinese aid is neutral or without significant political implications. China’s concessionary loans and support to development projects have tended to shift balances of power by favouring certain actors over others and have challenged existing development paradigms, revitalizing ideas of the developmental state. Building on fieldwork conducted in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Kenya this article explains to which extent China’s entrance in the media and telecommunication sector actually challenges the dominant, Western-driven approaches to media development, promoting a state centred vision of the information society.

  9. CHOICE Internal report I-4: The current status of ICT R&D&I for Chinese Eco-Cities

    OpenAIRE

    Owens, TJ; Itagaki, T

    2015-01-01

    This report attempts to give a flavour of the current of status of ICT R&D&I for Chinese Eco-cities and thereby provide some insights into the potential of China’s emerging market for Eco-city solutions for EU- China collaborative ICT R&D&I. It addresses Eco-city standards development in China. Evaluation Centres for Eco-City software solutions, the context into which ICT for Chinese Eco-cities fits, Chinese ICT R&D in smart cities, EU-China collaboration in ICT R&D smart cities, EU Member st...

  10. Chinese culture approached through touch

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Li; Champion, Erik

    2012-01-01

    Can recent technology help bridge cultures through playful interaction appropriate to traditional tacit means of acquiring knowledge? In order to help answer this question, we designed four Adobe Flash-based based game prototypes and evaluated them via a touch-screen PC. The goal was to offer non......, fun, and cultural authenticity. While this form of tangible computing proved engaging, it raises technical issues of how to convey appropriately the interactive elements without the help of the evaluator, and how to evaluate user satisfaction. We also briefly discuss more embodied and spatial......Chinese participants a playful way of experiencing aspects of traditional Chinese culture. The four single-player games were based on the four arts of China (music, calligraphy, painting and the game of Go!). In the evaluation we asked non-Chinese and the Chinese participants to evaluate the games in terms of learning...

  11. Multi-port versus single-port cholecystectomy: results of a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial (MUSIC trial).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arezzo, Alberto; Passera, Roberto; Bullano, Alberto; Mintz, Yoav; Kedar, Asaf; Boni, Luigi; Cassinotti, Elisa; Rosati, Riccardo; Fumagalli Romario, Uberto; Sorrentino, Mario; Brizzolari, Marco; Di Lorenzo, Nicola; Gaspari, Achille Lucio; Andreone, Dario; De Stefani, Elena; Navarra, Giuseppe; Lazzara, Salvatore; Degiuli, Maurizio; Shishin, Kirill; Khatkov, Igor; Kazakov, Ivan; Schrittwieser, Rudolf; Carus, Thomas; Corradi, Alessio; Sitzman, Guenther; Lacy, Antonio; Uranues, Selman; Szold, Amir; Morino, Mario

    2017-07-01

    Single-port laparoscopic surgery as an alternative to conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy for benign disease has not yet been accepted as a standard procedure. The aim of the multi-port versus single-port cholecystectomy trial was to compare morbidity rates after single-access (SPC) and standard laparoscopy (MPC). This non-inferiority phase 3 trial was conducted at 20 hospital surgical departments in six countries. At each centre, patients were randomly assigned to undergo either SPC or MPC. The primary outcome was overall morbidity within 60 days after surgery. Analysis was by intention to treat. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01104727). The study was conducted between April 2011 and May 2015. A total of 600 patients were randomly assigned to receive either SPC (n = 297) or MPC (n = 303) and were eligible for data analysis. Postsurgical complications within 60 days were recorded in 13 patients (4.7 %) in the SPC group and in 16 (6.1 %) in the MPC group (P = 0.468); however, single-access procedures took longer [70 min (range 25-265) vs. 55 min (range 22-185); P risk of incisional hernia following SPC do not appear to be justified. Patient satisfaction with aesthetic results was greater after SPC than after MPC.

  12. Mitigating Transitional Challenges of Chinese Students in U.S. Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dongfang; Vogel, Linda R.

    2016-01-01

    The number of Chinese international students enrolled in U.S. higher education has significantly grown over the past two decades. In 2015, Chinese international students accounted for the largest group of international students from any one single country. Previous research acknowledges Chinese students encountering significant difficulties in…

  13. [Study on biopharmaceutics classification system for Chinese materia medica of extract of Huanglian].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Yin, Xiu-Wen; Wang, Zi-Yu; Li, Xue-Lian; Pan, Meng; Li, Yan-Ping; Dong, Ling

    2017-11-01

    One of the advantages of biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS) is expanding the classification research level from single ingredient to multi-components of Chinese herb, and from multi-components research to holistic research of the Chinese materia medica. In present paper, the alkaloids of extract of huanglian were chosen as the main research object to explore their change rules in solubility and intestinal permeability of single-component and multi-components, and to determine the biopharmaceutical classification of extract of Huanglian from holistic level. The typical shake-flask method and HPLC were used to detect the solubility of single ingredient of alkaloids from extract of huanglian. The quantitative research of alkaloids in intestinal absorption was measured in single-pass intestinal perfusion experiment while permeability coefficient of extract of huanglian was calculated by self-defined weight coefficient method. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  14. A Single Centre Retrospective Evaluation of Laparoscopic Rectal Resection with TME for Rectal Cancer: 5-Year Cancer-Specific Survival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raoul Quarati

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Laparoscopic colon resection has established its role as a minimally invasive approach to colorectal diseases. Better long-term survival rate is suggested to be achievable with this approach in colon cancer patients, whereas some doubts were raised about its safety in rectal cancer. Here we report on our single centre experience of rectal laparoscopic resections for cancer focusing on short- and long-term oncological outcomes. In the last 13 years, 248 patients underwent minimally invasive approach for rectal cancer at our centre. We focused on 99 stage I, II, and III patients with a minimum follow-up period of 5 years. Of them 43 had a middle and 56 lower rectal tumor. Laparoscopic anterior rectal resection was performed in 71 patients whereas laparoscopic abdomino-perineal resection in 28. The overall mortality rate was 1%; the overall morbidity rate was 29%. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 69.7%, The 5-year overall survival rate was 78.8%.

  15. Towards the Restructuring and Co-ordination Mechanisms for the Architecture of Chinese Transport Logistics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J. Yang (Jiaqi)

    2009-01-01

    textabstractWith China’s emergence as a global manufacturing centre, reshaping the country’s logistics industry is assuming a global dimension too. The Chinese transport sector, despite its tremendous potential in facilitating the economic development of the country, is plagued with problems of

  16. Recipient ineligibility after liver transplantation assessment: a single centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arya, Aman; Hernandez-Alejandro, Roberto; Marotta, Paul; Uhanova, Julia; Chandok, Natasha

    2013-06-01

    Candidacy for liver transplantation is determined through standardized evaluation. There are limited data on the frequency and reasons for denial of transplantation after assessment; analysis may shed light on the short-term utility of the assessment. We sought to describe the frequency and reasons for ineligibility for liver transplantation among referred adults. We studied all prospectively followed recipient candidates at a single centre who were deemed unsuitable for liver transplantation after assessment. Inclusion criteria were age 18 years and older and completion of a standard liver transplantation evaluation over a 3-year period. Patients were excluded if they had a history of prior assessment or liver transplantation within the study period. Demographic and baseline clinical data and reasons for recipient ineligibility were recorded. In all, 337 patients underwent their first liver transplantation evaluation during the study period; 166 (49.3%) fulfilled inclusion criteria. The mean age was 55.4 years, and 106 (63.9%) were men. The 3 most common reasons for denial of listing were patient too well (n = 82, 49.4%), medical comorbidities and/or need for medical optimization (n = 43, 25.9%) and need for addiction rehabilitation (n = 28, 16.9%). Ineligibility for transplantation after assessment was common, occurring in nearly half of the cohort. Most denied candidates could be identified with more discriminate screening before the resource-intensive assessment; however, the assessment likely provides unforeseen positive impacts on patient care.

  17. Assessment of the cardiac safety between cetuximab and panitumumab as single therapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory mCRC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xue-Miao; Chen, Hao; Li, Qing; Song, Yiling; Zhang, Shuping; Xu, Xiao-Shuan; Xu, Yiwei; Chen, Shulin

    2018-01-01

    The cardiac safety of cetuximab and panitumumab, particularly as single agents, has not been investigated extensively. This trial was designed to specifically evaluate the cardiac safety of cetuximab and panitumumab as single therapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. Sixty-one patients received cetuximab at an initial dose of 400 mg/m 2 intravenously over 120 minutes on day 1 (week 1), followed by a maintenance dose of 250 mg/m 2 intravenously over 60 minutes on day 1 of each 7-day cycle. Forty-three patients received panitumumab at a dose of 6 mg/kg intravenously every 14 days. Routine laboratory tests and electrocardiogram (ECG) were performed at baseline, during therapy and after the treatment (4th and 10th months). The incidence of elevation of troponin I ultra (TNI Ultra), abnormal ECGs, cardiac events and noncardiac adverse events (AEs) were recorded and analyzed. The incidence of elevation of TNI Ultra between the two groups had no significance ( p =0.681), and TNI Ultra+ was observed more frequently in patients with metastases to more than three organs and they received fourth or above lines of chemotherapy. The most frequent abnormal ECG manifestations were nonspecific ST changes and QTc prolongation in the two groups. At 10 months after treatment, most of the abnormal ECG manifestations were reversed. The most common cardiac AEs of cetuximab and panitumumab included palpitations, dyspnea, chest pain and arrhythmias requiring treatment. Most of the events were mild and transient. The incidence of cardiac AEs had no significant difference between the two groups. Rash was still the most common noncardiac AE in both groups. Cetuximab and panitumumab showed favorable cardiac safety as single agents for Chinese chemotherapy-refractory mCRC patients. But monitoring for cardiac AEs is still necessary throughout the entire treatment process.

  18. Recruitment process of a Chinese immigrant study in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Ping

    2017-08-01

    The objectives of this article were to provide a comprehensive overview of the recruitment experience and participant characteristics in an antihypertensive dietary educational intervention pilot trial among Chinese Canadians. The recruitment was conducted in a community centre. Two recruitment approaches, self-referral and proactive recruitment, were used. Among 618 Chinese Canadians in the blood pressure screening, 105 (17.0%) individuals were eligible to participate in this trial. Of the 105 eligible individuals, 45 (42.9%) declined enrollment and 60 (57.1%) consented to participate in the trial and were recruited. The most common reason for refusal was being unable to access to the education location (n=19, 42.2%) followed by being too busy to participate (n=18, 40.0%). All participants were Chinese immigrants and the mean number of years living in Canada was 9.2. Most participants had low English proficiency, accepted Chinese culture more than Western culture, and had strong traditional health beliefs. It is concluded that both self-referral and proactive recruitment approaches were effective. Home-based interventions using Internet and telephone should be used as alternative delivery approaches to improve recruitment rate and facilitate participation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Creation of nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond with high resolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pezzagna, Sebastien; Meijer, Jan [Rubion, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany); Wildanger, Dominik; Hell, Stefan W. [Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goettingen (Germany); Mazarov, Paul; Wieck, Andreas D. [Lehrstuhl fuer Angewandte Festkoerperphysik, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany); Naydenov, Boris; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Joerg [3. Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    Nowadays, diamond and the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres constitute the best solid-state system in view of quantum-computing applications. It has also been shown recently that single NV centres could be used as nanoscale magnetic sensors. Such applications require the creation of single NV centres with very high resolution and with a high efficiency. The nano-implanter at the university of Bochum provides low energy nitrogen ions which can be implanted through a hole pierced in the tip of an atomic force microscope. Ultrapure diamond samples have been implanted with spot sizes of 50nm and less. Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy has been used to characterise and resolve the implanted spots.

  20. Laparoscopic surgery for complicated diverticular disease: a single-centre experience.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Royds, J

    2012-10-01

    The role of laparoscopic surgery in the management of patients with diverticular disease is still not universally accepted. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of laparoscopic surgery for diverticular disease in a centre with a specialist interest in minimally invasive surgery.

  1. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Single centre experience.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Farrell, N J

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is an attractive alternative to the traditional open approach in the surgical excision of an adrenal gland. It has replaced open adrenalectomy in our institution and we review our experience to date. METHODS: All cases of laparoscopic adrenalectomies in our hospital over eight years (from 2001 to May 2009) were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, diagnosis, length of hospital stay, histology and all operative and post-operative details were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-five laparoscopic adrenalectomies (LA) were performed on 51 patients over eight years. The mean age was 48 years (Range 16-86 years) with the male: female ratio 1:2. Twenty-three cases had a right adrenalectomy, 24 had a left adrenalectomy and the remaining four patients had bilateral adrenalectomies. 91% were successfully completed laparoscopically with five converted to an open approach. Adenomas (functional and non functional) were the leading indication for LA, followed by phaeochromocytomas. Other indications for LA included Cushing\\'s disease, adrenal malignancies and rarer pathologies. There was one mortality from necrotising pancreatitis following a left adrenalectomy for severe Cushing\\'s disease, with subsequent death 10 days later. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is effective for the treatment of adrenal tumours, fulfilling the criteria for the ideal minimally invasive procedure. It has replaced the traditional open approach in our centre and is a safe and effective alternative. However, in the case of severe Cushing\\'s disease, laparoscopic adrenalectomy has the potential for significant adverse outcomes and mortality.

  2. Factors associated with anxiety and depression among type 2 diabetes outpatients in Malaysia: a descriptive cross-sectional single-centre study

    OpenAIRE

    Ganasegeran, Kurubaran; Renganathan, Pukunan; Manaf, Rizal Abdul; Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman

    2014-01-01

    Objective To determine the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among type 2 diabetes outpatients in Malaysia. Design Descriptive, cross-sectional single-centre study with universal sampling of all patients with type 2 diabetes. Setting Endocrinology clinic of medical outpatient department in a Malaysian public hospital. Participants All 169 patients with type 2 diabetes (men, n=99; women, n=70) aged between 18 and 90 years who acquired follow-up treatment from the en...

  3. Determinants of eco-efficiency in the Chinese industrial sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujii, Hidemichi; Managi, Shunsuke

    2013-12-01

    This study measures productive inefficiency within the context of multi-environmental pollution (eco-efficiency) in the Chinese industrial sector. The weighted Russell directional distance model is applied to measure eco-efficiency using production technology. The objective is to clarify how external factors affect eco-efficiency. The major findings are that both foreign direct investment and investment for pollution abatement improve eco-efficiency as measured by air pollutant substances. A levy system for wastewater discharge improves eco-efficiency as measured by wastewater pollutant substances. However, an air pollutant levy does not significantly affect eco-efficiency as measured by air pollutants. Copyright © 2013 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Luminescence characteristics of Pb2+ centres in undoped and Ce3+-doped Lu3Al5O12 single-crystalline films and Pb2+→Ce3+ energy transfer processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Babin, V.; Gorbenko, V.; Makhov, A.; Mares, J.A.; Nikl, M.; Zazubovich, S.; Zorenko, Yu.

    2007-01-01

    At 4.2-350 K, the steady-state and time-resolved emission and excitation spectra and luminescence decay kinetics were studied under excitation in the 2.5-15 eV energy range for the undoped and Ce 3+ -doped Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 (LuAG) single-crystalline films grown by liquid phase epitaxy method from the PbO-based flux. The spectral bands arising from the single Pb 2+ -based centres were identified. The processes of energy transfer from the host lattice to Pb 2+ and Ce 3+ ions and from Pb 2+ to Ce 3+ ions were investigated. Competition between Pb 2+ and Ce 3+ ions in the processes of energy transfer from the LuAG crystal lattice was evidenced especially in the exciton absorption region. Due to overlap of the 3.61 eV emission band of Pb 2+ centres with the 3.6 eV absorption band of Ce 3+ centres, an effective nonradiative energy transfer from Pb 2+ ions to Ce 3+ ions takes place, resulting in the appearance of slower component in the luminescence decay kinetics of Ce 3+ centres and decrease of the Ce 3+ -related luminescence intensity

  5. An Open-label, Single-dose, Pharmacokinetic Study of Factor VIII Activity After Administration of Moroctocog Alfa (AF-CC) in Male Chinese Patients With Hemophilia A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongzhong; Wu, Runhui; Hu, Pei; Sun, Feifei; Xu, Lihong; Liang, Yali; Nepal, Sunil; Qu, Peng Roger; Huard, Francois; Korth-Bradley, Joan M

    2017-07-01

    Hemophilia A represents up to 80% of all hemophilia cases in China. In patients with this condition, bleeding can be prevented and controlled by administering clotting factor VIII (FVIII). Since their initial availability, recombinant FVIII products have undergone several iterations to enhance their safety. Moroctocog alfa albumin-free cell culture (AF-CC) is among the third generation of recombinant FVIII products and received regulatory approval in China in August 2012. The present study characterizes the single-dose pharmacokinetic parameters of FVIII activity (FVIII:C) after administration of moroctocog alfa (AF-CC) in male Chinese patients with hemophilia A. This multicenter, open-label, single-dose study enrolled 13 male Chinese patients diagnosed with severe hemophilia A (FVIII:C hemophilia A. The pharmacokinetic profile in older patients was similar to that previously reported with recombinant FVIII products in studies with a predominantly white population; younger patients had reduced exposure to FVIII:C. The single doses of moroctocog alfa (AF-CC) were well tolerated; 2 cases of transient, low-titer FVIII inhibitor development were observed. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02461992. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The Educational Technology Centre: A Window to View the Progress of Chinese ICT-Based Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Rong; Xie, Baizhi

    2010-01-01

    In China, after many years, the current status and challenges of e-learning development in higher education have been gradually understood. The educational technology centre (ECT) serves as the key unit to promote e-learning initiatives, but the performance of some centres still trails their foreign counterparts. Under such conditions, the project…

  7. Predictors of breast feeding self-efficacy among Chinese mothers: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jiemin; Chan, Wai Chi Sally; Zhou, Xiuzhu; Ye, Benlan; He, Hong-Gu

    2014-06-01

    to examine breast feeding self-efficacy and identify its predictors among expectant Chinese mothers in the antenatal period. a cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire survey was conducted in the antenatal clinics of three university hospitals in China between September and December 2011. expectant mothers planning to breast feed, and who were at least 18 years of age, expecting a single, healthy, full-term baby, and competent in Mandarin (n=201). a socio-demographic data sheet, the Chinese version of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. the expectant Chinese mothers reported moderate levels of breast feeding self-efficacy. Expectant mothers who had had previous experience in breast feeding, who had watched other mothers breast feed their infants, or who had made the decision to breast feed earlier reported higher breast feeding self-efficacy. Expectant mothers' perceived social support, perceived attitude of significant others, including husband, mothers, and friends, towards breast feeding are correlated with breast feeding self-efficacy. The best-fit regression analysis revealed five variables that explained 34% of the variance in breast feeding self-efficacy in the antenatal period: perceived social support, previous experience of breast feeding, previous experience of watching others breast feed, timing of maternal decision to breast feed, and perceived husband's attitude towards breast feeding. this study highlighted the importance of improving Chinese mothers' breast feeding self-efficacy by considering the main predictors found in this study. health care professionals could develop strategies to promote breast feeding self-efficacy, such as providing opportunities for expectant mothers to learn from others' successful experience, adopt a family-centred approach in the provision of breast feeding education, provide breast feeding education at the beginning of pregnancy or even earlier, and rally comprehensive social

  8. Recurrent Pneumonia in Children: A Reasoned Diagnostic Approach and a Single Centre Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montella, Silvia; Corcione, Adele; Santamaria, Francesca

    2017-01-29

    Recurrent pneumonia (RP), i.e., at least two episodes of pneumonia in one year or three episodes ever with intercritical radiographic clearing of densities, occurs in 7.7%-9% of children with community-acquired pneumonia. In RP, the challenge is to discriminate between children with self-limiting or minor problems, that do not require a diagnostic work-up, and those with an underlying disease. The aim of the current review is to discuss a reasoned diagnostic approach to RP in childhood. Particular emphasis has been placed on which children should undergo a diagnostic work-up and which tests should be performed. A pediatric case series is also presented, in order to document a single centre experience of RP. A management algorithm for the approach to children with RP, based on the evidence from a literature review, is proposed. Like all algorithms, it is not meant to replace clinical judgment, but it should drive physicians to adopt a systematic approach to pediatric RP and provide a useful guide to the clinician.

  9. The Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-07-01

    public administration and various types of organisations. Uniting the strongest players within a specific area under the aegis of a single centre gives each centre a very high level of overall expertise. The FME centres do not comprise an institution in a single geographic location but rather represent a grouping of entities with unique competencies in relevant areas. Adequate funding is critical to the centres success and further development. The centres each receive NOK 8-20 million annually for a five-year period, with the potential for a three-year extension. The Research Council will evaluate each centre individually and determine whether to grant further funding beyond the initial five-year period. The FME centres are expected to keep on boosting Norwegian energy-related expertise well into the future, with the benefits of their activities extending far beyond the actual lifecycle of the centres themselves. Individually and together, the FME centres will help to provide a secure energy future for Norway and the world at large.(Author)

  10. Epidemiology of coeliac disease in a single centre in Southern Derbyshire 1958–2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Geoffrey K T; Muirhead, A

    2017-01-01

    Objective To determine trends in diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) in patients attending a single centre 1958–2014 and provide figures for prevalence and incidence in those born in Derby city over 4 decades. To explore a link between deprivation and prevalence and characteristics of CD in Asians. Design An unselected, consecutive series of 2410 adult patients with CD diagnosed in the catchment area of the Derby hospitals was identified. 1077 born within Derby city identified by postcodes was used to determine changes in prevalence and incidence over 4 decades. 191 patients were Asian. Population numbers were obtained from National Census information. Results In the quinquennium 2010–2014, 20 times more patients were diagnosed than during 1975–1979. 27% were diagnosed at ≥60 years. A paucity of diagnoses in young men was observed. Women were diagnosed most often in age band ≥35coeliac clinic is an excellent facility to increase diagnosis rates. PMID:28761688

  11. Amrubicin therapy improves patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer: A single-arm confirmatory Chinese clinical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengli Zheng

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Our objective was to evaluate an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study to appraise whether amrubicin therapy improves patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer in Chinese clinical study. Patients (n=95 with refractory small-cell lung cancer received 3 consecutive days amrubicin therapy for 21 days. Overall response rate of response to amrubicin was 39%. Anemia, febrile neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hyperglycemia, hyponatremia, infection, elevated serum transaminases levels were appeared, but the incidences of adverse events were very few. Our results suggest amrubicin therapy can improve patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer and may be an effective and safe treatment option.

  12. Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms of sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 gene and risk of knee osteoarthritis in a Chinese Han population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Xiao-Ming; Jin, Cheng-Tao; Wang, Wei

    2014-04-01

    To investigate associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2228314 and rs2267443 in the sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 gene (SREBP-2) and knee osteoarthritis (OA) susceptibility in a Chinese Han population. SREBP-2 rs2228314 and rs2267443 polymorphisms were genotyped in patients with knee OA and age- and sex-matched OA-free controls from a Chinese Han population. A total of 402 patients with knee OA and 410 controls were enrolled in the study. GC and CC genotypes of rs2228314, and variant C, were associated with a significantly increased risk of knee OA. On stratification analysis, the association between the risk of OA and rs2228314 GC heterozygotes compared with GG homozygotes was stronger in females and those aged >65 years. In contrast, the GA and AA genotypes of rs2267443 were not significantly associated with the risk of knee OA, even after further stratification analysis according to age or sex. SREBP-2 rs2228314 G to C change and variant C genotype may contribute to knee OA risk in a Chinese Han population.

  13. Distribution of Chinese names

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ding-wei

    2013-03-01

    We present a statistical model for the distribution of Chinese names. Both family names and given names are studied on the same basis. With naive expectation, the distribution of family names can be very different from that of given names. One is affected mostly by genealogy, while the other can be dominated by cultural effects. However, we find that both distributions can be well described by the same model. Various scaling behaviors can be understood as a result of stochastic processes. The exponents of different power-law distributions are controlled by a single parameter. We also comment on the significance of full-name repetition in Chinese population.

  14. A reference regional nuclear fuel centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    A nuclear fuel centre groups the facilities for spent fuel reprocessing, plutonium fuel fabrication, waste conditioning, and interim storage on a single site. The technical aspects of safety and protection, and the socio-economic consequences of two types of centre have been studied. The reference centre has an initial reprocessing capacity of 1500 tonnes. This capacity is quadrupled by the construction of two new units in 15 years. The other centre considered is a quarter of this size. A description is given of the processes used, the personal and capital requirements for construction and operation of the plant, the transport of radioactive waste and products, and the quantities involved. The local radiological impact is low and could be further reduced to a level well below that of natural radioactivity. The resulting increase in economic activity, employment, income redistribution and the new infrastructure requirements are estimated for a rural or semi-rural region. Measures to prevent tension are proposed. The impact of the host country's balance of payments, finances, employment situation and technological knowhow is evaluated. The original centre is compared with equivalent facilities scattered geographically

  15. Large-scale fuel cycle centres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smiley, S.H.; Black, K.M.

    1977-01-01

    The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has considered the nuclear energy centre concept for fuel cycle plants in the Nuclear Energy Centre Site Survey 1975 (NECSS-75) Rep. No. NUREG-0001, an important study mandated by the US Congress in the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 which created the NRC. For this study, the NRC defined fuel cycle centres as consisting of fuel reprocessing and mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plants, and optional high-level waste and transuranic waste management facilities. A range of fuel cycle centre sizes corresponded to the fuel throughput of power plants with a total capacity of 50,000-300,000MW(e). The types of fuel cycle facilities located at the fuel cycle centre permit the assessment of the role of fuel cycle centres in enhancing the safeguard of strategic special nuclear materials - plutonium and mixed oxides. Siting fuel cycle centres presents a smaller problem than siting reactors. A single reprocessing plant of the scale projected for use in the USA (1500-2000t/a) can reprocess fuel from reactors producing 50,000-65,000MW(e). Only two or three fuel cycle centres of the upper limit size considered in the NECSS-75 would be required in the USA by the year 2000. The NECSS-75 fuel cycle centre evaluation showed that large-scale fuel cycle centres present no real technical siting difficulties from a radiological effluent and safety standpoint. Some construction economies may be achievable with fuel cycle centres, which offer opportunities to improve waste-management systems. Combined centres consisting of reactors and fuel reprocessing and mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plants were also studied in the NECSS. Such centres can eliminate shipment not only of Pu but also mixed-oxide fuel. Increased fuel cycle costs result from implementation of combined centres unless the fuel reprocessing plants are commercial-sized. Development of Pu-burning reactors could reduce any economic penalties of combined centres. The need for effective fissile

  16. ESWL for difficult bile duct stones: a 15-year single centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muratori, Rosangela; Azzaroli, Francesco; Buonfiglioli, Federica; Alessandrelli, Flavio; Cecinato, Paolo; Mazzella, Giuseppe; Roda, Enrico

    2010-09-07

    To evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for the management of refractory bile duct cholelithiasis in a third level referral centre. The clinical records of all patients treated with a second generation electromagnetic lithotripter (Lithostar Plus, SIEMENS) from October 1990 to April 2005 were evaluated. All patients were monitored during the procedure and antibiotics were administered in case of cholangitis. The chi(2) test and logistic regression analysis were performed as appropriate. Two hundred and fourteen patients (102 males, 112 females; mean age 74.8 +/- 0.84 years--single stone 97, multiple stones 117) underwent ESWL. The mean number of sessions and shock waves were 3.5 +/- 0.13 and 3477.06 +/- 66.17, respectively. The maximum stone size was 5 cm. Complete stone clearance was achieved in 192 (89.7%) patients. Of the remaining patients 15 required surgery, 2 a palliative stent and in 5 patients stone fragmentation led to effective bile drainage with clinical resolution despite incomplete clearance. Age, sex and stone characteristics were not related to treatment outcome. Major complications occurred in two patients (haemobilia and rectal bleeding) and minor complications in 25 (3 vomiting, 22 arrhythmias). No procedure-related deaths occurred. ESWL is a safe and effective technique for clearance of refractory bile duct stones.

  17. Insomnia Severity Index: psychometric properties with Chinese community-dwelling older people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Doris S F

    2010-10-01

    This paper is a report of a study to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index. Despite the high prevalence of insomnia in older people and its detrimental impact on well-being and healthcare costs, this problem is almost always undetected and consequently under-treated. The Insomnia Severity Index is psychometrically sound in measuring perceived insomnia severity. However, it has had very limited application in non-White populations. An instrument validation study was carried out between October 2008 and April 2009. The Insomnia Severity Index was translated into Chinese using Brislin's model and administered to a convenience sample of 585 older Chinese people recruited from three community centres for elders. Other instruments were also administered, including the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Cronbach's alpha of the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index was 0.81, with item-to-total correlations in the range of 0.34-0.67. Construct validity was supported by its moderate relationship with the Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and sleep efficiency. The Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index also indicated more severe level of insomnia in older people who reported depressed mood on the Geriatric Depression Scale. Discriminant validity was supported as the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index could discriminate poorer sleepers from normal sleepers. Exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor structure for the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index in measuring the severity and impacts of insomnia on the Chinese older people. The Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index is a culturally-relevant and psychometrically-sound instrument for assessing severity and impact of insomnia in Chinese community-dwelling older people. Nurses can use this tool to assess older people's perceptions of insomnia. © 2010 The

  18. Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: a single-centre prospective comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuello, J P; Martínez Ginés, M L; Martin Barriga, M L; de Andrés, C

    2017-03-01

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a autoimmune disorder which preferentially affects young women of childbearing age. During pregnancy, the annualized relapse rate (AAR) is modified, but pregnancy has no harm effect on the long-term course of the disease. We aimed to study the clinical course of our MS patients during pregnancy, and compare their obstetrics outcomes with a control group of non-MS patients. A single centre prospective observational study was conducted. We assessed the reproductive history, MS history, pregnancy course and new-born outcome of a cohort of MS patients who had had a pregnancy between january 2007 and july 2012. We compared the global outcomes with a control cohort of 58 age-matched healthy pregnancies. Complete data from 35 consecutive women were analyzed, 40 deliveries. Control groups: 58 patients, 60 deliveries. EDSS at pregnancy 0,7. ARR before pregnancy 0,5. During pregnancy 0,3, after pregnancy 0,4. Twelve patients were on disease-modifying drugs (DMD) before pregnancy, 4 prenatal exposure occurs. The comparison between relapse rate and EDSS before, during and after delivery showed no statistically significant difference. In addition, compared to control group, there were also no differences in the obstetric outcomes. In MS cohort, we found a higher incidence of assisted reproductive treatments and lower breastfeeding rate, both statistically significant. Our series confirms that pregnancy has no negative long term impact on the progression of MS and also suggest that there is no additional morbidity in the pregnancy, comparing to the rest of the population. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  19. Ultra-fast repair of single-strand breaks in DNA of. gamma. -irradiated Chinese hamster cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leontjeva, G A; Mantzighin, Yu A; Gaziev, A I [AN SSSR, Pushchino-na-Oke. Inst. Biologicheskoj Fiziki

    1976-12-01

    Studies of the effect of thermal treatment of Chinese hamster cells on sedimentation of DNA in the alkaline sucrose gradient showed that heating the cells to 68/sup 0/C for 15 min caused the same degradation as ..gamma..-irradiation with 5 to 7 krad at 37/sup 0/C. The inhibition of cellular repair enzymes by heating was therefore unacceptable. The process of ultra-fast repair is essentially determined by the DNA-ligase reaction, which is activated in the presence of Mg ions, and inhibited in mammalian cells in the presence of EDTA and pyrophosphate. Sedimentation profiles were therefore measured for the DNA of Chinese hamster cells ..gamma..-irradiated (5 krad) at 0/sup 0/C or 22/sup 0/C in the presence of Mg/sup + +/, or EDTA and pyrophosphate, and the results demonstrated ultra-fast repair only at 20 to 37/sup 0/C, in contrast to bacteria. A study was made of the temperature dependence of the activity of the DNA ligases isolated from E.coli and rabbit bone marrow. The NAD-dependent bacterial DNA ligase was active at temperatures from 0 to 40/sup 0/C, whereas ATP-dependent DNA ligase of mammals only showed activity in the range 15 to 40/sup 0/C. The differing temperature dependences of ultra-fast repair in bacterial and mammalian cells are in agreement with the temperature dependences of the activities of isolated enzymes, and the results suggest that the process of ultra-fast repair of single-strand breaks of DNA takes place in both bacterial and mammalian cells.

  20. Size effect on deformation twinning in face-centred cubic single crystals: Experiments and modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Z.Y.; De Hosson, J.T.M.; Huang, M.X.

    2017-01-01

    In addition to slip by dislocation glide, deformation twinning in small-sized metallic crystals also exhibits size effect, namely the twinning stress increases with decreasing sample size. In order to understand the underpinning mechanisms responsible for such effect, systematic experiments were carried out on the small-sized single-crystalline pillars of a twinning-induced plasticity steel with a face-centred cubic structure. The flow stress increases considerably with decreasing pillar diameter from 3 to 0.5 μm, demonstrating a substantial size effect with a power exponent of 0.43. Detailed microstructural characterization reveals that the plastic deformation of the present pillars is dominant by twinning, primarily via twin growth, indicating that the size effect should be related to deformation twinning instead of slip by dislocation glide. Subsequent modelling works indicate that twinning can be accomplished by the dissociation of the ion-radiation-induced vacancy Frank loops in the damaged subsurface layer of the pillars, and the size effect is attributed to the ion-radiation-induced compressive stress in the subsurface layer, which decreases with pillar diameter.

  1. Institutional framework of the Chinese power sector. Background and overview paper on the status quo and reforms of the Chinese power sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Sambeek, E.J.W.

    2001-10-01

    The Chinese power sector is currently undergoing significant structural changes. This report describes the current developments of the institutional framework of the Chinese power sector and the emerging Chinese electricity market. It is intended as a background information paper for foreign consultants and others that grapple with the complicated and fast changing structure of the Chinese power sector. The scope of this report is limited to grid-connected power. The paper starts with a brief introduction to the structure of the Chinese Government and then describes the main changes that have occurred in the Chinese power sector since 1978. Early power sector reforms consisted of decentralisation of decision making power to lower government levels, deregulation of investment and price control, and corporatization of the operational and business parts of the state electricity activities. The increasing inefficiencies of an ever more complicated and bureaucratic government, the non-transparency of policies, regulations and pricing, and the confused ownership and management structure of utility assets called for further reforms. In 1997 an episode of further institutional and market reforms was initiated aiming to achieve a fully competitive wholesale power market by 2010. The reforms started with the further separation of government and business functions that were previously combined in the same government units. Most notably the State Power Corporation (SP) was established while the former Ministry Of Electric Power (MOEP) was dissolved. The government responsibilities of MOEP were turned over to the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC). Near-term power sector reforms will concentrate on consolidating network functions in State Power Corporation or its branches and subsidiary corporations, while separating generation from transmission and distribution activities. A competitive power generation market will be established based on the single buyer concept. The

  2. Chinese herbal medicine for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei; Zhang, Yin; Li, Xinxue; Yang, Guoyan; Liu, Jian Ping

    2013-10-06

    Chinese herbal medicine is frequently used for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy in China. Many controlled trials have been undertaken to investigate its efficacy.This is an update of a Cochrane review that was first published in the year 2011. To assess the beneficial effects and harms of Chinese herbal medicine for people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. On 14 May 2012, we searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Group Specialized Register CENTRAL (2012, Issue 4 in The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (January 1966 to May 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to May 2012), AMED (January 1985 to May 2012) and in October 2012, the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) (1979 to October 2012), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI) (1979 to October 2012), and VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database (1989 to October 2012). We searched for unpublished literature in the Chinese Conference Papers Database, and Chinese Dissertation Database (from inception to October 2012). There were no language or publication restrictions. We included randomised controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine (with a minimum of four weeks treatment duration) for people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy compared with placebo, no intervention, or conventional interventions. Trials of herbal medicine plus a conventional drug versus the drug alone were also included. Two authors independently extracted data and evaluated trial quality. We contacted study authors for additional information. Forty-nine randomised trials involving 3639 participants were included. All trials were conducted and published in China. Thirty-eight different herbal medicines were tested in these trials, including four single herbs (extracts from a single herb), eight traditional Chinese patent medicines, and 26 self concocted Chinese herbal compound prescriptions. The trials reported on global symptom improvement (including improvement in numbness or pain) and changes in nerve conduction

  3. Self-expandable metal stent placement for the palliation of malignant gastroduodenal obstruction: experience in a large, single, UK centre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lowe, A.S. [Department of Clinical Radiology, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: andy.lowe@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk; Beckett, C.G. [Department of Gastroenterology, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom); Jowett, S. [Department of Gastroenterology, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom); May, J. [Department of Surgery, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom); Stephenson, S. [Department of Clinical Radiology, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom); Scally, A. [School of Health Studies, Bradford (United Kingdom); Tam, E. [Department of Clinical Radiology, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom); Kay, C.L. [Department of Clinical Radiology, Bradford Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom)

    2007-08-15

    Aim: To assess the technical success rate, and evaluate the clinical outcome, length of hospital stay, and cost of palliative gastro-duodenal stenting in a single-centre. Materials and methods: Eight-seven patients referred for insertion of a gastroduodenal stent between April 1999 and April 2004 were recruited to a non-randomized, before and after intervention study performed in a single centre. Demographic data, diagnosis and symptoms along with clinical and technical outcomes were recorded. Results: The technical success rate was 84/87 (96.6%), with inability to traverse the stricture in three patients. No immediate complications were demonstrated. There was marked improvement after stent placement with resolution of symptoms and commencement of dietary intake in 76 patients (87%). Stenting resulted in improved quality of life as reflected by an increase in Karnofsky score from 44/100, to 63/100 post-procedure. Late complications included perforation (n = 1), migration (n = 1) and stent occlusions due to tumour ingrowth/overgrowth (n = 7; mean 165 days). Mean survival was 107 days (range 0-411 days). Median hospital stay post-stent placement was 5.5 days (range 1-55 days) with a majority of patients (75%) discharged home. The mean cost of each treatment episode was Pounds 4146 ($7132 $US, Euro 6,028 EUROS). Conclusion: The present series confirms that combined endoscopic and radiological gastroduodenal stenting is a highly favourable treatment for patients with inoperable malignant gastric outlet obstruction. The results suggest that this minimally invasive procedure has a very high technical success rate, whilst at the same time providing excellent palliation of symptoms with improved quality of life in the majority of patients.

  4. Cryostorage duration does not affect pregnancy and neonatal outcomes: a retrospective single-centre cohort study of vitrified-warmed blastocysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueno, Satoshi; Uchiyama, Kazuo; Kuroda, Tomoko; Yabuuchi, Akiko; Ezoe, Kenji; Okimura, Tadashi; Okuno, Takashi; Kobayashi, Tamotsu; Kato, Keiichi

    2018-06-01

    A retrospective cohort study of 8736 autologous single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer cycles was conducted in a single centre to investigate the effect of cryostorage on clinical and neonatal outcomes. Cryostorage duration was classified into three groups: (A) 0-2 months (n = 4702); (B) 2-13 months (n = 2853) and (C) 13-97 months (n = 1181). Blastocysts were vitrified using the Cryotop method. No significant differences were observed in live birth rates: (A) 37.3%; (B) 34.9%; (C) (35.2%). Gestational period was significantly shorter in group C: (A) 38.7 ± 1.8; (B) 38.6 ± 1.6; (C) 38.1 ± 1.7; P limitation of this study was that maximum storage duration was 8 years; most blastocysts were in cryostorage for much shorter periods. Long-term storage of blastocysts that are vitrified using an open device vitrification system has no negative effect on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Copyright © 2018 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Application of Toxic Chinese Medicine in Chinese Pharmacopoeia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hui; Feng, Yu; Mao, Mingsan

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Explore the application characteristics of proprietary Chinese medicine prescriptions containing toxic herbs in pharmacopoeia. Methods: In this paper, according to the clinical application of pharmacopoeia proprietary Chinese medicine is divided into table agent, Qushu agent, diarrhea agent, heat agent, Wen Li agent, cough and asthma agents, resuscitation agent, Gutian agent, Fuzheng agent, Anshen agent, hemostatic agent, The traditional Chinese medicine prescription and the clinical application of the Chinese herbal medicine containing the toxic Chinese medicine were analyzed and sorted out., Summed up the compatibility of toxic herbs and application characteristics. Results: Toxic Chinese herbal medicine in the cure of traditional Chinese medicine to play a long-standing role, through the overall thinking, dialectical thinking, and thinking of toxic Chinese medicine in the analysis of Chinese medicine that [2], toxic Chinese medicine in the application of proprietary Chinese medicine can not lack. Conclusion: Pharmacopoeia included proprietary Chinese medicine not only in the clinical treatment of good, but also the application of its toxic traditional Chinese medicine and its understanding of the enrichment of the toxic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine and treatment-related disease pathology between the points of contact for patients with clinical applications Based on and theoretical guidance of Chinese medicine [3].

  6. Retrospective analysis of paediatric achalasia in India: Single centre experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunita Singh

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Developing countries at tertiary referral centre. The aim of this study was to share our experience of paediatric achalasia in Indian scenario. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of children <16 years, operated for achalasia at our centre, from December 1998 to December 2011. Results: Total 40 patients (mean age 39 ± 4.29 months, including 1 patient of megaesophagus were operated over 13 years of period; 17 patients (associated congenital H-type tracheoesophageal fistula in one patient, non- responders/ lost follow-up for minimum of 3 years in 16 patients were excluded from the study. The response rate of parents in follow-up was 60.0%. Mean symptoms duration was 27.88 ± 2 months. Most common symptoms were regurgitation and failure to thrive (78.2%. Mean symptom scoring in follow-up after 3 year was 1 ± 0.7 compared to 5 ± 0.51 at the time of admission (P < 0.012. One infant expired (mediastenitis, one developed adhesive intestinal obstruction and one needed posterior re-myotomy (for megaesophagus. There were no treatment failures in mean follow-up of 40.2 ± 5.07 months. Conclusions: Cardiomyotomy with partial fundoplication is the best modality of treatment for paediatric achalasia cardia, even from parents′ perspective.

  7. [Symptomatic extramedullary haematopoiesis in β-thalassemia: A retrospective single centre study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maazoun, F; Gellen Dautremer, J; Boutekadjirt, A; Pissard, S; Habibi, A; Bachir, D; Rahmouni, A; Bartolucci, P; Debbache, K; Lagrange, J-L; Michel, M; Galacteros, F

    2016-01-01

    Symptomatic extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH) is a rare but potentially severe phenomenon which occurs in β-thalassemia. There are no treatment guidelines. Retrospective single centre study including the cases of symptomatic EH encountered between 1997 and 2014 in a unit specialised in red blood cell genetic disorders. Description of clinical, biological and radiological characteristics of the patients, treatments received, and outcomes. Among 182 β-thalassemia patients followed during the study period, 7 cases of symptomatic EH were diagnosed. They were 5 men and 2 women, and their mean age was 37 years. Four patients were splenectomised, two patients were regularly transfused, and four patients had already received erythropoietin. EH was localised in intravertebral areas and responsible for dorsal spinal cord compression in 5 patients, in paravertebral dorsal area in 1 patient, and in presacral area in 1 patient. The mean hemoglobin level at diagnosis was 7.9 g/dL. Treatment administered included: red cell transfusion in 6 cases, associated with hydroxyurea in 5 cases and/or radiotherapy in 3 patients. One patient was treated with surgery and HU. After a median follow-up of 41 months, clinical recovery was complete in 2 patients and partial in 5 patients. EH must be suspected in β-thalassemia in patients presenting clinical signs of organ compression, and a typical radiological aspect. The functional prognosis depends on the rapidity of treatment, which includes red blood cell transfusion, hydroxyurea, radiotherapy, and rarely surgery. Long-term outcome is uncertain. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  8. Chinese Islam: A Complete Concert

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zvi Ben-Dor Benite

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Matthew S. Erie, China and Islam: The Prophet, the Party, and Law. Cambridge University Press, 2016. 472 pp. $140 (cloth/e-book. Jonathan Lipman, ed., Islamic Thought in China: Sino-Muslim Intellectual Evolution from the 17th to the 20th Century. Edinburgh University Press, 2016. 288 pp. £70 (cloth; e-book. Roberta Tontini, Muslim Sanzijing: Shifts and Continuities in the Definition of Islam in China. Brill, 2016. 238 pp. $125 (cloth. Why study a Chinese “minority” and its history? The task of scholars of Chinese Islam since the 1990s has been twofold: on the one hand, we have wanted to study Islam in China in its Chinese social and cultural context, as opposed to imagining it as a single separate entity, and to show that its history is relevant and meaningful for Chinese history in general. One could almost say that this goal was achieved a while ago. The next task has been to make the study of Chinese Islam and its history meaningful and useful for the greater community of scholars of Islam in general. It seems to me that with the books reviewed here, and with others in the making, we are getting close to reaching this target. In 1910, Marshall Broomhall’s Islam in China declared that Chinese Islam was a “neglected problem.” These books show that it is no longer neglected, and no longer a “problem”; rather, it is an exciting topic. Indeed, a complete, even if not harmonious, concert.

  9. Interaction of centres on nucleate boiling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chekanov, V.V.

    1977-01-01

    An experimental set-up is described which enables to analyse the growth of a bubble on a heater, the frequency of succession of the bubbles, etc., by the change in the electric signal from a photomultiplier, onto whose photocathode the bubble is projected. The change in the first moments of the statistical distribution of the corresponding parameters (growth time, frequency of succession, and so on) is adopted as the measure of the external effect on the vapour formation centre. It is shown that for single-bubble boiling the greatest effect is exerted by the acoustic waves produced by the bubble in the growth period; during developed boiling one observes mutual suppression of centres spaced at a distance of the order of the detachment diameter. As the heat flux increases, the correlation of the motion of the interface over the heater surface increases as well. When the correlation radius becomes equal to the centre-to-centre distance, the first crisis sets in. It is suggested that heaters with a variable coefficient of temperature conductance along the heat-releasing surface must withstand high subcritical heat fluxes

  10. Studies on the Chinese in Southeast Asia in the twenty-first century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwee Hui Kian

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Review of: Michael D. Barr and Zlatko Skrbis, Constructing Singapore; Elitism, ethnicity and the nation-building project. Copenhagen: NIAS Press, 2008, xiii + 304 pp. ISBN 978877694028, price GBP 50.00 (hardback; 9788776940294, GBP 16.99 (paperback. Marleen Dieleman, The rhythm of strategy; A corporate biography of the Salim Group of Indonesia. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2007, 205 pp. [ICAS Publications Series, Monograph 1.] ISBN 9789053560334. Price: EUR 29.50 (paperback. Kristina Goransson, The binding tie; Chinese intergenerational relations in modern Singapore. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2009, x + 191 pp. ISBN 9780824832599, price USD 57.00 (hardback; 9780824833527, USD 26.00 (paperback. Chang-Yau Hoon, Chinese identity in post-Suharto Indonesia; Culture, politics and media. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 2008, xi + 230 pp. ISBN 9781845192686. Price: GBP 49.95 (hardback. Leo Suryadinata, Understanding the ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2007, x + 310 pp. ISBN 9789812304377. Price: USD 21.90 (paperback. Sikko Visscher, The business of politics and ethnicity; A history of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Singapore: NUS Press, 2007, xviii + 372 pp. ISBN 97899713657. Price: USD 32.00 (paperback. Voon Phin Keong (ed., Malaysian Chinese and nation-building; Before Merdeka and fifty years after. Vol. 2. Kuala Lumpur: Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies, 2008. ISBN 9789833808066 (hardback; 9789833908059 (paperback.

  11. Acquisition and retention of laparoscopic skills is different comparing conventional laparoscopic and single-incision laparoscopic surgery: a single-centre, prospective randomized study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Scott Michael; Varley, Martin; Howell, Stuart; Trochsler, Markus; Maddern, Guy; Hewett, Peter; Runge, Tina; Mees, Soeren Torge

    2016-08-01

    Training in laparoscopic surgery is important not only to acquire and improve skills but also avoid the loss of acquired abilities. The aim of this single-centre, prospective randomized study was to assess skill acquisition of different laparoscopic techniques and identify the point in time when acquired skills deteriorate and training is needed to maintain these skills. Sixty surgical novices underwent laparoscopic surgery (LS) and single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) baseline training (BT) performing two validated tasks (peg transfer, precision cutting). The novices were randomized into three groups and skills retention testing (RT) followed after 8 (group A), 10 (group B) or 12 (group C) weeks accordingly. Task performance was measured in time with time penalties for insufficient task completion. 92 % of the participants completed the BT and managed to complete the task in the required time frame of proficiency. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that SILS (P skills (comparison of BT vs RT) was not identified; however, for SILS a significant deterioration of skills (adjustment of BT and RT values) was demonstrated for all groups (A-C) (P skills more difficult to maintain. Acquired LS skills were maintained for the whole observation period of 12 weeks but SILS skills had begun to deteriorate at 8 weeks. These data show that maintenance of LS and SILS skills is divergent and training curricula need to take these specifics into account.

  12. Cleavage of hydrogen by activation at a single non-metal centre - towards new hydrogen storage materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grabowski, Sławomir J

    2015-05-28

    Molecular surfaces of non-metal species are often characterized by both positive and negative regions of electrostatic potential (EP) at a non-metal centre. This centre may activate molecular hydrogen which further leads to the addition reaction. The positive EP regions at the non-metal centres correspond to σ-holes; the latter sites are enhanced by electronegative substituents. This is why the following simple moieties; PFH2, SFH, AsFH2, SeFH, BrF3, PF(CH3)2 and AsF(CH3)2, were chosen here to analyze the H2 activation and its subsequent splitting at the P, As, S, Se and Br centres. Also the reverse H-H bond reforming process is analyzed. MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations were performed for systems corresponding to different stages of these processes. The sulphur centre in the SFH moiety is analyzed in detail since the potential barrier height for the addition reaction for this species is the lowest of the moieties analyzed here. The results of calculations show that the SFH + H2 → SFH3 reaction in the gas phase is endothermic but it is exothermic in polar solvents.

  13. Silicon-vacancy centre as an artificial atom in diamond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lachlan Rogers

    2014-01-01

    A transition at 738 nm in diamond has been attributed to the silicon vacancy (SiV) colour centre. Much less is known about this defect site than the famous nitrogen-vacancy centre, but it appears to have advantages for some applications It is particularly promising as a single-photon source, due to a bright optical transition which has most of its intensity in the zero-phonon-line and only a small phonon sideband. A number of results will be reported for single SiV sites in bulk diamond, complementing recent activity on SiV in nanodiamonds. Individual SiV sites in the low-strain environment of bulk diamond show almost no variation in photoluminescence spectra. By fabricating a solid-immersion lens in the diamond over a SiV site we have enhanced the photon collection rate by nearly a factor of ten. In order to identify whether the SiV centre could be useful for broader quantum information processing application, it is first necessary to establish its electronic structure. Recent experimental developments in this direction will be discussed. (author)

  14. Chinese herbal medicines for hyperthyroidism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zen, X X; Yuan, Y; Liu, Y; Wu, T X; Han, S

    2007-04-18

    treatment have a therapeutic potential for people with hyperthyroidism. However, due to methodological limitations, we could not identify a well-designed trial to provide strong evidence for Chinese traditional herbal medicine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Thus, we currently cannot recommend any single preparation or formulation for clinical use.

  15. Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Tolerability of Sacubitril/Valsartan (LCZ696) After Single-Dose Administration in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Yi; Ayalasomayajula, Surya; Pan, Wei; Yang, Fan; Yuan, Yaozong; Langenickel, Thomas; Hinder, Markus; Kalluri, Sampath; Pal, Parasar; Sunkara, Gangadhar

    2017-02-01

    Sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696) is a first-in-class angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) and has been recently approved in several countries for the treatment of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. This was the first study conducted to characterise the pharmacokinetics of LCZ696 analytes (pro-drug sacubitril, active neprilysin inhibitor LBQ657 and valsartan) after single-dose administration of LCZ696 in healthy Chinese subjects. In this open-label, randomised, parallel-group study, following screening and baseline evaluation, eligible healthy subjects received single oral doses of LCZ696 50, 100, 200 or 400 mg. The pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of LCZ696 were assessed up to 72 h after dosing. A total of 40 healthy male subjects were enrolled, and all completed the study. Following oral administration, LCZ696 delivered systemic exposure to sacubitril, LBQ657 and valsartan with a median time to reach maximum plasma concentration (T max ) ranging from 0.50 to 1.25, 2.00 to 3.00 and 1.50 to 2.50 h, respectively, over the investigated dose range. The mean terminal elimination half-life (T 1/2 ) ranged from 0.89 to 1.35, 8.57 to 9.24 and 5.33 to 7.91 h for sacubitril, LBQ657 and valsartan, respectively. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC 0-last ), and maximum plasma concentration (C max ) for LBQ657 increased dose proportionally over the entire dose range. Dose linear increase in the exposure was observed across the dose range for sacubitril and valsartan. LCZ696 was safe and well tolerated at all doses in this study. Adverse events of only mild intensity, which required no treatment, were reported in 6 (15 %) subjects. The pharmacokinetic profiles of LCZ696 analytes in Chinese subjects are similar to those reported previously in Caucasian subjects.

  16. Search for Single Top Production at LEP

    CERN Document Server

    Achard, P; Aguilar-Benítez, M; Alcaraz, J; Alemanni, G; Allaby, James V; Aloisio, A; Alviggi, M G; Anderhub, H; Andreev, V P; Anselmo, F; Arefev, A; Azemoon, T; Aziz, T; Bagnaia, P; Bajo, A; Baksay, G; Baksay, L; Baldew, S V; Banerjee, S; Banerjee, Sw; Barczyk, A; Barillère, R; Bartalini, P; Basile, M; Batalova, N; Battiston, R; Bay, A; Becattini, F; Becker, U; Behner, F; Bellucci, L; Berbeco, R; Berdugo, J; Berges, P; Bertucci, B; Betev, B L; Biasini, M; Biglietti, M; Biland, A; Blaising, J J; Blyth, S C; Bobbink, Gerjan J; Böhm, A; Boldizsar, L; Borgia, B; Bottai, S; Bourilkov, D; Bourquin, Maurice; Braccini, S; Branson, J G; Brochu, F; Burger, J D; Burger, W J; Cai, X D; Capell, M; Cara Romeo, G; Carlino, G; Cartacci, A M; Casaus, J; Cavallari, F; Cavallo, N; Cecchi, C; Cerrada, M; Chamizo-Llatas, M; Chang, Y H; Chemarin, M; Chen, A; Chen, G; Chen, G M; Chen, H F; Chen, H S; Chiefari, G; Cifarelli, Luisa; Cindolo, F; Clare, I; Clare, R; Coignet, G; Colino, N; Costantini, S; de la Cruz, B; Cucciarelli, S; van Dalen, J A; De Asmundis, R; Déglon, P L; Debreczeni, J; Degré, A; Dehmelt, K; Deiters, K; Della Volpe, D; Delmeire, E; Denes, P; De Notaristefani, F; De Salvo, A; Diemoz, M; Dierckxsens, M; Dionisi, C; Dittmar, M; Doria, A; Dova, M T; Duchesneau, D; Echenard, B; Eline, A; El-Mamouni, H; Engler, A; Eppling, F J; Ewers, A; Extermann, P; Falagán, M A; Falciano, S; Favara, A; Fay, J; Fedin, O; Felcini, M; Ferguson, T; Fesefeldt, H S; Fiandrini, E; Field, J H; Filthaut, Frank; Fisher, P H; Fisher, W; Fisk, I; Forconi, G; Freudenreich, Klaus; Furetta, C; Galaktionov, Yu; Ganguli, S N; García-Abia, P; Gataullin, M; Gentile, S; Giagu, S; Gong, Z F; Grenier, G; Grimm, O; Grünewald, M W; Guida, M; van Gulik, R; Gupta, V K; Gurtu, A; Gutay, L J; Haas, D; Hakobyan, R S; Hatzifotiadou, D; Hebbeker, T; Hervé, A; Hirschfelder, J; Hofer, H; Hohlmann, M; Holzner, G; Hou, S R; Hu, Y; Jin, B N; Jones, L W; de Jong, P; Josa-Mutuberria, I; Käfer, D; Kaur, M; Kienzle-Focacci, M N; Kim, J K; Kirkby, Jasper; Kittel, E W; Klimentov, A; König, A C; Kopal, M; Koutsenko, V F; Kräber, M H; Krämer, R W; Krenz, W; Krüger, A; Kunin, A; Ladrón de Guevara, P; Laktineh, I; Landi, G; Lebeau, M; Lebedev, A; Lebrun, P; Lecomte, P; Lecoq, P; Le Coultre, P; Le Goff, J M; Leiste, R; Levtchenko, M; Levchenko, P M; Li, C; Likhoded, S A; Lin, C H; Lin, W T; Linde, Frank L; Lista, L; Liu, Z A; Lohmann, W; Longo, E; Lü, Y S; Lübelsmeyer, K; Luci, C; Luminari, L; Lustermann, W; Ma Wen Gan; Malgeri, L; Malinin, A; Maña, C; Mangeol, D J J; Mans, J; Martin, J P; Marzano, F; Mazumdar, K; McNeil, R R; Mele, S; Merola, L; Meschini, M; Metzger, W J; Mihul, A; Milcent, H; Mirabelli, G; Mnich, J; Mohanty, G B; Muanza, G S; Muijs, A J M; Musicar, B; Musy, M; Nagy, S; Natale, S; Napolitano, M; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Newman, H; Niessen, T; Nisati, A; Nowak, H; Ofierzynski, R A; Organtini, G; Palomares, C; Pandoulas, D; Paolucci, P; Paramatti, R; Passaleva, G; Patricelli, S; Paul, T; Pauluzzi, M; Paus, C; Pauss, Felicitas; Pedace, M; Pensotti, S; Perret-Gallix, D; Petersen, B; Piccolo, D; Pierella, F; Pioppi, M; Piroué, P A; Pistolesi, E; Plyaskin, V; Pohl, M; Pozhidaev, V; Pothier, J; Prokofiev, D O; Prokofev, D; Quartieri, J; Rahal-Callot, G; Rahaman, M A; Raics, P; Raja, N; Ramelli, R; Rancoita, P G; Ranieri, R; Raspereza, A V; Razis, P A; Ren, D; Rescigno, M; Reucroft, S; Riemann, S; Riles, K; Roe, B P; Romero, L; Rosca, A; Rosier-Lees, S; Roth, S; Rosenbleck, C; Roux, B; Rubio, Juan Antonio; Ruggiero, G; Rykaczewski, H; Sakharov, A; Saremi, S; Sarkar, S; Salicio, J; Sánchez, E; Sanders, M P; Schäfer, C; Shchegelskii, V; Schmidt-Kärst, S; Schmitz, D; Schopper, Herwig Franz; Schotanus, D J; Schwering, G; Sciacca, C; Servoli, L; Shevchenko, S; Shivarov, N; Shoutko, V; Shumilov, E; Shvorob, A V; Siedenburg, T; Son, D; Souga, C; Spillantini, P; Steuer, M; Stickland, D P; Stoyanov, B; Strässner, A; Sudhakar, K; Sultanov, G G; Sun, L Z; Sushkov, S V; Suter, H; Swain, J D; Szillási, Z; Tang, X W; Tarjan, P; Tauscher, Ludwig; Taylor, L; Tellili, B; Teyssier, D; Timmermans, C; Ting, Samuel C C; Ting, S M; Tonwar, S C; Tóth, J; Tully, C; Tung, K L; Ulbricht, J; Valente, E; Van de Walle, R T; Vásquez, R P; Veszpremi, V; Vesztergombi, G; Vetlitskii, I; Vicinanza, D; Viertel, Gert M; Villa, S; Vivargent, M; Vlachos, S; Vodopyanov, I; Vogel, H; Vogt, H; Vorobev, I; Vorobyov, A A; Wadhwa, M; Wallraff, W; Wang, X L; Wang, Z M; Weber, M; Wienemann, P; Wilkens, H; Wynhoff, S; Xia, L; Xu, Z Z; Yamamoto, J; Yang, B Z; Yang, C G; Yang, H J; Yang, M; Yeh, S C; Zalite, A; Zalite, Yu; Zhang, Z P; Zhao, J; Zhu, G Y; Zhu, R Y; Zhuang, H L; Zichichi, A; Zimmermann, B; Zöller, M

    2002-01-01

    Single top production in e^+e^- annihilations is searched for in data collected by the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies from 189 to 209 GeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 634 pb-1. Investigating hadronic and semileptonic top decays, no evidence of single top production at LEP is obtained and upper limits on the single top cross section as a function of the centre-of-mass energy are derived. Limits on possible anomalous couplings, as well as on the scale of contact interactions responsible for single top production are determined.

  17. [Comments on Nigel Wiseman's "A Practical Sictionary of Chinese Medicine"--on Wiseman' s literal translation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Zhu-fan; Liu, Gan-zhong; Lu, Wei-bo; Fang, Tingyu; Zhang, Qingrong; Wang, Tai; Wang, Kui

    2005-10-01

    Comments were made on the word-for-word literal translation method used by Mr. Nigel Wiseman in A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine. He believes that only literal translation can reflect Chinese medical concepts accurately. The so-called "word-for-word" translation is actually "English-word-for-Chinese-character" translation. First, he made a list of Single Characters with English Equivalents, and then he replaced each character of Chinese medical terms with the assigned English equivalent. Many English terms thus produced are confusing. The defect of the word-for-word literal translation stems from the erroneous idea that the single character constitutes the basic element of meaning corresponding to the notion of "word" in English, and the meaning of a disyllabic or polysyllabic Chinese word is simply the addition of the meanings of the two or more characters. Another big mistake is the negligence of the polysemy of Chinese characters. One or two English equivalents can by no means cover all the various meanings of a polysemous character as a monosyllabic word. Various examples were cited from this dictionary to illustrate the mistakes.

  18. [Establishment of modern multi-component sustained-release preparations of oral traditional Chinese medicines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Hai-Jian; Zhang, Zhen-Hai; Liu, Dan; Yu, Dan-Hong; Jia, Xiao-Bin

    2013-10-01

    Traditional Chinese medicines have a long history, with a large quantity of efficient traditional Chinese medicines and prescriptions. However, the vast majority of pharmaceutical dose forms remain common preparations, with very few efficient, long-lasting and low-dose preparations. The sustain-release preparation allows sustained drug release in a longer period of time, maintains blood drug concentration, reduces the toxic effect and medication frequency, and improves medication compliance. Unlike monomer drugs, the material base of traditional Chinese medicine and compounds is multi-component, instead of single or several active monomers. Therefore, under the guidance of the Chinese medicine theories, modern multi-component sustained-release preparations were developed for oral traditional Chinese medicines, with the aim of finally improving the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines.

  19. Chinese nuclear insurance and Chinese nuclear insurance pool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong Zhiqi

    2000-01-01

    Chinese Nuclear Insurance Started with Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, PICC issued the insurance policy. Nuclear insurance cooperation between Chinese and international pool's organizations was set up in 1989. In 1996, the Chinese Nuclear Insurance Pool was prepared. The Chinese Nuclear Insurance Pool was approved by The Chinese Insurance Regulatory Committee in May of 1999. The principal aim is to centralize maximum the insurance capacity for nuclear insurance from local individual insurers and to strengthen the reinsurance relations with international insurance pools so as to provide the high quality insurance service for Chinese nuclear industry. The Member Company of Chinese Nuclear Pool and its roles are introduced in this article

  20. Feeling Happy and Sad at the Same Time? Subcultural Differences in Experiencing Mixed Emotions between Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xinmei; Ding, Xuechen; Cheng, Chen; Chou, Hiu Mei

    2016-01-01

    Sometimes people experience pleasant and unpleasant emotions at the same time in a single emotional event. Previous cross-cultural studies indicated that such mixed emotions are more prevalent in China and related to the attitudes toward happiness and individual’s regulatory motivation. However, China is a multi-ethnic country and not much is known about subcultural differences in mixed emotions. The aim of this study was to examine the role that implicit attitudes toward happiness and regulatory motivation played in regard of the subcultural differences in mixed emotions between Han (N = 61) and Mongolian Chinese (N = 46). Results indicated that, compared with Mongolian Chinese, Han Chinese showed stronger associations between implicit contra-hedonic attitudes toward happiness and mixed emotions during pleasant emotional events. Also, Han Chinese who reported contra-hedonic motivation during pleasant emotional events had higher levels of mixed emotions than those who had hedonic motivation. No significant differences were found in terms of mixed emotions between Mongolian Chinese who had contra-hedonic and hedonic motivation. These results suggest that the psychological mechanisms underlying differences in mixed emotions also require a more comprehensive understanding from a subcultural perspective. PMID:27833582

  1. Feeling Happy and Sad at the Same Time? Subcultural Differences in Experiencing Mixed Emotions between Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xinmei; Ding, Xuechen; Cheng, Chen; Chou, Hiu Mei

    2016-01-01

    Sometimes people experience pleasant and unpleasant emotions at the same time in a single emotional event. Previous cross-cultural studies indicated that such mixed emotions are more prevalent in China and related to the attitudes toward happiness and individual's regulatory motivation. However, China is a multi-ethnic country and not much is known about subcultural differences in mixed emotions. The aim of this study was to examine the role that implicit attitudes toward happiness and regulatory motivation played in regard of the subcultural differences in mixed emotions between Han ( N = 61) and Mongolian Chinese ( N = 46). Results indicated that, compared with Mongolian Chinese, Han Chinese showed stronger associations between implicit contra-hedonic attitudes toward happiness and mixed emotions during pleasant emotional events. Also, Han Chinese who reported contra-hedonic motivation during pleasant emotional events had higher levels of mixed emotions than those who had hedonic motivation. No significant differences were found in terms of mixed emotions between Mongolian Chinese who had contra-hedonic and hedonic motivation. These results suggest that the psychological mechanisms underlying differences in mixed emotions also require a more comprehensive understanding from a subcultural perspective.

  2. Feeling Happy and Sad at the Same Time? Subcultural Differences in Experiencing Mixed Emotions between Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinmei Deng

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In some occasions, people experience pleasant and unpleasant emotions at the same time in a single emotional event. Previous cross-cultural studies indicated that such mixed emotions are more prevalent in China and highly related to the attitudes toward happiness and individual’s affective motivation. However, as a multi-ethnic country, not much is known about the subcultural differences in mixed emotions in China. Thus, we examined the role that implicit attitudes toward happiness and affective motivation may play in regard of the subcultural differences in mixed emotions between Han (N = 61 and Mongolian Chinese (N = 46. Results indicated that, compared with Mongolian Chinese, Han Chinese had a stronger association between implicit contra-hedonic attitudes toward happiness and mixed emotions in a pleasant emotional event. Also, Han Chinese who reported contra-hedonic motivation in a pleasant emotional event had higher level of mixed emotions than who had hedonic motivation. No significant difference was found in the mixed emotions between Mongolian Chinese who had contra-hedonic and hedonic motivation. These results suggested that the psychological mechanisms underlying the differences in mixed emotions require a comprehensive understanding not only in cross-cultural context but also from subcultural perspective.

  3. Outcome following Resection of Biliary Cystadenoma: A Single Centre Experience and Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Pitchaimuthu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Biliary cystadenomas (BCAs are rare, benign, potentially malignant cystic lesions of the liver, accounting for less than 5% of cystic liver tumours. We report the outcome following resection of biliary cystadenoma from a single tertiary centre. Methods. Data of patients who had resection of BCA between January 1993 and July 2014 were obtained from liver surgical database. Patient demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, operative data, and postoperative outcome were analysed. Results. 29 patients had surgery for BCA. Male : female ratio was 1 : 28. Clinical presentation was abdominal pain (74%, jaundice (20%, abdominal mass (14%, and deranged liver function tests (3%. Cyst characteristics included septations (48%, wall thickening (31%, wall irregularity (38%, papillary projections (10%, and mural nodule (3%. Surgical procedures included atypical liver resection (52%, left hemihepatectomy (34%, right hemihepatectomy (10%, and left lateral segmentectomy (3%. Median length of stay was 7 (IQ 6.5–8.5 days. Two patients developed postoperative bile leak. No patients had malignancy on final histology. Median follow-up was 13 (IQ 6.5–15.7 years. One patient developed delayed biliary stricture and one died of cholangiocarcinoma 11 years later. Conclusion. Biliary cystadenomas can be resected safely with significantly low morbidity. Malignant transformation and recurrence are rare. Complete surgical resection provides a cure.

  4. A single nucleotide deletion of 293delT in SEDL gene causing spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda in a four-generation Chinese family

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Cuiying; Zhang, Sizhong; Wang, Jun

    2003-01-01

    . The distinctive radiological signs and the X-linked mode of inheritance make it easy to diagnose. Here a four-generation Chinese SEDT family has been analyzed and the disease-causing mutation has been found. After polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and DNA...... sequencing, a previously unreported deletion of T in exon 5 of SEDL gene (i.e. 293delT) was observed and seven individuals in the family carried the mutation. It results in frameshift and a putative truncated protein with the 97 N-terminal amino acids, and 9 changed amino acids. Therefore, loss of function...

  5. Thoughts on the World Conference on Women. A Chinese woman writes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuan, R

    1995-01-01

    Increasing social consciousness about human rights issues in China has, in turn, stimulated Chinese women's awareness of their individual rights. The Chinese government, however, has maintained tight control over the dissemination of feminist ideas and restricted media coverage of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. To discredit feminism, Chinese officials link it with sexual liberation, single motherhood, and lesbianism. Nonetheless, there is a new awareness that government statistics on the high rates of female employment conceal the reality that Chinese women are concentrated in low-paying, low-status occupations. In contrast to official propaganda, a United Nations Development Report ranked China 23rd in the world for women's participation in politics and the economy. In the course of preparing for the World Conference, a few nonofficial, grass-roots Chinese women's organizations were able to present their ideas.

  6. Colour centre recovery in yttria-stabilised zirconia: photo-induced versus thermal processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costantini, Jean-Marc; Touati, Nadia; Binet, Laurent; Lelong, Gérald; Guillaumet, Maxime; Beuneu, François

    2018-05-01

    The photo-annealing of colour centres in yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy upon UV-ray or laser light illumination, and compared to thermal annealing. Stable hole centres (HCs) were produced in as-grown YSZ single crystals by UV-ray irradiation at room temperature (RT). The HCs produced by 200-MeV Au ion irradiation, as well as the F+-type centres (? centres involving oxygen vacancies) were left unchanged upon UV illumination. In contrast, a significant photo-annealing of the latter point defects was achieved in 1.4-MeV electron-irradiated YSZ by 553-nm laser light irradiation at RT. Almost complete photo-bleaching was achieved by laser irradiation inside the absorption band of ? centres centred at a wavelength 550 nm. Thermal annealing of these colour centres was also followed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy showing full bleaching at 523 K. Colour-centre evolutions by photo-induced and thermally activated processes are discussed on the basis of charge exchange processes between point defects.

  7. 3066 consecutive Gamma Nails. 12 years experience at a single centre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekholm Carl

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fixation of trochanteric hip fractures using the Gamma Nail has been performed since 1988 and is today well established and wide-spread. However, a number of reports have raised serious concerns about the implant's complication rate. The main focus has been the increased risk of a subsequent femoral shaft fracture and some authors have argued against its use despite other obvious advantages, when this implant is employed. Through access to a uniquely large patient data base available, which is available for analysis of trochanteric fractures; we have been able to evaluate the performance of the Gamma Nail over a twelve year period. Methods 3066 consecutive patients were treated for trochanteric fractures using Gamma Nails between 1990 and 2002 at the Centre de Traumatologie et de l'Orthopedie (CTO, Strasbourg, France. These patients were retrospectively analysed. Information on epidemiological data, intra- and postoperative complications and patients' outcome was retrieved from patient notes. All available radiographs were assessed by a single reviewer (AJB. Results The results showed a low complication rate with the use of the Gamma Nail. There were 137 (4.5% intraoperative fracture-related complications. Moreover 189 (6.2% complications were detected postoperatively and during follow-up. Cut-out of the lag screw from the femoral head was the most frequent mechanical complication (57 patients, 1.85%, whereas a postoperative femoral shaft fracture occurred in 19 patients (0.6%. Other complications, such as infection, delayed healing/non-union, avascular femoral head necrosis and distal locking problems occurred in 113 patients (3.7%. Conclusions The use of the Gamma Nail in trochanteric hip fractures is a safe method with a low complication rate. In particular, a low rate of femoral shaft fractures was reported. The low complication rate reported in this series can probably be explained by strict adherence to a proper

  8. Effluent treatment plant and decontamination centre, Trombay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaushik, C.P.; Agarwal, K.

    2017-01-01

    The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, has a number of plants and laboratories, which generate Radioactive Liquid Waste and Protective Wears. Two facilities have been established in late 1960s to cater to this requirement. The Centre, on the average generates about 50,000 m"3 of active liquid effluents of varying specific activities. The Effluent Treatment Plant was setup to receive and process radioactive liquids generated by various facilities of BARC in Trombay. It also serves a single-point discharge facility to enable monitoring of radioactive effluents discharged from the Trombay site. About 120-150 Te of protective wears and inactive apparel are generated annually from various radioactive facilities and laboratories of BARC. In addition, contaminated fuel assembly components are generated by DHRUVA and formerly by CIRUS. These components require decontamination before its recycle to the fuel assembly process. The Decontamination Centre, setup in late 1960s, is mandated to carry out the above mentioned decontamination activities

  9. Survival following ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm before and during the IMPROVE Trial: a single-centre series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambler, G K; Twine, C P; Shak, J; Rollins, K E; Varty, K; Coughlin, P A; Hayes, P D; Boyle, J R

    2014-04-01

    The first large-scale randomised trial (Immediate Management of the Patient with Rupture: Open Versus Endovascular repair [IMPROVE]) for endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rEVAR) has recently finished recruiting patients. The aim of this study was to examine the impact on survival after rEVAR when the IMPROVE protocol was initiated in a high volume abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) centre previously performing rEVAR. One hundred and sixty-nine patients requiring emergency infrarenal AAA repair from January 2006 to April 2013 were included. Eighty-four patients were treated before (38 rEVAR, 46 open) and 85 (31 rEVAR, 54 open) were treated during the trial period. A retrospective analysis was performed. Before the trial, there was a significant survival benefit for rEVAR over open repair (90-day mortality 13% vs. 30%, p = .04, difference remained significant up to 2 years postoperatively). This survival benefit was lost after starting randomisation (90-day mortality 35% vs. 33%, p = .93). There was an increase in overall 30-day mortality from 15% to 31% (p = .02), while there was no change for open repair (p = .438). There was a significant decrease in general anaesthetic use (p = .002) for patients treated during the trial. Randomised patients had shorter hospital and intensive treatment unit stays (p = .006 and p = .03 respectively). The change in survival seen during the IMROVE trial highlights the need for randomised rather than cohort data to eliminate selection bias. These results from a single centre reinforce those recently reported in IMPROVE. Copyright © 2014 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. A single blind randomized control trial on support groups for Chinese persons with mild dementia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young DKW

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Daniel KW Young,1 Timothy CY Kwok,2 Petrus YN Ng1 1Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong; 2Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Purpose: Persons with mild dementia experience multiple losses and manifest depressive symptoms. This research study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a support group led by a social worker for Chinese persons with mild dementia. Research methods: Participants were randomly assigned to either a ten-session support group or a control group. Standardized assessment tools were used for data collection at pretreatment and post-treatment periods by a research assistant who was kept blind to the group assignment of the participants. Upon completion of the study, 20 treatment group participants and 16 control group participants completed all assessments. Results: At baseline, the treatment and control groups did not show any significant difference on all demographic variables, as well as on all baseline measures; over one-half (59% of all the participants reported having depression, as assessed by a Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale score ≥8. After completing the support group, the depressive mood of the treatment group participants reduced from 8.83 (standard deviation =2.48 to 7.35 (standard deviation =2.18, which was significant (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; P=0.017, P<0.05, while the control group’s participants did not show any significant change. Conclusion: This present study supports the efficacy and effectiveness of the support group for persons with mild dementia in Chinese society. In particular, this present study shows that a support group can reduce depressive symptoms for participants. Keywords: support group, mild dementia, Chinese, depression

  11. Mapping Chinese Agricultural and Allied Sciences Journals Indexed in CAB Abstracts Database

    OpenAIRE

    Arundhati Kaushik; Superna Sharma; Lokendra Singh Rajput

    2013-01-01

    CAB Abstracts published by CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International) is the premier database for agricultural and allied sciences literature. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of index coverage in CAB Abstracts and to identify the core journals in the field of agricultural and allied sciences published in China. The study depicts the trend of Chinese agricultural and allied sciences journals, which is successfully proving a gateway of the agricultural rese...

  12. On Decoding Interleaved Chinese Remainder Codes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Wenhui; Sidorenko, Vladimir; Nielsen, Johan Sebastian Rosenkilde

    2013-01-01

    We model the decoding of Interleaved Chinese Remainder codes as that of finding a short vector in a Z-lattice. Using the LLL algorithm, we obtain an efficient decoding algorithm, correcting errors beyond the unique decoding bound and having nearly linear complexity. The algorithm can fail...... with a probability dependent on the number of errors, and we give an upper bound for this. Simulation results indicate that the bound is close to the truth. We apply the proposed decoding algorithm for decoding a single CR code using the idea of “Power” decoding, suggested for Reed-Solomon codes. A combination...... of these two methods can be used to decode low-rate Interleaved Chinese Remainder codes....

  13. Modification of spontaneous emission from nanodiamond colour centres on a structured surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inam, F A; Gaebel, T; Bradac, C; Withford, M J; Rabeau, J R; Steel, M J; Stewart, L; Dawes, J M

    2011-01-01

    Colour centres in diamond are promising candidates as a platform for quantum technologies and biomedical imaging based on spins and/or photons. Controlling the emission properties of colour centres in diamond is a key requirement for the development of efficient single-photon sources having high collection efficiency. A number of groups have achieved an enhancement in the emission rate over narrow wavelength ranges by coupling single emitters in nanodiamond crystals to resonant electromagnetic structures. In this paper, we characterize in detail the spontaneous emission rates of nitrogen-vacancy centres at various locations on a structured substrate. We found a factor of 1.5 average enhancement of the total emission rate when nanodiamonds are on an opal photonic crystal surface, and observed changes in the lifetime distribution. We present a model for explaining these observations and associate the lifetime properties with dipole orientation and polarization effects.

  14. Modification of spontaneous emission from nanodiamond colour centres on a structured surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Inam, F A; Gaebel, T; Bradac, C; Withford, M J; Rabeau, J R; Steel, M J [Centre for Quantum Science and Technology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia); Stewart, L; Dawes, J M, E-mail: james.rabeau@mq.edu.au, E-mail: michael.steel@mq.edu.au [MQ Photonics Research Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia)

    2011-07-15

    Colour centres in diamond are promising candidates as a platform for quantum technologies and biomedical imaging based on spins and/or photons. Controlling the emission properties of colour centres in diamond is a key requirement for the development of efficient single-photon sources having high collection efficiency. A number of groups have achieved an enhancement in the emission rate over narrow wavelength ranges by coupling single emitters in nanodiamond crystals to resonant electromagnetic structures. In this paper, we characterize in detail the spontaneous emission rates of nitrogen-vacancy centres at various locations on a structured substrate. We found a factor of 1.5 average enhancement of the total emission rate when nanodiamonds are on an opal photonic crystal surface, and observed changes in the lifetime distribution. We present a model for explaining these observations and associate the lifetime properties with dipole orientation and polarization effects.

  15. Creation of Indian–Chinese cuisine: Chinese food in an Indian city

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amal Sankar

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses two aspects of Chinese food served in India, based on data collected from fieldwork in Dharavi, Mumbai along with the data gathered from online restaurant reviews, food ordering portals, and blogs. First it discusses different forms of Indianizations in Chinese food served in India. Second part discusses how Chineseness is created through exhibits in and out of the restaurants, and how it communicates ‘Chinese’ in the menu through these symbols. One Major observation was that Indian Chinese restaurants mostly use Indian spices, flavors, and materials to make Chinese food, in which the main flavors are spicy, and pungent. The cooked food is served in a bowl, and eaten with spoon, and fork. Some symbolic elements are frequently exhibited in Chinese restaurants. Predominant use of red color, random Chinese scripts, images of Chinese temples, paintings or statues of Buddha, symbols of wok, picture of fat Chinese chef, picture of dragon, symbols of bowl and chopsticks are such representations. The study concludes that the Chinese food served in India is intrinsically Indianized Chinese food, and there are certain Indian expectations of what Chinese foods are, and a Chineseness is created in Chinese restaurants to give Chinese feel during the eat out. The author argues that the Indian imagination of Chinese food creates a new cuisine category Indian-Chinese cuisine which is neither Indian, nor Chinese.

  16. Can we spice up our Christmas dinner? : Busting the myth of the 'Chinese restaurant syndrome'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Berg, N W E; Neefs, J; Berger, W R; Baalman, S W E; Meulendijks, E; Kawasaki, M; Kemper, E M; Piersma, F R; Veldkamp, M W; Wesselink, R; Krul, S P J; de Groot, J R

    2017-12-01

    Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also referred to as Vetsin or E621, is a flavour enhancer frequently used in Asian cuisine and abundantly present in the famous Chinese dish Peking duck. MSG is notorious for triggering the onset of the so-called 'Chinese restaurant syndrome' (CRS), a complex of unpleasant symptoms, which might include flushing, sweating and the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aims to determine the effects of MSG on the occurrence of AF. We conducted a placebo self-controlled single-arm study in the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. We included paroxysmal AF patients who reported a consistent onset of AF upon MSG intake. During three admissions, participants were subsequently administered: placebo, 1.5 g and 3 g MSG. If AF was recorded after the dose of 1.5 g MSG, patients were given another placebo instead of 3 g MSG. The primary outcome was the onset of AF registered by 24-hour Holter monitoring. The secondary outcomes were any other arrhythmia and the onset of CRS defined as two or more symptoms of CRS after MSG intake. Six men participated in the study. Both 1.5 g and 3 g MSG were unrelated to CRS, arrhythmias or AF occurrence. Peking duck can be put on the Christmas menu without risking guests to be admitted to the emergency department with new episodes of AF.

  17. Detection and characterisation of aluminium-containing nanoparticles in Chinese noodles by single particle ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeschner, Katrin; Correia, Manuel; López Chaves, Carlos; Rokkjær, Inge; Sloth, Jens J

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated Chinese noodles for the presence of aluminium-containing nanoparticles by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in single particle mode (spICP-MS) after enzymatic digestion by α-amylase. The aluminium concentrations in the noodle samples, determined by conventional ICP-MS without or with the use of hydrofluoric acid for digestion, were 5.4 ± 1.9 µg/g and 10.1 ± 2.2 µg/g (N = 21), respectively. Aluminium-containing nanoparticles were detected by spICP-MS in all 21 samples. Depending on the assumed particle composition, Al 2 O 3 or Al 2 O 3 ∙2SiO 2 ∙2H 2 O, the median particle diameters were either below or above 100 nm, respectively. The minimum detectable particle diameter by spICP-MS was between 54 and 83 nm. The mass recovery of aluminium in the form of particles was between 5% and 18%. The presented work reports for the first time the detection of Al-containing particles in food by spICP-MS.

  18. Application of plant metabonomics in quality assessment for large-scale production of traditional Chinese medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ning, Zhangchi; Lu, Cheng; Zhang, Yuxin; Zhao, Siyu; Liu, Baoqin; Xu, Xuegong; Liu, Yuanyan

    2013-07-01

    The curative effects of traditional Chinese medicines are principally based on the synergic effect of their multi-targeting, multi-ingredient preparations, in contrast to modern pharmacology and drug development that often focus on a single chemical entity. Therefore, the method employing a few markers or pharmacologically active constituents to assess the quality and authenticity of the complex preparations has a number of severe challenges. Metabonomics can provide an effective platform for complex sample analysis. It is also reported to be applied to the quality analysis of the traditional Chinese medicine. Metabonomics enables comprehensive assessment of complex traditional Chinese medicines or herbal remedies and sample classification of diverse biological statuses, origins, or qualities in samples, by means of chemometrics. Identification, processing, and pharmaceutical preparation are the main procedures in the large-scale production of Chinese medicinal preparations. Through complete scans, plants metabonomics addresses some of the shortfalls of single analyses and presents a considerable potential to become a sharp tool for traditional Chinese medicine quality assessment. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. Characteristics and Application Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Containing Sophora Japonica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Zhenzhen; Feng, Suxiang; Fang, Xiaoyan; Miao, Mingsan

    2018-01-01

    Purposes: To sum up the characteristics of Chinese medicine with Sophora Japonica and provide reference for the research, development and utilization of the Chinese medicine of Sophora japonica in the future. Methods: The author sums up the forms, functions, indications, usage, dosage and contraindications of the proprietary Chinese medicine containing Sophora Japonica in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the Ministerial standards. In addition, we will inquire about the clinical application of proprietary Chinese medicine containing Sophora japonica in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Results: The proprietary Chinese medicine containing Sophora Japonica was widely used in the treatment of various diseases in clinic, but it was taken orally and without any external use of Chinese patent medicine. Moreover, in most of the proprietary Chinese medicine, Sophora japonica was used as a supplement; In addition, the causes of adverse reactions were not analyzed, and the safety of the drugs needed to be further analyzed. Conclusions: To make clear the role of Sophora japonica in proprietary Chinese medicine, we can develop the Chinese medicine new dosage forms of Sophora japonica; The Chinese medicine is made up of a variety of single herbs, some are toxic drugs, when an adverse reaction occurs, We should analyze the specific causes and avoid the occurrence of adverse reactions. In addition, Sophora japonica is a traditional herbal medicine and food in China; we can expand the application in other areas and explore the pharmacological and toxicological pathology.

  20. Effects of 3-Deoxyadenosine (Cordycepin) on the repair of X-ray-induced DNA single- and double-strand breaks in chinese hamster V79 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiraoka, Wakako; Kuwabara, Mikinori; Sato, Fumiaki

    1990-01-01

    The ability of cordycepin to inhibit the repair of DNA strand breaks was examined with X-irradiated Chinese hamster V79 cells in log-phase culture. A filter elution technique revealed that 70 μM cordycepin did not inhibit the repair of single-strand breaks but inhibited the repair of double-strand breaks. These findings confirmed the fact that the increase in the lethality of cordycepin in X-irradiated cultured mammalian cells was attributable to unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks. (author)

  1. Behaviours and beliefs about pain and treatment among Chinese immigrants and New Zealand Europeans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Ping Carolyn; Johnson, Malcolm H

    2013-03-01

    To investigate how pain is construed and managed across Western and Chinese cultures. Adults from the general public completed an anonymous survey developed for this study. Participants responded to recruitment posters and handouts that were distributed to Auckland community centres, libraries and relevant social organisations. 165 participants were recruited with slightly more Chinese respondents (57.0%). 128 participants (77.5%) reported having experienced persistent pain which did not recover within expected periods in the last 5 years, and occurred more among Chinese (60.2%) than New Zealand Europeans (39.8%). Pain behaviours and coping strategies were found to be significantly different between Europeans and Chinese. However, differences in perceptions regarding pain and treatment were not substantial. Interestingly, for both cultures some participants reported behaving differently than expected according to their perceptions. Acculturation levels, however, did not show any great impact on Chinese immigrants. The high incidence of persistent pain reported in the study compared to random population surveys suggest individuals who had pain experiences were more likely to respond to the study. It is evident that culture plays an important role in determining various aspects of pain experience and response, although further investigation using randomised samples instead of self-selected survey populations is required to clarify the picture. The effect of acculturation levels particularly should be further investigated.

  2. Impaired laparoscopic performance of novice surgeons due to phone call distraction: a single-centre, prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Cui; Heinze, Julia; Helmert, Jens; Weitz, Juergen; Reissfelder, Christoph; Mees, Soeren Torge

    2017-12-01

    Distractions such as phone calls during laparoscopic surgery play an important role in many operating rooms. The aim of this single-centre, prospective study was to assess if laparoscopic performance is impaired by intraoperative phone calls in novice surgeons. From October 2015 to June 2016, 30 novice surgeons (medical students) underwent a laparoscopic surgery training curriculum including two validated tasks (peg transfer, precision cutting) until achieving a defined level of proficiency. For testing, participants were required to perform these tasks under three conditions: no distraction (control) and two standardised distractions in terms of phone calls requiring response (mild and strong distraction). Task performance was evaluated by analysing time and accuracy of the tasks and response of the phone call. In peg transfer (easy task), mild distraction did not worsen the performance significantly, while strong distraction was linked to error and inefficiency with significantly deteriorated performance (P phone call distractions result in impaired laparoscopic performance under certain circumstances. To ensure patient safety, phone calls should be avoided as far as possible in operating rooms.

  3. Chinese Herbal Medicine for Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome: From Clinical Findings to Basic Understandings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Tao; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Li; Zhong, Linda

    2016-01-01

    Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) is one of the less common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Conventional therapy has unsatisfactory response to it so people turn to Chinese medicine for help. Currently, we reviewed the whole picture of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) clinical and basic application in the treatment of FAPS, especially the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, the single herb, and Chinese medicine formulae, thus to provide a solid base to further develop evidence-based study for this common gastrointestinal complaint in the future. We developed the search strategy and set the inclusion and exclusion criteria for article search. From the included articles, we totally retrieved 586 records according to our searching criteria, of which 16 were duplicate records and 291 were excluded for reasons of irrelevance. The full text of 279 articles was retrieved for detailed assessment, of which 123 were excluded for various reasons. The number one used single herb is Radix Ginseng. The most common syndrome was liver qi depression. The most frequently used classic formula was Si-Mo-Tang. This reflected the true situation of clinical practice of Chinese medicine practitioners and could be further systematically synthesized as key points of the therapeutic research for FAPS.

  4. Cleft lip and palate treatment of 530 children over a decade in a single centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlastos, I M; Koudoumnakis, E; Houlakis, M; Nasika, M; Griva, M; Stylogianni, E

    2009-07-01

    We sought to evaluate the process of care and the outcomes of cleft lip and palate operations carried by a multidisciplinary team at a centre of craniofacial anomalies with a high patients' volume. A retrospective review of all cleft lips and/or palates cases treated in the centre from 1995 to 2007 was performed. Direct and long term complication rates, clinical, audiologic, speech intelligibility and dental arch assessments were analyzed. A total of 530 children have been operated this period in the centre (64 isolated cleft lip closures). A detailed presentation of the outcomes is performed in relation to the various types of cleft lip and palates. The majority of parents (70%) reported very good or excellent results 2-5 years after the lip closure with the Millard technique, although those with bilateral clefts were significantly less satisfied (Ppalate and otitis media with effusion were self-improved 2-8 months after palate reconstruction and 83.3% of children treated with the two flaps palatoplasty technique had a rather high or very high intelligibility score. Muscles' retropositioning had a significant effect on intelligibility (P=0.04). Children with cleft lips and palates have a variety of conditions and functional limitations even after the surgical correction of their problem that need to be evaluated and treated by several specialists. The treatment protocol utilized by the multidisciplinary team of our centre is efficient with a relative low percentage of complications and unfavorable results.

  5. Paper trail: Chasing the Chinese in the Cape (1904-1933

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen L. Harris

    Full Text Available The Chinese Exclusion Act passed by the Cape parliament in 1904 was one of the first pieces of legislation promulgated in the southern region of Africa where a particular 'racial group' was singled out, documented and discriminated against. Although it had trans-oceanic antecedents and tapped into this global anti-Chinese sentiment, unlike the Chinese exclusion legislation elsewhere, the Cape exclusion legislation targeted the entire Chinese 'race'. This article proposes to trace the application of this unwieldy registration system and show how the small Chinese community was registered, identified, monitored and hounded both on paper and on the ground until well after the repeal of the Act three decades later. Through an analysis of these paper records, the article intends to elucidate the nature of this imposition and consider what they tell us of the Chinese it was imposed upon and how they responded. It also proposes that, while the Act was formulated for exclusion, ironically for just under 1,500 of the Chinese resident at the colonial Cape it eventually warranted a double inclusion, one in the form of a certificate of exemption and hence domicile - albeit with perpetual surveillance and scrutiny - and the other as part of the archived historic record.

  6. [A study of population pharmacokinetics of linezolid in Chinese].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, L; Bai, N; Liu, Y N; Wang, R

    2016-12-12

    Objective: To study the population pharmacokinetic (PPK) profiles of linezolid in Chinese healthy volunteers and infected patients. Methods: Linezolid 600 mg was administered to 31 Chinese healthy volunteers with a single dose and to 57 infected patients every 12 h for at least 5 doses. High performance liquid chromatography was applied to determine the plasma concentration of linezolid. Nonlinear mixed-effects modeling method was applied to analyze the PPK profiles. Results: For healthy volunteers with single dose of linezolid, 2-compartment with linear elimination model was the most appropriate structural pharmacokinetic model. The population typical value of apparent volume of central compartment was 26.99 L, volume of peripheral compartment was 22.22 L, apparent clearance of central compartment was 7.99 L/h, and clearance of peripheral compartment was 101.28 L/h. For each 1 kg deviation of weight from the mean value, 0.62 L of volume of peripheral compartment was correlated. For Chinese infected patients with multiple doses of linezolid, 1-compartment with linear elimination model was the most appropriate structural pharmacokinetic model. The population typical value of apparent volume was 38.85 L, and apparent clearance was 4.70 L/h. For each 1 kg deviation of weight from the mean value, 0.79 L of volume, as well as 0.04 L/h of clearance were correlated. For each 1 year deviation of age from the mean value, -0.045 L/h of clearance was correlated. Conclusions: The pharmacokinetic profiles of linezolid in Chinese simulate a 2-compartment with linear elimination model when single dose is administrated, and the weight is linearly positive-correlated to volume. While a 1-compartment with linear elimination model is appropriate when multiple doses are administrated, and the weight is linearly positive-correlated to volume and clearance, but the age is linearly negative-correlated to clearance.

  7. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in chronic pain patients in Singapore: a single-centre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Michelle G E; Win, Ma Thin; Khan, Shariq Ali

    2013-03-01

    The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Singapore for a variety of conditions has been reported to be high. However in Asian chronic pain patients, there is no data on their use of CAM and its perceived benefits. A cross-sectional survey of 210 patients was carried out in Pain Management Centre. Patients were interviewed directly on their use of CAM. The outcomes were prevalence of CAM use, the types of CAM used, the perceived efficacy and factors influencing its use. The prevalence of CAM users in chronic pain is 84%. The most common class of CAM is traditional Chinese medicine (68%) the subset of which, acupuncture, was most frequently utilised (49% of patients using CAM). In univariate analyses, ethnicity was significantly linked to CAM use but not gender, age, education level and income (P = 0.027). Specifically for neck pain, it was significant that patients were more likely to see a chiropractor, to use massage, to take take vitamins and ginseng to alleviate their symptoms. With upper limb pain, it was the use of Tui na, massage and seeing a TCM practitioner. For abdominal pain, it was the use of herbal medicines. The majority felt that CAM helped with their pain (72%) although less expressed satisfaction with CAM (64%). Reasons for using CAM included: having more control over their pain; fewer side effects; safety and lower costs compared to conventional medicine. The use of CAM in chronic pain patients is higher than the general population. Most felt that it improved their pain. As part of multimodal therapy, CAM may have a role in the management of chronic pain.

  8. 16th November 2010 - Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology J. Cao signing the guest book with CERN Director-General R. Heuer and Head of International Relations F. Pauss.

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2010-01-01

    CERN-HI-1011300 19-41: visiting SM18 with F. Bertinelli CERN-HI-1011300 43-66; visiting CMS Control Centre in Meyrin with Collaboration Spokesperson G. Tonelli CERN-HI-1011300 67-85: in the ATLAS Visitor Centre with Former Collaboration Spokesperson P. Jenni CERN-HI-1011300 86-87: meeting young representatives of the CERN Chinese community in the Glassbox, restaurant 1.

  9. How does practise of internal Chinese martial arts influence postural reaction control?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorgy, Olivier; Vercher, Jean-Louis; Coyle, Thelma

    2008-04-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Chinese martial arts practice on postural reaction control after perturbation. Participants standing in Romberg tandem posture were subjected to an unexpected lateral platform translation with the eyes open or closed at two translation amplitudes. The peak displacement of the centre of pressure and of the centre of mass, and the onset latency of muscular activity (tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, lumbodorsal muscular group, and rectus abdominis), were evaluated for martial arts practitioners and for sport and non-sport participants. Compared with the sport and non-sport participants, the martial arts group showed lower maximal centre of pressure and centre of mass peak displacements in both the lateral and anterior - posterior directions, but no difference was found in the onset of muscular responses. We conclude that martial arts practice influences postural reaction control during a fixed-support strategy in a tandem task. The martial arts group used the ankle joint more frequently than the sport and non-sport participants, especially in the eyes-closed conditions. Our results suggest that the better balance recovery in the martial arts group is a consequence of better control of biomechanical properties of the lower limbs (e.g. through muscular response by co-contraction), not a change in the neuromuscular temporal pattern.

  10. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE CHINESE AND THE EUROPEAN DISTRICTS IN SURABAYA, 1787-2005

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timoticin Kwanda

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the phenomena of economic boom during the 1990s have led to the physical restructuring within the old centre of Surabaya. The changes is inevitable, thus the real issue is how to find the elements of persistent, constraining development to some degree that could be applied to influence future development. The objective of the research is to understand the impact of intervention, and to find the typo-morphological framework in the European and the Chinese quarters, from 1787 to 2005 for future development. A synchronic and a diachronic method is applied to understand the old town centre historical development, and the relationship between building type and urban fabric. The result shows three different degrees of persistent. The town plan of the Chinese and the European districts show a notable persistence. However the land utilization is less persistent especially in the European district such as the first and the second city wall were replaced by roads, and the first and the second fort were replaced by open space and residential uses. Finally, the buildings fabric shows a drastic change such as most of the nineteenth century Indische buildings have been replaced by the 1920s modern buildings.

  11. Ocean Remote Sensing from Chinese Spaceborne Microwave Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, J.

    2017-12-01

    GF-3 (GF stands for GaoFen, which means High Resolution in Chinese) is the China's first C band multi-polarization high resolution microwave remote sensing satellite. It was successfully launched on Aug. 10, 2016 in Taiyuan satellite launch center. The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on board GF-3 works at incidence angles ranging from 20 to 50 degree with several polarization modes including single-polarization, dual-polarization and quad-polarization. GF-3 SAR is also the world's most imaging modes SAR satellite, with 12 imaging modes consisting of some traditional ones like stripmap and scanSAR modes and some new ones like spotlight, wave and global modes. GF-3 SAR is thus a multi-functional satellite for both land and ocean observation by switching the different imaging modes. TG-2 (TG stands for TianGong, which means Heavenly Palace in Chinese) is a Chinese space laboratory which was launched on 15 Sep. 2016 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre aboard a Long March 2F rocket. The onboard Interferometric Imaging Radar Altimeter (InIRA) is a new generation radar altimeter developed by China and also the first on orbit wide swath imaging radar altimeter, which integrates interferometry, synthetic aperture, and height tracking techniques at small incidence angles and a swath of 30 km. The InIRA was switch on to acquire data during this mission on 22 September. This paper gives some preliminary results for the quantitative remote sensing of ocean winds and waves from the GF-3 SAR and the TG-2 InIRA. The quantitative analysis and ocean wave spectra retrieval have been given from the SAR imagery. The image spectra which contain ocean wave information are first estimated from image's modulation using fast Fourier transform. Then, the wave spectra are retrieved from image spectra based on Hasselmann's classical quasi-linear SAR-ocean wave mapping model and the estimation of three modulation transfer functions (MTFs) including tilt, hydrodynamic and velocity bunching

  12. Effect of the daily consumption of protein enriched bread and protein enriched drinking yoghurt on the total protein intake in older adults in a rehabilitation centre: a single blind randomised controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Til, van A.J.; Naumann, E.; Cox-Claessens, I.J.H.M.; Kremer, S.; Boelsma, E.; Schueren, van der D.E.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To investigate the effects of protein enriched bread and drinking yoghurt, substituting regular products, on the total protein intake and the distribution of protein intake over the day in older adults. Design A single blind randomised controlled trial. Setting Rehabilitation centre.

  13. Treatment of prolonged convulsive seizures in children; a single centre, retrospective, observational study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vlaskamp, Danique R. M.; Brouwer, Oebele F.; Callenbach, Petra M. C.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: To evaluate treatment of children with Prolonged Convulsive Seizures (PCS) at the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG). Material and methods: PCS were identified from an UMCG database of children with epilepsy aged = 10 mm and occurred between January 2000 and October 2012 in

  14. Character order processing in Chinese reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Junjuan; Li, Xingshan; Liversedge, Simon P

    2015-02-01

    We explored how character order information is encoded in isolated word processing or Chinese sentence reading in 2 experiments using a masked priming paradigm and a gaze-contingent display-change paradigm. The results showed that response latencies in the lexical decision task and reading times on the target word region were longer in the unrelated condition (the prime or the preview was unrelated with the target word) than the transposed-character condition (the prime or the preview was a transposition of the 2 characters of the target word), which were respectively longer than in the identity condition (the prime or preview was identical to the target word). These results show that character order is encoded at an early stage of processing in Chinese reading, but character position encoding was not strict. We also found that character order encoding was similar for single-morpheme and multiple-morpheme words, suggesting that morphemic status does not affect character order encoding. The current results represent an early contribution to our understanding of character order encoding during Chinese reading.

  15. A Single Case of Tourette’s Syndrome Treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Hwa Lee

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this case study was to investigate the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in treating Tourette's syndrome. Tourette's syndrome is a childhood- onset disorder that is characterized by sudden, involuntary movements or tics. The participant in this study was a 33-year-old male who had been diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome at the age of 9 years. His major complaints included facial tics, shoulder shrugging, and clearing the throat. Using a combination of acupuncture, herbs, Gua-Sha, and lifestyle changes once a week for 35 treatments, all the symptoms were reduced by 70%, as reported by the patient. In this case, the results indicated that Chinese medicine was able to minimize the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome. Further investigation is needed to support this argument. Tourette's syndrome, which was first described in 1885 by a French physician named Gilles de la Tourette, is characterized by facial tics, involuntary body movements from the head to the extremities, or vocal tics, and it usually has its onset in childhood. It is a neuropsychiatric disorder. The treatment for Tourette's syndrome is based on pharmacological treatment, behavior treatment, and deep brain stimulation. Unfortunately, none of these could completely control the symptoms; furthermore, antipsychiatric drugs might cause additional side effects, such as Parkinson symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, and metabolic disturbances. Finding acupuncture and oriental medicine literature on treatment of Tourette's syndrome was difficult, especially that written in English. Some research papers that have been translated into English indicated that Chinese herbs and acupuncture could reduce the tics significantly. For example, a study by Dr Pao-Hua Lin reported the significant effects of using acupuncture and oriental medicine in treating 1000 Tourette's syndrome cases. This case was treated to further investigate the principles of Dr Lin's study.

  16. Translation: an example from ancient Chinese to modern Chinese

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liu, X; Hoede, C.

    2002-01-01

    In this paper, we gave an idea of translation by means of knowledge graph theory from ancient Chinese to modern Chinese, by using an example story. Actually, we give the details of the method of translation from ancient Chinese to modern Chinese step by step as carried out by hand. From the example,

  17. Prescriptions of Chinese herbal medicine for constipation under the national health insurance in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jong, Maw-Shiou; Hwang, Shinn-Jang; Chen, Yu-Chun; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chen, Fun-Jou; Chen, Fang-Pey

    2010-07-01

    Constipation is a common gastrointestinal problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of use and prescriptive patterns of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating constipation by analyzing the claims data of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from the National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan. The computerized claims dataset of the TCM office visits and the corresponding prescription files in 2004 compiled by the NHI Research Institute in Taiwan were linked and processed. Visit files with the single diagnostic coding of constipation (ICD-9-CM code 564.0) were extracted to analyze the frequency and pattern of corresponding CHM prescriptions. The association rule was applied to analyze the co-prescription of CHM in treating constipation. There were 152,564 subjects who visited TCM clinics only for constipation in Taiwan during 2004 and received a total of 387,268 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 20 and 29 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (25.5%). Female subjects used CHM for constipation more frequently than male subjects (female:male = 3.31:1). There was an average of 4.6 items of single Chinese herbs or formula in a single prescription for constipation. Ma-zi-renwan was the most commonly prescribed herbal formula, while Da-huang (Rheum palmatum) was the most commonly used single Chinese herb. According to the association rule, the most common prescribed pattern of 2-drug combination of CHM for treating constipation was Ban-xia-xie-xin-tang plus Ma-zi-ren-wan, while the 3-drug combination of CHM was Fang-feng-tong-sheng-san, Rheum palmatum and Ma-zi-ren-wan. This study showed the pattern of single Chinese herbs or herbal formulae used in treating constipation in Taiwan. Further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these CHMs in treating constipation. 2010 Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Cities as command and control centres of the world economy: An empirical analysis, 2006–2015

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Csomós György

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available As a result of their rapid economic growth, several powerful corporate giants have emerged in developing countries, especially in China, operating not only in the traditional manufacturing sector, but also in high-tech industries and finance. Major cities in developing countries have gradually become important command and control centres of the global economy, and have also become powerful enough to be in the same tier as major cities of developed countries around the world. In this paper, I examine the position of cities as command and control centres on the basis of the power of their headquartered corporations. The result shows that until 2012, New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris; i.e. the global cities, were the leading command and control centres. However, the gap between these global cities and Beijing gradually closed, and by 2015, the Chinese capital outranked all the global cities. The outstanding performance of Beijing-based corporations that operate in financial, energy, and construction services sectors is the driving force behind Beijing’s increasing global power. In addition, the leading position of the global cities as command and control centres has been threatened by the San Francisco-San Jose metropolitan region, a newly emerging economic hub in the United States.

  19. Older Chinese-Australian and Chinese community music engagement

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Sicong

    2017-01-01

    This research study will investigate community music engagement by both Chinese-Australians and Chinese older people at two different older people’s organizations with the aim of exploring the affects of music engagement on older people. The study seeks to explore cultural differences between Chinese-Australian older people and Chinese older people as they relate to their music engagement. The research contentions were that (1) active music engagement can enhance the quality of the life of ol...

  20. Culture, ethnicity, and children's facial expressions: a study of European American, Mainland Chinese, Chinese American, and adopted Chinese girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camras, Linda A; Bakeman, Roger; Chen, Yinghe; Norris, Katherine; Cain, Thomas R

    2006-02-01

    This investigation extends previous research documenting differences in Chinese and European American infants' facial expressivity. Chinese girls adopted by European American families, nonadopted Mainland Chinese girls, nonadopted Chinese American girls, and nonadopted European American girls responded to emotionally evocative slides and an odor stimulus. European American girls smiled more than Mainland Chinese and Chinese American girls and scored higher than Mainland Chinese girls for disgust-related expressions and overall expressivity. Adopted Chinese girls produced more disgust-related expressions than Mainland Chinese girls. Self-reported maternal strictness, aggravation, positive expressiveness, and cultural identification correlated with children's facial responses, as did number of siblings and adults in the home. Results suggest that culture and family environment influences facial expressivity, creating differences among children of the same ethnicity.

  1. Differences in the origin of philosophy between Chinese medicine and Western medicine: Exploration of the holistic advantages of Chinese medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Da-zhi; Li, Shao-dan; Liu, Yi; Zhang, Yin; Mei, Rong; Yang, Ming-hui

    2013-09-01

    To explore advantages of Chinese medicine (CM) by analyzing differences in the origin of philosophy for human health between CM and Western medicine (WM). Methodologically, a distinctive feature of CM is its systems theory, which is also the difference between CM and WM. Since the birth of CM, it has taken the human body as a whole from the key concepts of "qi, blood, yin-yang, viscera (Zang-Fu), and meridian and channel", rather than a single cell or a particular organ. WM evolves from the Western philosophic way of thinking and merely uses natural sciences as the foundation. The development of WM is based on human structures, or anatomy, and therefore, research of WM is also based on the way of thinking of decomposing the whole human body into several independent parts, which is the impetus of promoting the development of WM. The core of CM includes the holistic view and the dialectical view. Chinese herbal medicines contain various components and treat a disease from multiple targets and links. Therefore, Chinese herbal medicines treat a diseased state by regulating and mobilizing the whole body rather than just regulating a single factor, since the diseased state is not only a problem in a local part of the body but a local reflection of imbalance of the whole body.

  2. Unified storage systems for distributed Tier-2 centres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowan, G A; Stewart, G A; Elwell, A

    2008-01-01

    The start of data taking at the Large Hadron Collider will herald a new era in data volumes and distributed processing in particle physics. Data volumes of hundreds of Terabytes will be shipped to Tier-2 centres for analysis by the LHC experiments using the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). In many countries Tier-2 centres are distributed between a number of institutes, e.g., the geographically spread Tier-2s of GridPP in the UK. This presents a number of challenges for experiments to utilise these centres efficaciously, as CPU and storage resources may be subdivided and exposed in smaller units than the experiment would ideally want to work with. In addition, unhelpful mismatches between storage and CPU at the individual centres may be seen, which make efficient exploitation of a Tier-2's resources difficult. One method of addressing this is to unify the storage across a distributed Tier-2, presenting the centres' aggregated storage as a single system. This greatly simplifies data management for the VO, which then can access a greater amount of data across the Tier-2. However, such an approach will lead to scenarios where analysis jobs on one site's batch system must access data hosted on another site. We investigate this situation using the Glasgow and Edinburgh clusters, which are part of the ScotGrid distributed Tier-2. In particular we look at how to mitigate the problems associated with 'distant' data access and discuss the security implications of having LAN access protocols traverse the WAN between centres

  3. The oral food desensitization in the Italian allergy centres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meglio, P; Caminiti, L; Pajno, G B; Dello Iacono, I; Tripodi, S; Verga, M C; Martelli, A

    2015-05-01

    Attempts aimed at inducing food tolerance through oral food desensitization (OFD) for the treatment of IgE-mediated food allergies are increasing. In Italy, a number of allergy centres offer this procedure. To collect information on how these centres are organized, how patients are selected, the methods used to administer OFD and how adverse reactions are managed. A questionnaire was e-mailed to all the Italian allergy centres offering OFD. The survey shows a high degree of variability between centres. A correct diagnosis of food allergy is crucial for selecting patients for OFD. In the Italian allergy centres, oral food challenges are mostly open label (84%), but in 16% of cases they are single-blind (8%) or double-blind (8%). A high proportion of allergy centres (83%) offer OFD to children presenting forms of anaphylaxis triggered by traces--or very low doses--of food allergen. The majority of allergy centres (76%) enroll patients over 3 years of age, with 44% enrolling patients above the age of 5. Not-controlled asthma, unreliability of parents in the management of OFD and/or risk of adverse events, are the main reasons for exclusion from the procedure. Although OFD may sometimes be successful and may be considered a valid alternative to an elimination diet, further randomized controlled trials are needed, in order to clarify some controversial points, such as the characteristics of the child undergoing OFD, and the methods of food preparation and administration. Moreover, further studies should further investigate OFD safety, efficacy and costs.

  4. Chinese Herbal Medicine for Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome: From Clinical Findings to Basic Understandings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Liu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS is one of the less common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Conventional therapy has unsatisfactory response to it so people turn to Chinese medicine for help. Currently, we reviewed the whole picture of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM clinical and basic application in the treatment of FAPS, especially the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM syndrome, the single herb, and Chinese medicine formulae, thus to provide a solid base to further develop evidence-based study for this common gastrointestinal complaint in the future. We developed the search strategy and set the inclusion and exclusion criteria for article search. From the included articles, we totally retrieved 586 records according to our searching criteria, of which 16 were duplicate records and 291 were excluded for reasons of irrelevance. The full text of 279 articles was retrieved for detailed assessment, of which 123 were excluded for various reasons. The number one used single herb is Radix Ginseng. The most common syndrome was liver qi depression. The most frequently used classic formula was Si-Mo-Tang. This reflected the true situation of clinical practice of Chinese medicine practitioners and could be further systematically synthesized as key points of the therapeutic research for FAPS.

  5. Traditional Chinese medicine research and education in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghayur, Muhammad Nabeel

    2009-06-01

    Abstract Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world. There has been a growing interest in TCM in Canada in terms of consumers and also among the research community. To cater for this interest, the Canadian Institute of Chinese Medicinal Research (CICMR) was established in 2004. Since its formation, CICMR has been organizing annual meetings. In 2008, the CICMR meeting, jointly organized with the Ontario Ginseng Innovation Research Centre, was held from October 16th to 19th, in London, Ontario, Canada. The meeting saw a number of participants and speakers from many countries who discussed TCM in a Canadian perspective. The talks and presentations focused on TCM practices in Asia and Canada; analytical techniques for unravelling the science behind TCM; basic and clinical research findings in the areas of cancer and cardiovascular diseases; safety and quality control issues; the regulatory and educational framework of TCM in Canada; and the latest findings in agricultural, chemical, and pharmacological research on ginseng from all over the world. The meeting successfully provided a platform for constructive discussions on TCM practices and research and education in Canada and the world.

  6. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in ZNF208 are associated with increased risk for HBV in Chinese people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hengxin; Chen, Jun; Zhang, RuiZhi; Xu, Ran; Zhang, Zhe; Ren, Le; Yang, Qi; Tian, Yumei; Li, Daxu

    2017-12-22

    Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ZNF208 may be associated with susceptibility to Hepatitis B virus (HBV). In the current study, we analyzed the association between ZNF208 SNPs and risk of HBV in 242 HBV patients and 300 healthy subjects from the Xi'an area of Chinese Han Population. Of the five SNPs examined, rs2188971 (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.04-1.76, P = 0.022), rs8103163 (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.08-1.82, P = 0.010) and rs7248488 (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.07-1.79, P = 0.014) were correlated with HBV susceptibility based on Chi-square tests. After the P -values were adjusted by Bonferroni correction, there only rs8103163 ( P = 0.050) was slightly with increased HBV risk. Additionally, haplotype A rs2188972 T rs2188971 A rs8103163 A rs7248488 (OR = 1.42; 95% C I, 1.10-1.85; P = 0.008) was found to increase susceptibility of suffering from HBV. These findings suggest that ZNF208 polymorphisms may contribute to the development of HBV.

  7. Detection rate of prostate cancer following biopsy among the northern Han Chinese population: a single-center retrospective study of 1022 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Yong; Zhu, Lei-Yi; Xian, Yu-Xin; Sun, Xiao-Qing; Gao, Jian-Gang; Zhang, Xin-Hong; Hou, Si-Chuan; Zhang, Chang-Cun; Liu, Zhao-Xu

    2017-08-29

    Prostate cancer is known to have ethnic and regional differences. The study aimed to clinically evaluate the detection rate of prostate cancer on transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy and analyze its characteristics among the northern Han Chinese population at a single center. Between October 2009 and September 2016, a total of 1027 Chinese men, who had undergone TRUS-guided prostate biopsy at Qingdao Municipal Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. Prostate biopsies were performed in the case of an abnormally elevated serum PSA level, and/or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings, and/or suspicious prostatic imaging findings. Of the 1022 men enrolled in the analysis, 438 patients (42.8%) were diagnosed with prostate adenocarcinoma histologically. When serum PSA levels were divided into five subgroups (less than 4.0, 4.0 to 10.0, 10.0 to 20.0, 20.0 to 100.0, and ≥ 100.0 ng/ml), the detection rates of prostate cancer were 12.4, 15.9, 34.1, 66.2, and 93.8%, respectively. With serum PSA levels of 4.0 to 10.0 ng/ml, the cancer detection rates for a normal DRE and a suspect DRE finding were 13.5 and 58.2%, respectively. Accordingly, the cancer detection rates for a normal imaging and a suspect imaging finding were 13.5 and 58.2%, respectively. Besides, a large proportion of the patients were in the clinically advanced stage. The present study data reported a relatively higher prostate cancer detection rate of 42.8% and that the majority of the patients presented with clinically advanced prostate cancers within a local clinical urologic practice. An early detection and screening program for prostate cancer is of great need to reduce the burden from this disease among the northern Han Chinese population.

  8. Haplotypes of nine single nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 19q13.2-3 associated with susceptibility of lung cancer in a Chinese population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yin, Jiaoyang; Vogel, Ulla Birgitte; Ma, Yegang

    2008-01-01

    To evaluate the joint effect of nine single nucleotide polymorphisms for three DNA repair genes in the region of chromosome 19q13.2-3 on susceptibility of lung cancer in a Chinese population, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study consisting of 247 lung cancer cases and 253 cancer......-free controls matched on age, gender and ethnicity. Associations between the haplotypes and susceptibility of lung cancer were tested. The global test of haplotype association revealed a statistically significant difference in the haplotype distribution between cases and controls (global test: chi(2) = 60.45, d...

  9. Targeted case finding for hepatitis B using dry blood spot testing in the British-Chinese and South Asian populations of the North-East of England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPherson, S; Valappil, M; Moses, S E; Eltringham, G; Miller, C; Baxter, K; Chan, A; Shafiq, K; Saeed, A; Qureshi, R; Hudson, M; Bassendine, M F

    2013-09-01

    Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a frequent cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Targeted HBV screening is recommended by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention for subjects born in countries with >2% HBV prevalence. However, there are no UK guidelines. Here, we applied the (CDC) recommendations to the British-Chinese and British-South Asian community of North-East (NE) England. British-Chinese and South Asian subjects were invited to attend for HBV education and screening sessions held in community centres. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core total antibody (HBcAb) were tested with dry blood spot tests. South Asians were also tested for hepatitis C antibody (HCVAb). A total of 1126 subjects (606 Chinese and 520 South Asian) were screened. Sixty-two (5.5%) were HBsAg positive. Ten of these reported a previous diagnosis of HBV. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 4.6% when previously diagnosed individuals were excluded. The HBsAg prevalence was significantly higher in the Chinese subjects compared with South Asians (8.7% VS. 1.7% P < 0.001). In Chinese subjects, HBsAg positivity was highest in subjects born in Vietnam (17.4%), followed by China (11%), Hong Kong (7.8%) and the UK (6.7%). Subjects from Pakistan had the highest HBsAg and HCV Ab prevalence in the South Asians (3.1% and 1.8%, respectively). Ten percentage of HBsAg positive patients who had follow-up assessment had active disease requiring antiviral treatment. Undiagnosed HBV infection was above the 2% threshold for screening suggested by the CDC in the British-Chinese and Pakistani community of NE England, which provides evidence for a UK HBV-targeted screening programme. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. A Dual Coding Model of Processing Chinese as a Second Language: A Cognitive-Load Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sham, Diana Po Lan

    2002-01-01

    The research was conducted in Sydney and Hong Kong using students, from grades 5 to 9, whose first language or teaching medium was English, learning to read Chinese as second language. According to cognitive load theory, the processing of single Chinese characters accompanied by pictures should impose extraneous cognitive load and thus hinders…

  11. Chinese nursing students' culture-related learning styles and behaviours: A discussion paper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol Chunfeng Wang

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Globalisation requires that nursing education focuses on culturally competent care. International students studying in Australia present a valuable resource for cultural learning, yet internationalisation presents opportunities and challenges for both lecturers and students. This paper explores Chinese nursing students, the single largest group of international students in Australia, their communication behaviour, patterns and learning styles at Australian universities from cultural and psychosocial perspectives. Our aim is to provide insight for educators in Western countries to better understand this particular ethnic group and help Chinese nursing students overcome learning difficulties and develop their potential learning capabilities. We further recommend coping strategies to help international Chinese nursing students' learning.

  12. Medieval Chinese syntax

    OpenAIRE

    Anderl, Christoph

    2017-01-01

    “Medieval Chinese Syntax” aims to provide a sketch of the development of function words and syntactic structures during the Chinese Medieval period, including Early Medieval Chinese (ca. 0-700 A.D.) and Late Medieval Chinese (ca. 700-1100).

  13. Post procedural complications of cardiac implants done in a resource limited setting under 'C' arm: A single centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayachandra, A; Aggarwal, Vivek; Kumar, Sandeep; Nagesh, I V

    2018-04-01

    Cardiology interventions in peripheral hospitals is a challenging task where cardiologist have to fight against time and limited resources. Most of the sudden cardiac deaths occur due to arrhythmia and heart blocks/sinus node dysfunction. Our study is a single peripheral center experience of cardiac devices implantation using a 'C' Arm. The aim of this study was to post procedural complications of cardiac implants done in aresource limited setting under 'C' arm. This study is done at a peripheral cardiology center with no cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) facilities. Consecutive patients reporting to cardiology center, between Jan 2015 and Oct 2016, with a definite indication for cardiac device implant were included in the study. All the procedure of implantation was done in the operation theatre under 'C' arm under local anesthesia with continuous cardiac monitoring and critical care back up. Total 58 device implantations were done from Jan 2015 to Oct 2016. The mean age of the patients was 67.15 ± 10.85 years. Males constituted almost two third (68.9%) of patients. The commonest indication for device implantation was sinus node dysfunction in 60.34% followed by complete heart block in 25.86% and ventricular tachycardia in 12.06%. No post procedure infection was observed in our study. Device implantation constitute a major group of life saving interventions in cardiology practice. Our study has emphasised that when appropriate aseptic measures are taken during device implantation at peripheral centres, the complications rate are comparable to interventions done at advance cardiac centres.

  14. The classification and application of toxic Chinese materia medica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xinmin; Wang, Qiong; Song, Guangqing; Zhang, Guangping; Ye, Zuguang; Williamson, Elizabeth M

    2014-03-01

    Many important drugs in the Chinese materia medica (CMM) are known to be toxic, and it has long been recognized in classical Chinese medical theory that toxicity can arise directly from the components of a single CMM or may be induced by an interaction between combined CMM. Traditional Chinese Medicine presents a unique set of pharmaceutical theories that include particular methods for processing, combining and decocting, and these techniques contribute to reducing toxicity as well as enhancing efficacy. The current classification of toxic CMM drugs, traditional methods for processing toxic CMM and the prohibited use of certain combinations, is based on traditional experience and ancient texts and monographs, but accumulating evidence increasingly supports their use to eliminate or reduce toxicity. Modern methods are now being used to evaluate the safety of CMM; however, a new system for describing the toxicity of Chinese herbal medicines may need to be established to take into account those herbs whose toxicity is delayed or otherwise hidden, and which have not been incorporated into the traditional classification. This review explains the existing classification and justifies it where appropriate, using experimental results often originally published in Chinese and previously not available outside China. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Drug problems in contemporary China: a profile of Chinese drug users in a metropolitan area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Kaicheng; Zhang, Lening; Liu, Jianhong

    2011-03-01

    Drug problems are reemerging in China since the nation implemented economic reform and an "open door" policy in the early 1980s. This is causing both national and international concern. However, knowledge and understanding of the Chinese drug problem is fairly limited because of the nation's unique social and political history. In response to this shortage of information, our study presents a profile of Chinese drug users. Data were collected from a survey of drug users attending mandatory treatment centres in a large city in 2009. We present a demographic profile of the drug users, describe their patterns of drug use, their access to drugs and their history of drug treatment. Chinese drug users, like those from the U.S., are likely to be unemployed and have a low level of education. However, they are more likely than those in the U.S. to use heroin, Bingdu (methamphetamine) and Maguo (a derivative of methamphetamine), and they pay less for their drugs. This profile of drug users is informative and valuable for drug prevention, intervention, and treatment in the Chinese setting because knowing and understanding the drug population is essential for effective control. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine, and integrated Chinese-Western medicine for allergic rhinitis under the National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Sheng-Kang; Ho, Yu-Ling; Chang, Yuan-Shiun

    2015-09-15

    relieving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. That leads to the little difference between 2009 and 2010. The same phenomenon occurs in integrated Chinese-Western medicine. However, the prescription drugs of traditional Chinese medicine treatment vary considerably. Multiple-composition medicine been replaced by single-composition medicine implied that syndrome differentiation and treatment were used and the synergistic effects of multiple-composition medicine were no longer suitable for the most patients of 2010. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Mapping Chinese Agricultural and Allied Sciences Journals Indexed in CAB Abstracts Database

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arundhati Kaushik

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available CAB Abstracts published by CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International is the premier database for agricultural and allied sciences literature. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of index coverage in CAB Abstracts and to identify the core journals in the field of agricultural and allied sciences published in China. The study depicts the trend of Chinese agricultural and allied sciences journals, which is successfully proving a gateway of the agricultural research in China to merge into the main stream of the world.

  18. Beyond the Single Story

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenney, Yekaterina

    2016-01-01

    Teachers of world literature have the opportunity to help students explore the more complex reality behind the stereotypes that they often see in the media. If we don't encourage students to challenge one-dimensional "single stories" that characterize an entire people--whether Muslims, Russians, Mexicans, African Americans, Chinese,…

  19. Surgical outcomes for unilateral superior oblique palsy in Chinese population:a retrospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gordon Shing kin Yau

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the outcome after surgery for unilateral superior oblique (SO palsy in Chinese. METHODS: The medical records of 39 patients that underwent surgery for unilateral SO palsy between January 2003 and December 2012 at Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong, were retrospectively reviewed. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon. Pre-operative assessments for vertical deviation, cyclo-deviation, and Knapp’s classification were obtained to determine the nature and degree of surgical correction. Vertical deviation was measured at 1wk; 1, 6mo and on last follow-up day post-operatively. Cyclo-deviation was measured on last follow-up day post-operatively. RESULTS: During the 10y period, 39 subjects were recruited. The most common etiology was congenital (94.9%. Knapp’s Type III (66.7% and Type I (12.8% classifications were the most common subtypes. To treat SO palsy, the most common surgical procedures were: isolated inferior oblique (IO anteriorization (41.0%, isolated IO myectomy (10.3%, and isolated IO recession (10.3%. At 3.5±2.1y post-operatively, the vertical deviation was significantly reduced (15.1±6.2 PD versus 0.5±1.4 PD, PCONCLUSION: The majority of subjects achieved corrected vertical deviation after a single surgery although there was no improvement in cyclo-deviation. Those with over-correction of primary position deviation had greater preoperative vertical deviation and it may be related to simultaneous multiple muscle surgery.

  20. Interpreting weightings of the peer assessment rating index and the discrepancy index across contexts on Chinese patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Siqi; Oh, Heesoo; Chambers, David William; Xu, Tianmin; Baumrind, Sheldon

    2018-04-06

    Determine optimal weightings of Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index and Discrepancy Index (DI) for malocclusion severity assessment in Chinese orthodontic patients. Sixty-nine Chinese orthodontists assessed a full set of pre-treatment records from a stratified random sample of 120 subjects gathered from six university orthodontic centres. Using professional judgment as the outcome variable, multiple regression analyses were performed to derive customized weighting systems for the PAR index and DI, for all subjects and each Angle classification subgroup. Professional judgment was consistent, with an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.995. The PAR index or DI can be reliably measured, with ICC = 0.959 and 0.990, respectively. The predictive accuracy of PAR index was greatly improved by the Chinese weighting process (from r = 0.431 to r = 0.788) with almost equal distribution in each Angle classification subgroup. The Chinese-weighted DI showed a higher predictive accuracy, at P = 0.01, compared with the PAR index (r = 0.851 versus r = 0.788). A better performance was found in the Class II group (r = 0.890) when compared to Class I (r = 0.736) and III (r = 0.785) groups. The Chinese-weighted PAR index and DI were capable of predicting 62 per cent and 73 per cent of total variance in the professional judgment of malocclusion severity in Chinese patients. Differential prediction across Angle classifications merits attention since different weighting formulas were found.

  1. Pharmacokinetic Properties of Three Forms of Vaginal Progesterone Administered in Either Single Or Multiple Dose Regimen in Healthy Post-menopausal Chinese Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianzhong Shentu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: A generic vaginal progesterone gel has recently been developed in China. Little is known about its pharmacokinetic properties in Chinese subjects. The purpose of our study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of three forms of vaginal progesterone gel (test formulations at 4 and 8% strength vs. a reference formulation: Crinone 8% in Chinese healthy post-menopausal women.Methods: This study consisted of two parts study. The part 1 study was a single-center, open-label, 3-period study. Twelve healthy post-menopausal women were to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of 45 mg vaginal progesterone gel (Test 4% following single dose and multiple doses administered once every other day (q.o.d. for six times or once daily (q.d. for 6 days. The part 2 study was a randomized, open-label, 3-stage crossover study. Twelve post-menopausal women received 90 mg vaginal progesterone gel (Test 8% or 90 mg Crinone (Reference 8% following single dose and multiple doses (q.o.d. or q.d.. Plasma concentrations of progesterone were measured up to 72 h by using a validated liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry method. The primary pharmacokinetic parameters, maximum plasma concentration (Cmax and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC from time zero to last measurable concentration (AUC0-t and extrapolated to infinity (AUC0-∞ were compared by an analysis of variance using log-transformed data.Results: Totally 24 subjects were enrolled in and completed the study. Following single dose, The geometric mean Cmax values for Test 4%, Test 8%, and Crinone 8% were 6.35, 10.34, 10.45 ng/mL, and their geometric mean AUC0-t (AUC0-∞ were 113.73 (118.00, 169.39 (173.98, and 190.07 (201.13 ng⋅h/mL, respectively. The mean T1/2 values of progesterone were 11.00, 10.92, and 11.40 h, respectively. For 8% test formulation vs. reference, the 90% CIs of the least squares mean test/reference ratios of Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ were 78.32–124

  2. Writing Chinese and mathematics achievement: A study with Chinese-American undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chieh; Nuttall, Ronald

    2001-04-01

    Two recent studies indicated that writing Chinese is correlated to Chinese-American (CA) students' spatial skills. The current study investigated whether writing Chinese would have the same relationship to mathematics skills. The Scholastic Assessment Test—Mathematics (SAT-Math) scores were analysed for 150 CA undergraduates: 42 writers of Chinese and 108 non-writers of Chinese. The results suggested a strong correlation between writing Chinese and success on SAT-Math. An underlying mechanism may be the common cognitive components that encompass writing Chinese, spatial tasks, and SAT-Math. Contrary to previous findings with other populations in the USA, CA females scored slightly higher on SAT-Math than males. The finding supports the cultural relativity theory of gender difference on SAT-Math.

  3. Value system of Chinese youth: the comparative analysis of metropolitan and regional students' priorities

    OpenAIRE

    - Li Wuyi

    2009-01-01

    The results of the survey of students in Guangzhou which ranks third among major cities in China in terms of social, economic and demographic indicators are presented in the article. The aim of the research was not only to reveal Chinese youth priorities in the sphere of education, private life, work, social activity and morality, but also to provide characteristics of value system of the students of the major regional centre versus the corresponding answers of the respondents in Beijing. The...

  4. Laparoendoscopic single site surgery in urology: A single centre experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arvind P Ganpule

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective : To analyze our experience of 87 cases with single port surgery, which is also known as laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS. Materials and Methods: Case records of all LESS procedures performed between December 2007 and June 2010 were analysed. The procedures performed were donor nephrectomy (n=45, simple nephrectomy (n=27, radical nephrectomy (n=5, pyeloplasty (n=9, and ureteroneocystostomy (n=1. Parameters analysed were operating room (OR time, estimated blood loss (EBL, visual analogue score (VAS, and complications in all patients undergoing LESS procedure and additionally, warm ischaemia time (WIT and graft outcome in patients undergoing LESS donor nephrectomy. In reconstructive procedures, the functional assessment was performed with a diuretic renogram at 6 months. Results: In LESS donor nephrectomy, the mean WIT was 6.9 ± 1.9 min. Mean serum creatinine in recipients at 1 month was 0.96 ± 0.21 mg%. We encountered one instance each of renal artery injury, renal vein injury, large bowel injury, minor cortical laceration at the upper pole and two instances of diaphragmatic injury. In LESS simple nephrectomy, the average OR time was 148.7 ± 52.2 min and hospital stay was 3.7 ± 1.2 days. There was one instance of large bowel injury during specimen retrieval. In LESS radical nephrectomy, the average OR time was 202.5 ± 35.7 min and average hospital stay was 4.2 ± 1.3 days. 6 patients of LESS pyeloplasty completed follow up with a diuretic renogram showing a good drainage. LESS ureteroneocystostomy could also be performed successfully without any complications. Conclusion: LESS surgery can be accomplished safely in nephrectomy and reconstructive procedures such as pyeloplasty and ureteroneocystostomy with equivalent outcomes as standard laparoscopy and with added benefits of cosmesis and quicker convalescence. LESS donor nephrectomy is a technically feasible procedure; current status of procedure needs to be proved with

  5. Prescriptions of Chinese Herbal Medicines for Insomnia in Taiwan during 2002

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Fang-Pey; Jong, Maw-Shiou; Chen, Yu-Chun; Kung, Yen-Ying; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chen, Fun-Jou; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2011-01-01

    Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been commonly used for treating insomnia in Asian countries for centuries. The aim of this study was to conduct a large-scale pharmaco-epidemiologic study and evaluate the frequency and patterns of CHM use in treating insomnia. We obtained the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims from the National Health Insurance in Taiwan for the year 2002. Patients with insomnia were identified from the diagnostic code of International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files. Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and an association rule was applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM. Results showed that there were 16 134 subjects who visited TCM clinics for insomnia in Taiwan during 2002 and received a total of 29 801 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 40 and 49 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (25.3%). In addition, female subjects used CHMs for insomnia more frequently than male subjects (female : male = 1.94 : 1). There was an average of 4.8 items prescribed in the form of either an individual Chinese herb or formula in a single CHM prescription for insomnia. Shou-wu-teng (Polygonum multiflorum) was the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herb, while Suan-zao-ren-tang was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula. According to the association rule, the most commonly prescribed CHM drug combination was Suan-zao-ren-tang plus Long-dan-xie-gan-tang, while the most commonly prescribed triple drug combination was Suan-zao-ren-tang, Albizia julibrissin, and P. multiflorum. Nevertheless, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these CHMs for treating insomnia. PMID:19339485

  6. Relative bioavailability of generic and branded acetylcysteine effervescent tablets: A single-dose, open-label, randomized-sequence, two-period crossover study in fasting healthy Chinese male volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan-Mei; Liu, Yun; Lu, Chuan; Jia, Jing-Ying; Liu, Gang-Yi; Weng, Li-Ping; Wang, Jia-Yan; Li, Guo-Xiu; Wang, Wei; Li, Shui-Jun; Yu, Chen

    2010-11-01

    Acetylcysteine may be used as a muco- lytic agent for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other pulmonary diseases complicated by the production of viscous mucus. However, little is known of its pharmacokinetic properties when given orally in healthy volunteers, particularly in a Chinese Han population. This study was conducted to provide support for the marketing of a generic product in China. The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of a generic test formulation and a branded reference formulation of acetylcysteine in fasting healthy Chinese male volunteers. A single-dose, open-label, randomized-sequence, 2-period crossover design with a 7-day washout period between doses was used in this study. Healthy Chinese male nonsmokers aged 18 to 40 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 19 to 25 kg/m(2) were selected. Eligible volunteers were randomly assigned to receive acetylcysteine 600 mg PO as either the test formulation (3 tablets of 200 mg each) or reference formulation (1 tablet of 600 mg) under fasting conditions. A total of 15 serial blood samples were collected over a 24-hour interval, and total plasma acetylcysteine concentrations were analyzed by a validated liquid chromatography-isotopic dilution mass spectrometry method. Pharmacokinetic parameters (C(max), T(max), t(½) AUC(0-t), and AUC(0-∞) were calculated and analyzed statistically. The 2 formulations were considered bioequivalent if the 90% CIs of the log-transformed ratios (test/reference) of C(max) and AUC were within the predetermined bioequivalence ranges (70%-143% for C(max); 80%-125% for AUC), as established by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. Tolerability was determined by vital signs, clinical laboratory tests, 12-lead ECGs, physical examinations, and interviews with the subjects about adverse events (AEs). A total of 24 healthy Chinese Han male volunteers were enrolled in and

  7. (SNP) markers for the Chinese black sleeper, Bostrychus sinensis

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We characterized 11 single nucleotide ploymorphism (SNP) markers for the Chinese black sleeper, Bostrychus sinensis. These markers were isolated from a genomic library and tested in ten geographically distant individuals of B. sinensis. Polymorphisms of these SNP loci were assessed using a wild population including ...

  8. Ancient deuterostome origins of vertebrate brain signalling centres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pani, Ariel M; Mullarkey, Erin E; Aronowicz, Jochanan; Assimacopoulos, Stavroula; Grove, Elizabeth A; Lowe, Christopher J

    2012-03-14

    Neuroectodermal signalling centres induce and pattern many novel vertebrate brain structures but are absent, or divergent, in invertebrate chordates. This has led to the idea that signalling-centre genetic programs were first assembled in stem vertebrates and potentially drove morphological innovations of the brain. However, this scenario presumes that extant cephalochordates accurately represent ancestral chordate characters, which has not been tested using close chordate outgroups. Here we report that genetic programs homologous to three vertebrate signalling centres-the anterior neural ridge, zona limitans intrathalamica and isthmic organizer-are present in the hemichordate Saccoglossus kowalevskii. Fgf8/17/18 (a single gene homologous to vertebrate Fgf8, Fgf17 and Fgf18), sfrp1/5, hh and wnt1 are expressed in vertebrate-like arrangements in hemichordate ectoderm, and homologous genetic mechanisms regulate ectodermal patterning in both animals. We propose that these genetic programs were components of an unexpectedly complex, ancient genetic regulatory scaffold for deuterostome body patterning that degenerated in amphioxus and ascidians, but was retained to pattern divergent structures in hemichordates and vertebrates. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

  9. Decreased production of higher alcohols by Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Chinese rice wine fermentation by deletion of Bat aminotransferases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cui-Ying; Qi, Ya-Nan; Ma, Hong-Xia; Li, Wei; Dai, Long-Hai; Xiao, Dong-Guang

    2015-04-01

    An appropriate level of higher alcohols produced by yeast during the fermentation is one of the most important factors influencing Chinese rice wine quality. In this study, BAT1 and BAT2 single- and double-gene-deletion mutant strains were constructed from an industrial yeast strain RY1 to decrease higher alcohols during Chinese rice wine fermentation. The results showed that the BAT2 single-gene-deletion mutant strain produced best improvement in the production of higher alcohols while remaining showed normal growth and fermentation characteristics. Furthermore, a BAT2 single-gene-deletion diploid engineered strain RY1-Δbat2 was constructed and produced low levels of isobutanol and isoamylol (isoamyl alcohol and active amyl alcohol) in simulated fermentation of Chinese rice wine, 92.40 and 303.31 mg/L, respectively, which were 33.00 and 14.20 % lower than those of the parental strain RY1. The differences in fermentation performance between RY1-Δbat2 and RY1 were minor. Therefore, construction of this yeast strain is important in future development in Chinese wine industry and provides insights on generating yeast strains for other fermented alcoholic beverages.

  10. Manche centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-05-01

    After a general presentation of radioactivity and radioactive wastes and of the French national agency for the management of radioactive wastes (ANDRA), this brochure gives a general overview of the Manche low- and medium-level radioactive waste disposal centre: principles of storage safety, waste containers (first confinement barrier), storage facility and cover (second confinement barrier), the underground (third confinement barrier), the impact of the centre on its environment, and the control of radioactivity in the vicinity of the centre. (J.S.)

  11. [Development and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline and Chinese herbal pieces industry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Yong-Qing; Li, Li; Liu, Ying; Ma, Yin-Lian; Yu, Ding-Rong

    2016-01-01

    To elucidate the key issues in the development and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline and Chinese herbal pieces industry Chinese herbal pieces industry. According to the author's accumulated experience over years and demand of the development of the Chinese herbal pieces industry, the key issues in the development and innovation on the Chinese herbal pieces industry were summarized. According to the author, the traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline shall focus on a application basis research. The development of this discipline should be closely related to the development of Chinese herbal pieces. The traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline can be improved and its results can be transformed only if this discipline were correlated with the Chinese herbal pieces industry, matched with the development of the Chinese herbal pieces industry, and solved the problems in the development on the Chinese herbal pieces industry. The development of traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline and the Chinese herbal pieces industry also requires scientific researchers to make constant innovations, realize the specialty of the researches, and innovate based on inheritance. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  12. [New idea of traditional Chinese medicine quality control based on "composition structure" theory].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dan; Jia, Xiaobin; Yu, Danhong

    2012-03-01

    On the road of the modern Chinese medicine developing internationally, there is a key issues that setting up a reasonable, accurate and be quantified quality evaluation system which is comply with the basic theory of Chinese medicine. Based on the overall understanding of the role of traditional Chinese medicine components, author suggested that the idea of "structural components" theory should be embedded into the system and thought the Chinese medicine play a multi-target, multi-channel pharmacodynamic effects founded on the specific microcosmic structural relationship between the components and the components within the group. At present, the way of Chinese pharmacopoeia checking the quality of Chinese medicine is mainly depends on controlling the single or multiple targets of ingredients. In fact, this way is out of the overall effectiveness of the Chinese medicine, so we can not thoroughly controlling the quality of Chinese medicine from the essence of the Chinese medicine. Secondly, it's only macro-structural quantity that the Chinese pharmacopoeia just controlling the less effective ingredients, this is not enough to reflect the internal microstructure of the integrity and systematic. In other words, this cannot reflect the structural components of the Chinese medicine (the essence of traditional Chinese medicine). In view of above mentioned reasons, the author propose the new idea on the quality control in the medicine that quantify the ratio structural relationship in component and the ingredients of the components, set the optimal controlling proportion between the components and ingredients. At the same time, author thought we should conduct the depth study in the micro-quantified the multi-component and multi-ingredient, in the process of studying the material basis of Chinese medicine. Therefore, it could establish a more rational basis for the Chinese medicine quality controlling system.

  13. Templates of "Chineseness" and Trajectories of Cambodian Chinese Entrepreneurship in Phnom Penh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michiel Verver

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available In the 1960s, William Willmott described Cambodia as a plural society in which different ethnic groups occupy different places in the economic structure. The Chinese made up the economic class, active in trade and commerce, and formed a definable ethnic community, both socioculturally and politically. Since Willmott’s seminal studies, Cambodia’s ethnic Chinese have endured the destruction and repression of both private enterprise and Chinese sociocultural life (1970–1990, followed by a revitalization of Chinese business. Through ethnographic case studies, this paper explores the relationship between “Chineseness” and business life in trajectories of Cambodian Chinese entrepreneurship in Phnom Penh. How do entrepreneurs deploy notions of Chinese business? The author argues that Chinese family businesses, trust-based networks, patronage arrangements, and cultural representations have indeed been greatly revitalized over the last few decades, but that they also remain challenged in certain contexts. Moreover, such revitalization has taken a fundamentally different form from Willmott’s description. Practices of Chinese business can no longer be ascribed to an ethnic Chinese “community” in Phnom Penh. Rather, as the latter has become increasingly multiform, Chinese business has developed into a template at the deployment (or neglect of a broader category of Cambodian Chinese entrepreneurs.

  14. The effect of different unstable footwear constructions on centre of pressure motion during standing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plom, W; Strike, S C; Taylor, M J D

    2014-06-01

    The aim of this study was to test the effect different unstable footwear constructions have on centre of pressure motion when standing. Sixteen young female volunteers were tested in five conditions, three unstable footwear (Reebok Easy-Tone, FitFlop and Skechers Shape-Ups), a standard shoe and barefoot in a randomised order. Double and single leg balance on a force plate was assessed via centre of pressure excursions and displacements in each condition. For double leg and single leg standing centre of pressure excursions in the anterior-posterior direction were significantly increased wearing Skechers Shape-Ups compared to barefoot and the standard shoe. For the Reebok Easy Tone during single leg standing excursions in the anterior-posterior direction were significantly greater compared to the barefoot condition. Cumulative displacement of the centre of pressure in medial-lateral direction increased significantly during single leg standing when wearing Skechers Shape-Ups compared to barefoot and standard shoe as well as for Reebok Easy Tone vs. barefoot. It would appear from these quiet standing results that the manner of the construction of instability shoes effects the CoP movement which is associated with induced instability. Greater CoP excursion occurred in the A-P direction while the cumulative displacements were greater in the M-L direction for those shoes with the rounded sole and soft foam and those with airpods. The shoe construction with altered density foam did not induce any change in the CoP movement, during quite standing, which tends to suggest that it is not effective at inducing balance. Not all instability shoes are effective in altering the overall instability of the wearer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Statistical determination of rainfall-runoff erosivity indices for single storms in the Chinese Loess Plateau.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingguo Zheng

    Full Text Available Correlation analysis is popular in erosion- or earth-related studies, however, few studies compare correlations on a basis of statistical testing, which should be conducted to determine the statistical significance of the observed sample difference. This study aims to statistically determine the erosivity index of single storms, which requires comparison of a large number of dependent correlations between rainfall-runoff factors and soil loss, in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Data observed at four gauging stations and five runoff experimental plots were presented. Based on the Meng's tests, which is widely used for comparing correlations between a dependent variable and a set of independent variables, two methods were proposed. The first method removes factors that are poorly correlated with soil loss from consideration in a stepwise way, while the second method performs pairwise comparisons that are adjusted using the Bonferroni correction. Among 12 rainfall factors, I30 (the maximum 30-minute rainfall intensity has been suggested for use as the rainfall erosivity index, although I30 is equally correlated with soil loss as factors of I20, EI10 (the product of the rainfall kinetic energy, E, and I10, EI20 and EI30 are. Runoff depth (total runoff volume normalized to drainage area is more correlated with soil loss than all other examined rainfall-runoff factors, including I30, peak discharge and many combined factors. Moreover, sediment concentrations of major sediment-producing events are independent of all examined rainfall-runoff factors. As a result, introducing additional factors adds little to the prediction accuracy of the single factor of runoff depth. Hence, runoff depth should be the best erosivity index at scales from plots to watersheds. Our findings can facilitate predictions of soil erosion in the Loess Plateau. Our methods provide a valuable tool while determining the predictor among a number of variables in terms of correlations.

  16. Statistical Determination of Rainfall-Runoff Erosivity Indices for Single Storms in the Chinese Loess Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Mingguo; Chen, Xiaoan

    2015-01-01

    Correlation analysis is popular in erosion- or earth-related studies, however, few studies compare correlations on a basis of statistical testing, which should be conducted to determine the statistical significance of the observed sample difference. This study aims to statistically determine the erosivity index of single storms, which requires comparison of a large number of dependent correlations between rainfall-runoff factors and soil loss, in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Data observed at four gauging stations and five runoff experimental plots were presented. Based on the Meng’s tests, which is widely used for comparing correlations between a dependent variable and a set of independent variables, two methods were proposed. The first method removes factors that are poorly correlated with soil loss from consideration in a stepwise way, while the second method performs pairwise comparisons that are adjusted using the Bonferroni correction. Among 12 rainfall factors, I 30 (the maximum 30-minute rainfall intensity) has been suggested for use as the rainfall erosivity index, although I 30 is equally correlated with soil loss as factors of I 20, EI 10 (the product of the rainfall kinetic energy, E, and I 10), EI 20 and EI 30 are. Runoff depth (total runoff volume normalized to drainage area) is more correlated with soil loss than all other examined rainfall-runoff factors, including I 30, peak discharge and many combined factors. Moreover, sediment concentrations of major sediment-producing events are independent of all examined rainfall-runoff factors. As a result, introducing additional factors adds little to the prediction accuracy of the single factor of runoff depth. Hence, runoff depth should be the best erosivity index at scales from plots to watersheds. Our findings can facilitate predictions of soil erosion in the Loess Plateau. Our methods provide a valuable tool while determining the predictor among a number of variables in terms of correlations. PMID

  17. The ideal Atomic Centre; Le Centre Atomique ideal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mas, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1965-07-01

    The author presents considerations which should prove to be of interest to all those who have to design, to construct and to operate a nuclear research centre. A large number of the ideas presented can also be applied to non-nuclear scientific research centres. In his report the author reviews: various problems with which the constructor is faced: ground-plan, infrastructure, buildings and the large units of scientific equipment in the centre, and those problems facing the director: maintenance, production, supplies, security. The author stresses the relationship which ought to exist between the research workers and the management. With this aim in view he proposes the creation of National School for Administration in Research which would train administrative executives for public or private organisations; they would be specialised in the fields of fundamental or applied research. (author) [French] L'auteur propose une base de reflexions a tous ceux qui doivent concevoir, realiser et faire vivre un Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires. Un grand nombre des idees exprimees peut d'ailleurs s'appliquer a un Centre d'Etudes Scientifiques non nucleaires. Dans son ouvrage, l'auteur passe en revue les differents problemes qui se posent au constructeur: plan, masse, infrastructure, batiments et grands appareils du Centre, et ceux qu'a a resoudre le directeur: entretien, fabrication, approvisionnements, securite. L'auteur insiste sur l'aspect des rapports qui doivent exister entre les chercheurs et ceux qui les administrent. Il propose a cette fin la creation d'une Ecole Nationale d'Administration de la Recherche qui formerait des cadres administratifs pour les organismes publics ou prives, specialises dans la Recherche fondamentale ou appliquee. (auteur)

  18. Risk Evaluation of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography-Related Contrast Media Allergic-Like Reaction: A Single Centre Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Félix Trottier-Tellier

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims. Few cases of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography- (ERCP- related contrast media (CM adverse reactions have been reported in the current literature. There is a lack of standardisation in practice regarding premedication prophylaxis for at-risk patients undergoing ERCP and there are few data to guide the practitioners. Our goal is to evaluate the risk of CM adverse reaction in a group of patients with a past history of allergic-like reaction to iodine product undergoing ERCP. Methods. A retrospective chart review study was performed of patients who underwent ERCP at our single centre from January 2010 to December 2015. Results. 2295 ERCPs were performed among 1766 patients. No anaphylactoid or severe adverse reaction occurred. One (0.04% ERCP-related CM benign reaction was reported in a patient known for penicillin allergy. Among 127 ERCPs performed on patients with a prior adverse reaction to iodine, 121 procedures were done without and 6 with a premedication prophylaxis. In both groups, no ERCP-related CM reaction occurred. Conclusions. To our knowledge, we report the largest cohort of iodine allergic patients undergoing ERCP ever published. These results suggest that ERCP-related CM adverse reactions are very rare even among patients at risk for CM reaction.

  19. Family quality of life of Chinese families of children with intellectual disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, X; Wang, M; Fei, X

    2012-01-01

    The concepts of quality of life and family quality of life (FQOL) are increasingly being studied in the field of intellectual disabilities (ID) in China as important frameworks for: (1) assessing families' need for supports and services; (2) guiding organisational and service delivery system changes; and (3) evaluating quality family outcomes. The present study focused on exploring the perceptions of Chinese families who have a child with an ID regarding FQOL as well as examining the factor structure of FQOL concept from Chinese families. The Chinese version of the Family Quality of Life Scale was used to survey Chinese families living in the urban and suburban areas of Beijing who have a child with ID. A total of 442 families participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the factor structure of FQOL. Multivariate analysis was also used to examine group differences among families in terms of family demographic variables. A five-factor structure of the FQOL construct was found in the Chinese sample, suggesting a similar factor structure found from US families in the literature. Different living conditions (e.g. housing and transportation) tended to affect significantly families' satisfaction ratings of their FQOL. It is also found that family income and severity of disability of the child are predictors of families' satisfaction ratings of FQOL. The preliminary findings of this study suggest a cross-cultural factor structure comparability of FQOL between samples in the USA and China. Results call for further examination of the family-centred service and support as a mediator on the interactive relationship between family characteristics, family needs and FQOL outcomes. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  20. [Single nucleotide polymorphisms of HIV coreceptor CCR5 gene in Chinese Yi ethnic group and its association with HIV infection].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Li-ying; Hong, Kun-xue; Lu, Xiao-zhi; Qin, Guang-ming; Chen, Jian-ping; Chen, Kang-lin; Ruan, Yu-hua; Xing, Hui; Zhu, Jia-hong; Shao, Yi-ming

    2005-11-30

    To investigate the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of HIV-1 coreceptor CCR5 gene in Chinese Yi ethnic group and the association between these SNPs and HIV/AIDS. Peripheral blood samples of 102 HIV negative persons of Chinese Yi nationality, 87 males amd 15 females, aged 23 (12-37), and 68 HIV carriers, 61 males and 7 females, aged 27 (17-51). The regulatory and structural regions of the HIV coreceptor CCR5 gene were amplified from the genomic DNA by nested PCR, each of the two regions was divided into three gene fragments which were overlapped. High throughput DHPLC was used for screening of unknown mutations in each gene fragment. The PCR products showing different peak traces from wild types in DHPLC were sequenced by forward and reverse primers respectively. The sequences were analyzed with the help of Sequence Navigator software to search for SNP loci. Statistical analysis by SPSS and PPAP softwares were made to study the association between these SNPs and HIV infection. Five SNPs (A77G, G316A, T532C, C921T, and G668A) and a AGA deletion of the 686-688 nucleotides were discovered in the coding region of this gene in Chinese Yi ethnic group. C921T mutation was a nonsense mutation, and the other SNPs (A77G, G316A, T532C, and G668A) are sense mutation, with the amino acid changes of K26R, G106R, C178R, and R223Q. Only the frequency of R223Q allelic gene was high (0.08) but those of the others were low (less than 0.01). There was no significant difference in the allele frequency between the HIV negative and HIV positive groups (all P > 0.05). Five SNP loci (T58934G, G59029A, T59353C, G59402A, and C59653T) were found in the regulatory region of CCR5 gene with high allelic frequencies of 0.1912-0.2941. Between the HIV negative and HIV positive groups, there were no differences in the SNP loc (all P > 0.05). Statistical analysis of the association between the linkage of mutation loci with HIV infection suggested a significant difference in the haplotype frequency

  1. Paediatric percutaneous nephrolithotomy: single-centre 10-year experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhageria, Anand; Nayak, Brusabhanu; Seth, Amlesh; Dogra, Prem Nath; Kumar, Rajeev

    2013-08-01

    Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a standard management option for complex and large renal calculi. In children, there is some concern over potential perioperative complications. We reviewed our 10 years of experience of PCNL in children and present our data. Data for paediatric patients who underwent PCNL at our centre in the last decade were retrieved. PCNL was performed in standard prone position under fluoroscopic guidance. Patient characteristics, outcomes and complications were reviewed. Complications were graded according to the modified Clavien system. A comparison was also made between supracostal and infracostal accesses. 95 children underwent PCNL in our institute in the last decade. 7 patients had bilateral PCNL. The most common presentation was flank pain (85%). 83% patients were stone-free after first PCNL and overall 94% were stone free after second-look PCNL and auxillary procedures. 6 cases had clinically insignificant residual fragments. Supracostal puncture was performed in 32 cases. Complications were higher in the supracostal puncture group (16 (50%)) and included fever in 11, sepsis in 2 and hydrothorax in 3 patients. There were 7 (10%) complications in the infracostal group: fever in 5 and perinephric collection in 2 patients. 16 patients had grade 1, 9 had grade 2 and another 2 cases developed grade 3 complications. PCNL is a safe and effective procedure in children. It enables excellent stone clearance with minimal number of interventions. Copyright © 2013 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects and Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Ameliorating Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR injury is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease, which accounts for approximately 450,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. Chinese herbal medicine, especially combined herbal formulations, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of myocardial infarction for hundreds of years. While the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine is well documented, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we highlight recent studies which are focused on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms using extracted compounds, single herbs, or herbal formulations in experimental settings. These studies represent recent efforts to bridge the gap between the enigma of ancient Chinese herbal medicine and the concepts of modern cell and molecular biology in the treatment of myocardial infarction.

  3. Prescriptions of Chinese Herbal Medicines for Insomnia in Taiwan during 2002

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Pey Chen

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Chinese herbal medicine (CHM has been commonly used for treating insomnia in Asian countries for centuries. The aim of this study was to conduct a large-scale pharmaco-epidemiologic study and evaluate the frequency and patterns of CHM use in treating insomnia. We obtained the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM outpatient claims from the National Health Insurance in Taiwan for the year 2002. Patients with insomnia were identified from the diagnostic code of International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files. Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and an association rule was applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM. Results showed that there were 16 134 subjects who visited TCM clinics for insomnia in Taiwan during 2002 and received a total of 29 801 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 40 and 49 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (25.3%. In addition, female subjects used CHMs for insomnia more frequently than male subjects (female : male = 1.94 : 1. There was an average of 4.8 items prescribed in the form of either an individual Chinese herb or formula in a single CHM prescription for insomnia. Shou-wu-teng (Polygonum multiflorum was the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herb, while Suan-zao-ren-tang was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula. According to the association rule, the most commonly prescribed CHM drug combination was Suan-zao-ren-tang plus Long-dan-xie-gan-tang, while the most commonly prescribed triple drug combination was Suan-zao-ren-tang, Albizia julibrissin, and P. multiflorum. Nevertheless, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these CHMs for treating insomnia.

  4. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay for population ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay for population stratification test ... phenotypes and unlinked candidate loci in case-control and cohort studies of ... Key words: Chinese, Japanese, population stratification, ancestry informative ...

  5. The Development of Chinese Education in Malaysia, 1952-1975: Political Collaboration between the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Chinese Educationists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Yao Sua; Teoh, Hooi See

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the development of Chinese education in Malaysia from 1952 to 1975, focusing on the political collaboration between the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Chinese educationists to advance the cause of Chinese education instead of the usual macro policy analysis. This collaboration was compounded by the different stand…

  6. The effects of Chinese calligraphy handwriting and relaxation training in Chinese Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma patients: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xue-Ling; Li, Huan-Huan; Hong, Ming-Huang; Kao, Henry S R

    2010-05-01

    Chinese calligraphy handwriting is the practice of traditional Chinese brush writing, researches found calligraphy had therapeutic effects on certain diseases, some authors argued that calligraphy might have relaxation effect. This study was to compare the effects of calligraphy handwriting with those of progressive muscle relaxation and imagery training in Chinese Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma patients. This study was a randomized controlled trial. Two hundred and eighty-seven Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma patients were approached, ninety (31%) patients were recruited and randomized to one of the three treatment groups: progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery training group, Calligraphy handwriting group, or a Control group. Seventy-nine (87.8%) completed all of the outcome measures. The primary treatment outcome was the changes of physiological arousal parameters measured by pre- and post-treatment differences of heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate. The secondary outcomes included: modified Chinese version of Symptom Distress Scale, Profile of Mood State-Short Form, and Karnofsky Performance Status measured at baseline, during treatment (after the 2-week intervention), post-treatment (after the 4-week intervention) and after a 2-week follow-up. Effectiveness was tested by repeated measure ANOVA analyses. Cancer centre of a major university hospital in Guangdong, China. Results showed that both of calligraphy and relaxation training demonstrated slow-down effects on physiological arousal parameters. Moreover, calligraphy practice gradually lowered participants' systolic blood pressure (simple main effect of time at pre-treatment measure, p=.007) and respiration rate (p=.000) at pre- and post-treatment measures as the intervention proceeded, though with a smaller effect size as compared to relaxation. Both of calligraphy and relaxation training had certain symptom relief and mood improvement effects in NPC patients. Relaxation was effective in relieving

  7. Translation Strategy of Chinese Culture-loaded Lexes and the Dissemina-tion of Chinese Culture

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WU Li-li

    2016-01-01

    Lexes are the most important and basic element of a language. Chinese culture-loaded lexes are those words or expres-sions that are greatly rich in Chinese culture. They can reflect the characteristics of Chinese culture and Chinese nation. There-fore, it is of great significance to pay attention to the translation of Chinese culture-loaded lexes as they play a decisive role in disseminating Chinese culture. It can help promote Chinese culture worldwide, improve China’s cultural exchanges and commu-nication with other nations and strengthen China’s status in the world. This paper focuses on the Chinese culture-loaded words and proposes some possible means of translation with the purpose of spreading Chinese culture.

  8. Clinical characteristics of pigment dispersion syndrome in Chinese patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qing, G; Wang, N; Tang, X; Zhang, S; Chen, H

    2009-08-01

    To report clinical findings and characteristics of pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) in Chinese patients. PDS suspects with any one of the following signs: corneal endothelial pigmentation, iris transillumination defects (ITDs), pigment granule dusting on anterior iris surface, posterior iris bowing, trabecular meshwork (TM) pigmentation, and lenticular or zonular pigmentation were evaluated for PDS at the glaucoma specialty clinic at Beijing Tongren Eye Centre. Diagnosis of PDS required at least two of the following signs: Krukenberg spindle, moderate-to-heavy TM pigmentation (>or=Scheie II) and any degree of lenticular and/or zonular pigmentation. Eighteen patients (12 males and six females) were identified as having PDS during a 1-year period, with mean age of 35.5+/-7.0 years (range, 22-49). All but two eyes from two patients had myopia of -0.5 D or greater, with mean spherical equivalent power of -5.20+/-5.80 D (range, -24.75+/-0.5). The average IOP at initial diagnosis was 33.7+/-10.5 mm Hg (range, 16-56). Fifteen patients (83.3%) were found to have pigmentary glaucoma at their initial diagnosis. All patients showed homogenous increased TM pigmentation as well as lenticular and/or zonular pigmentation. 61.1% of patients (11 of 18) had Krukenberg spindle. None of the patients exhibited spoke-like midperipheral ITDs except for trace-isolated transillumination in both eyes of the two patients. The most common clinical findings in Chinese PDS patients include homogeneous TM pigmentation and pigment granule dusting on lens zonules and/or posterior peripheral lens surface. ITDs are uncommon in Chinese patients with PDS.

  9. Qualitative research on infertile Chinese couples' understanding of sexuality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuoran, Wang; Wanpeng, Liu; Tao, Peng; Coates, Rosemary

    2018-01-16

    Family physicians play an important role in the initial counselling and evaluation of infertility. Despite infertility regarded as a stressor and a life crisis for individuals or couples, little is known about the psychosexual aspects of infertility. On the basis that sexuality is a crucial part of quality of life, it is worthwhile to give more attention to sexuality of infertile couples during their time of experiencing infertility. This study aimed to gain insight into the dynamic features of the sexuality of infertile couples and to provide meaningful evidence for improving their quality of life. We employed a qualitative approach to conduct this study. Utilizing purposive sampling method, 56 participants (28 infertile Chinese couples) were recruited from the reproductive medicine centre of a general hospital, and in-depth interviews were conducted with each participant. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. Four themes emerged from the respondents' narratives; these themes relate to the infertile couples' understanding of sexuality: (i) gender identity, (ii) communication about sex, (iii) sexual life and (iv) sexual satisfaction. It was further found that Chinese culture's values of fertility, perceptions about sexuality and sex, social norms regarding gender, and expectations about marital sexual life can have significant effects on infertile Chinese couples' sexuality. These findings should be highly considered by family physicians in their practice to provide infertile couples with information related to sexual well-being, coping styles, relationship, etc. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Canadian Irradiation Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-05-01

    The Canadian Irradiation Centre is a non-profit cooperative project between Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Radiochemical Company and Universite du Quebec, Institut Armand-Frappier, Centre for Applied Research in Food Science. The Centre's objectives are to develop, demonstrate and promote Canada's radiation processing technology and its applications by conducting applied research; training technical, professional and scientific personnel; educating industry and government; demonstrating operational and scientific procedures; developing processing procedures and standards, and performing product and market acceptance trials. This pamphlet outlines the history of radoation technology and the services offered by the Canadian Irradiation Centre

  11. Comparative bioavailability and tolerability of a single 20-mg dose of two fluoxetine hydrochloride dispersible tablet formulations in fasting, healthy Chinese male volunteers: an open-label, randomized-sequence, two-period crossover study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Shaojun; Liu, Yani; Wu, Jianhong; Li, Zhongfang; Zhao, Yan; Zhong, Dafang; Zeng, Fandian

    2010-10-01

    The proprietary formulation of fluoxetine hydrochloride is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. Pharmacokinetic studies investigating the bioequivalence of generic and branded formulations are needed to market generic fluoxetine in China. The aim of this study was to compare the bioavailability and tolerability of the proposed generic formulation with the established reference formulation of fluoxetine hydrochloride 20 mg in a fasting, healthy Chinese male population. This 10-week, open-label, randomized-sequence, single-dose, 2-period crossover study was conducted in healthy native Han Chinese male volunteers. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive a single 20-mg dose of the test or reference formulation, followed by a 35-day washout period and administration of the alternate formulation. Doses were administered after a 12-hour overnight fast. For analysis of pharmacokinetic properties (including C(max), T(max), AUC(0-t), AUC(0-∞), and t(½)), blood samples were obtained over a 672-hour period after dosing. Plasma concentrations of fluoxetine and its active metabolite, norfluoxetine, were analyzed using a validated LC-MS/MS method. The formulations were to be considered bioequivalent if the ln-transformed ratios (test/ reference) of C(max) and AUC were within the predetermined bioequivalence range of 80% to 125%, as established by the US Food and Drug Administration, and if the P values were fasting, healthy Chinese male volunteers. Both formulations appeared to be well tolerated. Copyright © 2010 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Chinese restaurant syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinese restaurant syndrome is a set of symptoms that some people have after eating Chinese food. A food additive ... Chinese restaurant syndrome is most often diagnosed based on the symptoms. The health care provider may ask the following ...

  13. CMS Centre at CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    A new "CMS Centre" is being established on the CERN Meyrin site by the CMS collaboration. It will be a focal point for communications, where physicists will work together on data quality monitoring, detector calibration, offline analysis of physics events, and CMS computing operations. Construction of the CMS Centre begins in the historic Proton Synchrotron (PS) control room. The historic Proton Synchrotron (PS) control room, Opened by Niels Bohr in 1960, will be reused by CMS to built its control centre. TThe LHC@FNAL Centre, in operation at Fermilab in the US, will work very closely with the CMS Centre, as well as the CERN Control Centre. (Photo Fermilab)The historic Proton Synchrotron (PS) control room is about to start a new life. Opened by Niels Bohr in 1960, the room will be reused by CMS to built its control centre. When finished, it will resemble the CERN Contro...

  14. CHINESE INDONESIANS: CHINESE MUSLIMS AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE BUSINESS REPUBLIC JAKARTA: REPUBLIKA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teguh Setiawan

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This book written by Teguh Setiawan and published by Republika is very interesting to read because from it the reader will get a lot of information about the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia, among them: the greatness of the Chinese Muslim leaders and bad luck of Chinese Muslim community during the Dutch colonial period and the heyday of the Muslim ethnic Chinese in Indonesia, and portrait of the Chinese Muslims from the past. In addition, readers will be interested in doing research on other ethnic Chinese, perhaps even you would like to know the ethnic Chinese in the rural areas recounted in the book.

  15. Predominant yeasts in Chinese traditional sourdough and their influence on aroma formation in Chinese steamed bread.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Tongjie; Li, Yang; Sadiq, Faizan A; Yang, Huanyi; Gu, Jingsi; Yuan, Lei; Lee, Yuan Kun; He, Guoqing

    2018-03-01

    A total of 105 yeast isolates was obtained from 15 sourdough samples collected from different regions in China and subjected to random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Six species were identified including Pichia membranifaciens, which has not previously been reported in Chinese sourdoughs. Different species of yeast were used in single-culture fermentation to make Chinese steamed bread (CSB). The volatiles of the CSB were captured by solid-phase microextraction method, separated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In total, 41 volatile compounds were found in all the steamed breads. All CSBs showed a similar volatile profile; however, significant differences in the quantity of some volatile compounds were seen among the CSB fermented by different yeast species. A partial least squares discriminant analysis showed that the CSBs could be separated by their characteristic volatile profiles. The study suggested that the aromatic properties of CSB are determined by the yeast used. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Human-centred Governance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bason, Christian

    2017-01-01

    Design approaches are now being applied all over the world as a powerful approach to innovating public policies and services. Christian Bason, author of Leading public design: Discovering human-centred governance, argues that by bringing design methods into play, public managers can lead change...... with citizens at the centre, and discover a new model for steering public organisations: human-centred governance....

  17. The French centralized low level radwaste treatment centre named CENTRACO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, C.; Sixou, Y.

    1996-01-01

    Socodei, a subsidiary company of EdF and Cogema is commissioned to design, finance, build and operate two low level radwaste treatment facilities: a contaminated scrap metal melting unit, and a solid and liquid waste incinerator. These units frame a low level radwaste treatment centre named Centraco, located near Marcoule in the south of France, and will receive in 1998 waste coming from dismantling, maintenance and operating works of French and foreign nuclear sites. The decision to create this centre is due to the low density and large variety of low level radwaste which take a volume out of proportion with their activity, specially in the surface storage centre. Up to now, all low level radwaste were sent and stored with no treatment optimization in surface storage centres. Socodei proposes in one single site, to optimize low level radwaste management and reduce the volume of ultimate waste to be stored: in a ratio of one to ten by casting ingots coming from melting contaminated scrap metals; in a ratio of one to twenty by encapsulating earth ashes and ashes resulting from incineration of solid and liquid waste. This is a centralized treatment centre and that's why Centraco is a new waste management system. Getting together all means in one place reduces costs, avoids mismanagement and risk increase, and allows consistency in safety, environmental impact, transport and personnel radioprotection. (author)

  18. Chinese Translation Errors in English/Chinese Bilingual Children's Picture Books

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Qiaoya; Chen, Xiaoning

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to review the Chinese translation errors in 31 English/Chinese bilingual children's picture books. While bilingual children's books make definite contributions to language acquisition, few studies have examined the quality of these books, and even fewer have specifically focused on English/Chinese bilingual books.…

  19. Corpora and Collocations in Chinese-English Dictionaries for Chinese Users

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Lixin

    2015-01-01

    The paper identifies the major problems of the Chinese-English dictionary in representing collocational information after an extensive survey of nine dictionaries popular among Chinese users. It is found that the Chinese-English dictionary only provides the collocation types of "v+n" and "v+n," but completely ignores those of…

  20. The Chinese Lexicon Project: A megastudy of lexical decision performance for 25,000+ traditional Chinese two-character compound words.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tse, Chi-Shing; Yap, Melvin J; Chan, Yuen-Lai; Sze, Wei Ping; Shaoul, Cyrus; Lin, Dan

    2017-08-01

    Using a megastudy approach, we developed a database of lexical variables and lexical decision reaction times and accuracy rates for more than 25,000 traditional Chinese two-character compound words. Each word was responded to by about 33 native Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong. This resource provides a valuable adjunct to influential mega-databases, such as the Chinese single-character, English, French, and Dutch Lexicon Projects. Three analyses were conducted to illustrate the potential uses of the database. First, we compared the proportion of variance in lexical decision performance accounted for by six word frequency measures and established that the best predictor was Cai and Brysbaert's (PLoS One, 5, e10729, 2010) contextual diversity subtitle frequency. Second, we ran virtual replications of three previously published lexical decision experiments and found convergence between the original experiments and the present megastudy. Finally, we conducted item-level regression analyses to examine the effects of theoretically important lexical variables in our normative data. This is the first publicly available large-scale repository of behavioral responses pertaining to Chinese two-character compound word processing, which should be of substantial interest to psychologists, linguists, and other researchers.

  1. A Comparative Study of Malay-Operated and Chinese-Operated Childcare Centres in the State of Melaka, Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tee, Ong Puay

    2005-01-01

    Demand for childcare services in Malaysia is increasing. With the changing demographic landscape and increasing knowledge of the importance of early childhood education, provision of alternative childcare services has never been more significant. Children younger than four years of age are placed in registered childcare centres while their parents…

  2. Look before You Leap: Underestimating Chinese Student History, Chinese University Setting and Chinese University Steering in Sino-British HE Joint Ventures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dow, Ewan G.

    2010-01-01

    This article makes the case--in three parts--that many Anglo-Chinese university collaborations (joint ventures) to date have seriously underestimated Chinese (student) history, the Chinese university setting and Chinese national governmental steering as part of the process of "glocalisation". Recent turbulence in this particular HE…

  3. Genome-wide Association Studies for Female Fertility Traits in Chinese and Nordic Holsteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Aoxing; Wang, Yachun; Sahana, Goutam; Zhang, Qin; Liu, Lin; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Su, Guosheng

    2017-08-16

    Reduced female fertility could cause considerable economic loss and has become a worldwide problem in the modern dairy industry. The objective of this study was to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for female fertility traits in Chinese and Nordic Holsteins using various strategies. First, single-trait association analyses were performed for female fertility traits in Chinese and Nordic Holsteins. Second, the SNPs with P-value Nordic Holsteins. Third, the summary statistics from single-trait association analyses were combined into meta-analyses to: (1) identify common QTL for multiple fertility traits within each Holstein population; (2) detect SNPs which were associated with a female fertility trait across two Holstein populations. A large numbers of QTL were discovered or confirmed for female fertility traits. The QTL segregating at 31.4~34.1 Mb on BTA13, 48.3~51.9 Mb on BTA23 and 34.0~37.6 Mb on BTA28 shared between Chinese and Nordic Holsteins were further ascertained using a validation approach and meta-analyses. Furthermore, multiple novel variants identified in Chinese Holsteins were validated with Nordic data as well as meta-analyses. The genes IL6R, SLC39A12, CACNB2, ZEB1, ZMIZ1 and FAM213A were concluded to be strong candidate genes for female fertility in Holsteins.

  4. Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of 32 Chemical Ingredients of a Chinese Patented Drug Sanhuang Tablet

    OpenAIRE

    Hau-Yee Fung; Yan Lang; Hing-Man Ho; Tin-Long Wong; Dik-Lung Ma; Chung-Hang Leung; Quan-Bin Han

    2017-01-01

    Sanhuang Tablet (SHT) is a Chinese patented drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. It contains a special medicinal composition including the single compound berberine hydrochloride, extracts of Scutellariae Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as well as the powder of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Despite advances in analytical techniques, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patented drug like SHT remains a challenge due to the ...

  5. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IRF6 and TFAP2A in non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) in a northern Chinese population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi, Jinna; Song, Tao; Jiao, Xiaohui; Qin, Chunlin; Zhou, Jin

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → IRF6 rs642961 polymorphism is intensively associated with NSCLP. → IRF6 rs2235371 polymorphism is not associated with NSCLP in the northern Chinese population. → This investigation failed to yield any evidence for the involvement of TFAP2A polymorphisms in NSCLP in the northern Chinese population. -- Abstract: Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) is a common birth defect that is presumably caused by genetic factors alone or gene alterations in combination with environmental changes. A number of studies have shown an association between NSCLP and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene in several populations. The transcription factor AP-2a (TFAP2A), which is involved in regulating mid-face development and upper lip fusion, has also be considered a candidate gene contributing to the etiology of NSCLP. The potential importance of IRF6 and TFAP2A in the NSCLP is further highlighted by a study showing that the two molecules are in the same developmental pathway. To further assess the roles of the IRF6 and TFAP2A in NSCLP, we investigated two identified IRF6 SNPs (rs2235371, rs642961) and three TFAP2A tag SNPs (rs3798691, rs1675414, rs303050) selected from HapMap data in a northern Chinese population, a group with a high prevalence of NSCLP. These SNPs were examined for association with NSCLP in 175 patients and 160 healthy controls. We observed a significant correlation between IRF6 rs642961 and NSCLP, and a lack of association between IRF6 rs2235371 polymorphisms and NSCLP in this population. This investigation indicated that there is no association between the three SNPs in the TFAP2A and NSCLP, suggesting that TFAP2A may not be involved in the development of NSCLP in the northern Chinese population. Our study provides further evidence regarding the role of IRF6 variations in NSCLP development and finds no significant association between TFAP2A and NSCLP in this northern

  6. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IRF6 and TFAP2A in non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) in a northern Chinese population

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shi, Jinna, E-mail: kqkjk@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Periodontology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin (China); Song, Tao; Jiao, Xiaohui [Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin (China); Qin, Chunlin [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A and M Health Science Center, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX (United States); Zhou, Jin [Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin (China)

    2011-07-15

    Highlights: {yields} IRF6 rs642961 polymorphism is intensively associated with NSCLP. {yields} IRF6 rs2235371 polymorphism is not associated with NSCLP in the northern Chinese population. {yields} This investigation failed to yield any evidence for the involvement of TFAP2A polymorphisms in NSCLP in the northern Chinese population. -- Abstract: Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) is a common birth defect that is presumably caused by genetic factors alone or gene alterations in combination with environmental changes. A number of studies have shown an association between NSCLP and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene in several populations. The transcription factor AP-2a (TFAP2A), which is involved in regulating mid-face development and upper lip fusion, has also be considered a candidate gene contributing to the etiology of NSCLP. The potential importance of IRF6 and TFAP2A in the NSCLP is further highlighted by a study showing that the two molecules are in the same developmental pathway. To further assess the roles of the IRF6 and TFAP2A in NSCLP, we investigated two identified IRF6 SNPs (rs2235371, rs642961) and three TFAP2A tag SNPs (rs3798691, rs1675414, rs303050) selected from HapMap data in a northern Chinese population, a group with a high prevalence of NSCLP. These SNPs were examined for association with NSCLP in 175 patients and 160 healthy controls. We observed a significant correlation between IRF6 rs642961 and NSCLP, and a lack of association between IRF6 rs2235371 polymorphisms and NSCLP in this population. This investigation indicated that there is no association between the three SNPs in the TFAP2A and NSCLP, suggesting that TFAP2A may not be involved in the development of NSCLP in the northern Chinese population. Our study provides further evidence regarding the role of IRF6 variations in NSCLP development and finds no significant association between TFAP2A and NSCLP in this

  7. Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis using Frey's procedure: a Brazilian 16-year single-centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gestic, Martinho Antonio; Callejas-Neto, Francisco; Chaim, Elinton Adami; Utrini, Murillo Pimentel; Cazzo, Everton; Pareja, Jose Carlos

    2011-04-01

    Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis is indicated for intractable pain. Frey's procedure is an accepted treatment for this disease. The aim of the present study was to describe a single-centre experience in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis using Frey's procedure. A retrospective analysis of 73 patients who underwent a Frey's procedure between 1991 to 2007 and had at least 1 year of follow-up. Demographics, indication for surgery, peri-operative complications and late outcomes were analysed. The median age was 39.9 years. Seventy out of the 73 (95.8%) patients were male. The median pre-operative body mass index (BMI) was 19.1 kg/m(2). All patients had abdominal pain, 34 (46.6%) of them daily and 13 (17.8%) weekly, with moderate or severe intensity in 98.6% (n= 72). The aetiology was secondary to alcohol in 70 patients (95.9%), with a median consumption of 278 g per day. The surgical morbidity rate was 28.7%; there were no deaths. Median post-operative follow-up was 77.0 months; 64 patients (91.4%) had complete pain relief and post-operative BMI was 22.4 kg/m(2) (P<0.001). All patients with pre-operative endocrine and exocrine insufficiencies showed no reversal of the situation. New onset insufficiencies appeared late. Frey's procedure was a safe and effective therapeutic option for the surgical treatment of patients with intractable pain caused by chronic pancreatitis. © 2011 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

  8. [Study on differences between pharmacokinetics and chromatopharmacodynamics for Chinese materia medica formulae].

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Fuyuan; Deng, Kaiwen; Zou, Huan; Qiu, Yun; Chen, Feng; Zhou, Honghao

    2011-01-01

    To study on the differences between chromatopharmacokinetics (pharmacokinetics with fingerprint chromatography) and chromatopharmacodynamics (pharmacodynamics with fingerprint chromatography) of Chinese materia medica formulae to answer the question whether the pharmacokinetic parameters of multiple composites can be utilized to guide the medication of multiple composites. On the base of established four chromatopharmacology (pharmacology with chromatographic fingerprint), the pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics were analyzed comparably on their mathematical model and parameter definition. On the basis of quantitative pharmacology, the function expressions and total statistical parameters, such as total zero moment, total first moment, total second moment of the pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics were analyzed to the common expressions and elucidated results for single and multiple components in Chinese materia medica formulae. Total quantitative pharmacokinetic, i.e., chromatopharmacokinetic parameter were decided by each component pharmacokinetic parameters, whereas the total quantitative pharmacodynamic, i.e., chromatopharmacodynamic parameter were decided by both of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of each components. The pharmacokinetic parameters were corresponded to pharmacodynamic parameters with an existing stable effective coefficient when the constitutive ratio of each composite was a constant. The effects of Chinese materia medica were all controlled by pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic coefficient. It is a special case that the pharmacokinetic parameter could independently guide the clinical medication for single component whereas the chromatopharmacokinetic parameters are not applied to the multiple drug combination system, and not be used to solve problems of chromatopharmacokinetic of Chinese materia medica formulae.

  9. Comparative fasting bioavailability of 2 bepotastine formulations in healthy male Chinese volunteers: an open-label, randomized, single-dose, 2-way crossover study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shentu, Jianzhong; Zhou, Huili; Hu, Xingjiang; Wu, Guolan; Wu, Lihua; Zhu, Meixiang; Zhai, You; Zheng, Yunliang; Liu, Jian

    2014-04-01

    Bepotastine is a second-generation histamine1 receptor antagonist that is used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, urticaria, and pruritus associated with skin disease. A new generic formulation of bepotastine has been developed in China, and information concerning bioavailability and pharmacokinetic properties in the Chinese population has not been reported. The aim of the present study was to compare the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic properties of 2 tablet formulations of bepotastine, the 10-mg generic formulation (test) and a branded formulation (reference), in healthy male Chinese volunteers to obtain registration approval of the test formulation. A single-center, open-label, randomized, 2-way crossover study with a 1-week washout period was conducted in 24 healthy male volunteers. Blood samples were collected for 16 hours after a single dose of the 10-mg bepotastine test formulation or the reference formulation. Plasma bepotastine concentrations were determined using a validated LC-MS/MS method. Cmax, Tmax, AUC₀-t, AUC₀-∞, and t½ were determined using noncompartmental analysis. The formulations were considered bioequivalent if the 90% CIs for the log-transformed Cmax and AUC values were within the predetermined interval of 75% to 133% and 80% to 125%, respectively, according to the guidelines of the China Food and Drug Administration. No significant differences were found in mean (SD) pharmacokinetic parameters between the test and reference drugs, including Cmax (74.81 [9.91] ng/mL vs 78.60 [29.58] ng/mL), AUC₀-t (295.55[115.29] ng·h/mL vs 299.17[109.29] ng·h/mL), and AUC0-∞ (305.28 [118.50] ng·h/mL vs 310.90 [112.20] ng·h/mL). The mean (SD) t½ values of the test and reference formulations were 2.53 (0.50) hours and 2.62 (0.41) hours, respectively. The 90% CIs of the treatment ratios for the logarithmic transformed values of Cmax, AUC₀-t, and AUC₀-∞ were 86.96% to 101.80%, 93.22% to 104.13%, and 92.66% to 103.30%, respectively

  10. Chinese letterkunde. Een inleiding

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Idema, Wilt; Haft, Lloyd

    2005-01-01

    De Chinese cultuur mag zich verheugen in een groeiende belangstelling. Chinese films bereiken in Nederland een steeds omvangrijker publiek en ook de moderne Chinese literatuur, die sinds de jaren tachtig een grote bloei doormaakt, wordt door veel liefhebbers op de voet gevolgd. Chinese Letterkunde

  11. Curative efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine xuebijing injections combined with ulinastatin for treating sepsis in the Chinese population: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Shi-Hui; Luo, Liang; Liu, Xiang-Hong; Zhou, Yu-Ming; Liu, Hong-Ming; Huang, Zhen-Fei

    2018-06-01

    Sepsis is a clinically critical disease. However, it is still controversial whether the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine Xuebijing injections (XBJI) and western medicine can enhance curative efficacy and ensure safety compared with western medicine alone. Thus, this research consisted of a systematic review of the curative efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine XBJI combined with ulinastatin for treating sepsis in the Chinese population. A total of 8 databases were retrieved: 4 foreign databases, namely, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science; and 4 Chinese databases, namely, Sino Med, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wangfang Data. The time span of retrieval began from the establishment of each database and ended on August 1, 2017. Published randomized controlled trials about the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine XBJI and western medicine were included, regardless of language. Stata12.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Finally, 16 papers involving 1335 cases were included. The result of meta-analysis showed that compared with the single use of ulinastatin, traditional Chinese medicine XBJI combined with ulinastatin could reduce the time of mechanical ventilation, shorten the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, improve the 28-day survival rate, and decrease the occurrence rate of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, case fatality rate, procalcitonin (PCT) content, APACKEII score, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level, and interleukin (IL)-6 level. On the basis of the common basic therapeutic regimen, the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine XBJI and ulinastatin was compared with the use of ulinastatin alone for treating sepsis in the Chinese population. It was found that the number of adverse events of combination therapy is not significantly increased, and its clinical safety is well within the permitted range. However, considering the limitations of this

  12. Anisotropic interactions of a single spin and dark-spin spectroscopy in diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epstein, R. J.; Mendoza, F. M.; Kato, Y. K.; Awschalom, D. D.

    2005-11-01

    Experiments on single nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) centres in diamond, which include electron spin resonance, Rabi oscillations, single-shot spin readout and two-qubit operations with a nearby13C nuclear spin, show the potential of this spin system for solid-state quantum information processing. Moreover, N-V centre ensembles can have spin-coherence times exceeding 50 μs at room temperature. We have developed an angle-resolved magneto-photoluminescence microscope apparatus to investigate the anisotropic electron-spin interactions of single N-V centres at room temperature. We observe negative peaks in the photoluminescence as a function of both magnetic-field magnitude and angle that are explained by coherent spin precession and anisotropic relaxation at spin-level anti-crossings. In addition, precise field alignment unmasks the resonant coupling to neighbouring `dark' nitrogen spins, otherwise undetected by photoluminescence. These results demonstrate the capability of our spectroscopic technique for measuring small numbers of dark spins by means of a single bright spin under ambient conditions.

  13. Management of Chinese restaurant

    OpenAIRE

    Cui , Longbo

    2009-01-01

    With Chinese economy developing rapidly, the Chinese restaurant is under the spotlight, but the management of Chinese restaurant is weak at the moment, especially on the service management, which is an important part of service management in the Chinese restaurant. On the other hand, the managers of Chinese restaurant should pay more attention on the service management for instance brand, service innovation. Service management is core and essential concept for every service company recently, ...

  14. Is Chinese Special? Four Aspects of Chinese Literacy Acquisition That Might Distinguish Learning Chinese from Learning Alphabetic Orthographies

    Science.gov (United States)

    McBride, Catherine Alexandra

    2016-01-01

    Some aspects of Chinese literacy development do not conform to patterns of literacy development in alphabetic orthographies. Four are highlighted here. First, semantic radicals are one aspect of Chinese characters that have no analogy to alphabetic orthographies. Second, the unreliability of phonological cues in Chinese along with the fact that…

  15. Single-dose intravenous iron infusion or oral iron for treatment of fatigue after postpartum haemorrhage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, C; Thomsen, L L; Norgaard, A

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a single-dose intravenous infusion of iron isomaltoside compared with current treatment practice with oral iron measured by physical fatigue in women after postpartum haemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-centre, open-label, ran......BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a single-dose intravenous infusion of iron isomaltoside compared with current treatment practice with oral iron measured by physical fatigue in women after postpartum haemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-centre, open...

  16. Analysis on the Application and Characteristics of Chinese Patent Medicines Containing Dried Rehmanniae Radix

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Hui; Miao, Yanyan; Miao, mingsan

    2018-01-01

    Dried Rehmanniae Radix has sweet taste, and its drug property is cold.It acts on heart, liver and kidney.It has the effect of clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production.The active constituents of dried Rehmanniae Radix are mainly iridoid glycosides, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and so on.This article sorted and analyzed the application forms, efficacy, applicable symptomsh and the frequency of the use of single traditional Chinese medicine in the Chinese patent medicines containing dried Rehmanniae Radix in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia of 2015. This method provides a train of thought for the further study of the pharmacological constituents of dried Rehmanniae Radix, and supplements the pharmacodynamics of Chinese herbal medicine of dried Rehmanniae Radix. It also provides ideas for the improvement of dried Rehmanniae Radix prescription and the new usage of its old prescription.

  17. Utilization Pattern and Drug Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine, and Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Treatments for Allergic Rhinitis Under the National Health Insurance Program in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Sheng-Kang; Lai, Chih-Sung; Chang, Yuan-Shiun; Ho, Yu-Ling

    2016-10-01

    integrated Chinese-Western medicine ranked highest. In addition, multiple-composition medicines were used more frequently than single-composition medicines, and mar huang (Ephedra sinica Stapf) was seldom used to decrease the risk of combining medications.

  18. Comparison of White and Chinese perception of esthetic Chinese lip position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chong, Hui Theng; Thea, Kim Wei; Descallar, Joseph; Chen, Yong; Dalci, Oyku; Wong, Ricky; Darendeliler, M Ali

    2014-03-01

    To compare the esthetic preference of White and Chinese judges with regard to Chinese lip position. The profile images of a dental and skeletal Class I Chinese adult male and female were digitally adjusted to Chinese mean values. The lip profile was adjusted with the upper and lower lip at the mean distance from the Ricketts' E-line. These images were used as baseline images and were further digitally manipulated to generate six additional images with the upper and lower lip such that they lay 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 standard deviations (SDs) in front of or behind the E-line. An additional image was modified based on a White mean value. The images were viewed and ranked by 251 White and Chinese judges (dentists and laypersons) in Australia and China. Significantly more Chinese judges ranked the retrusive profiles higher than the White judges. The White judges also ranked the profile image adjusted to -0.5 SD as the most esthetic for both the female and male, while the Chinese judges ranked the -1.0 SD profile as the most esthetic. The ethnicity of the judges is a significant factor influencing the perception of esthetic lip position. The Chinese judges prefer a more retrusive profile and are more likely to rate a protrusive profile as unacceptable, compared with the White judges.

  19. Single Centre Experience – Clinical Presentation and Frequency of Paediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) At Diagnosis over a 5-Year Period

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McKenna, A

    2018-03-01

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) symptoms are subtle and easily overlooked. Delayed diagnosis can result in Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life threatening complication with lasting consequences. We sought to define the presenting features of T1D and DKA frequency, in children <15 years diagnosed in a single national tertiary centre, and identify predictive factors for DKA. A review of T1D incident cases was undertaken from 2008-2012 using the National Diabetes Register (ICDNR) and clinical case notes. Data were compared with a 1997\\/8 national study. We found DKA at presentation in 28.7 % of children and 15.5% had moderate\\/severe DKA. Commonest symptoms were polydipsia, polyuria, weight loss, and lethargy. Median symptom duration was 17 days. Clinical presentation was similar and frequency of DKA at T1D diagnosis remains high. The proportion with moderate\\/severe DKA is lower than the 25% previously reported (p=0.038). National monitoring and targeted action to reduce DKA at diagnosis is required.

  20. Descriptive epidemiology of colorectal cancer in University Malaya Medical Centre, 2001 to 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magaji, Bello Arkilla; Moy, Foong Ming; Roslani, April Camilla; Law, Chee Wei

    2014-01-01

    Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cancer in Malaysia. Nevertheless, there is little information on treatment and outcomes nationally. We aimed to determine the demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics of colorectal cancer patients treated at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) as part of a larger project on survival and quality of life outcomes. Medical records of 1,212 patients undergoing treatment in UMMC between January 2001 and December 2010 were reviewed. A retrospective-prospective cohort study design was used. Research tools included the National Cancer Patient Registration form. Statistical analysis included means, standard deviations (SD), proportions, chi square, t-test/ ANOVA. P-value significance was set at 0.05. The male: female ratio was 1.2:1. The mean age was 62.1 (SD12.4) years. Patients were predominantly Chinese (67%), then Malays (18%), Indians (13%) and others (2%). Malays were younger than Chinese and Indians (mean age 57 versus 62 versus 62 years, p<0.001). More females (56%) had colon cancers compared to males (44%) (p=0.022). Malays (57%) had more rectal cancer compared to Chinese (45%) and Indians (49%) (p=0.004). Dukes' stage data weres available in 67%, with Dukes' C and D accounting for 64%. Stage was not affected by age, gender, ethnicity or tumor site. Treatment modalities included surgery alone (40%), surgery and chemo/radiotherapy 32%, chemo and radiotherapy (8%) and others (20%). Significant ethnic differences in age and site distribution, if verified in population-based settings, would support implementation of preventive measures targeting those with the greatest need, at the right age.

  1. RTEMS Centre - Support and Maintenance Centre to RTEMS Operating System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, H.; Constantino, A.; Freitas, D.; Coutinho, M.; Faustino, S.; Mota, M.; Colaço, P.; Sousa, J.; Dias, L.; Damjanovic, B.; Zulianello, M.; Rufino, J.

    2009-05-01

    RTEMS CENTRE - Support and Maintenance Centre to RTEMS Operating System is a joint ESA/Portuguese Task Force initiative to develop a support and maintenance centre to the Real-Time Executive for Multiprocessor Systems (RTEMS). This paper gives a high level visibility of the progress, the results obtained and the future work in the RTEMS CENTRE [6] and in the RTEMS Improvement [7] projects. RTEMS CENTRE started officially in November 2006, with the RTEMS 4.6.99.2 version. A full analysis of RTEMS operating system was produced. The architecture was analysed in terms of conceptual, organizational and operational concepts. The original objectives [1] of the centre were primarily to create and maintain technical expertise and competences in this RTOS, to develop a website to provide the European Space Community an entry point for obtaining support (http://rtemscentre.edisoft.pt), to design, develop, maintain and integrate some RTEMS support tools (Timeline Tool, Configuration and Management Tools), to maintain flight libraries and Board Support Packages, to develop a strong relationship with the World RTEMS Community and finally to produce some considerations in ARINC-653, DO-178B and ECSS E-40 standards. RTEMS Improvement is the continuation of the RTEMS CENTRE. Currently the RTEMS, version 4.8.0, is being facilitated for a future qualification. In this work, the validation material is being produced following the Galileo Software Standards Development Assurance Level B [5]. RTEMS is being completely tested, errors analysed, dead and deactivated code removed and tests produced to achieve 100% statement and decision coverage of source code [2]. The SW to exploit the LEON Memory Management Unit (MMU) hardware will be also added. A brief description of the expected implementations will be given.

  2. Clinical Profile and Early Complications after Single and Dual Chamber Permanent Pacemaker Implantation at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanal, J; Poudyal, R R; Devkota, S; Thapa, S; Dhungana, R R

    2015-01-01

    Permanent pacemaker implantation is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in the management of patients with cardiac problems. However, complications during and after implantation are not uncommon. There is lack of evidences in rate of complications with the selection of pacemakers in Nepal. Therefore, this study was performed to compare the frequency of implantation and complication rate between single chamber and dual chamber pacemaker. The present study is based on all consecutive pacemaker implantations in a single centre between April 2014 and May 2015. A total of 116 patients were categorized into two cohorts according to the type of pacemaker implanted- single chamber or dual chamber. All patients had regular 2-weeks follow-up intervals with standardized documentation of all relevant patient data till 6-week after implantation. Data were presented as means ± standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables and as proportions for categorical variables. Comparison of continuous variables between the groups was made with independent Student's t-test. For discrete variables distribution between groups were compared with Chi-square test. The mean age (±SD) of total population at implant was 64.08 (± 15.09) years. Dual chamber units were implanted in 44 (37.93%) of patients, single chamber in 72 (62.06%). Only 14 women (31.81%) received dual chamber compared with 42 women (58.33%) who received single chamber (Chi-square=18, DF=1, P = 0.0084). Complete atrioventricular block was the commonest (56.03%) indication for permanent pacemaker insertion followed by sick sinus syndrome (33.62%), symptomatic high-grade AV block (11.20%). Hypertension (dual chamber 21.55%, single chamber 40.51%) was the most common comorbidity in both cohorts. Complications occurred in 11 (9.48%) patients. More proportion of complication occurred in single chamber group (9 patients, 12.50%) than in dual chamber (2 patients, 4.54%). Complications occurring in dual chamber group include

  3. First report and breeding record of the Chinese Crested Tern Thalasseus bernsteini on the Korean Peninsula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Se-Kyu Song

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The Chinese Crested Tern Thalasseus bernsteini is a critically endangered species (as designated by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. This report expands the known breeding grounds of these birds eastward. An individual of the Chinese Crested Tern was first observed at an uninhabited island of Jeollanam-do in Korea on April 28, 2016. On May 9, 2016 five Chinese Crested Terns (consisting of 2 breeding pairs and a single bird were observed. Nests from the breeding pairs were found, at a distance of 0.6 m from each other; each pair was observed incubating one egg in the nest. To our knowledge, this is the easternmost record of breeding grounds for the Chinese Crested Tern.

  4. [Research progress of Chinese herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine resulting in liver injury].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jingli; Zhou, Chaofan

    2011-12-01

    The adverse reactions caused by Chinese herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine are reported increased in recent years, among which the acute liver injury caused by Chinese herbal medicine accounts for 21.5% of total liver injuries. Despite the misuse of traditional Chinese medicine not in accordance with differentiation of symptoms and signs, the adverse reaction of Chinese herbal medicine itself can't be little to these adverse events. The paper summarizes the most common categories of traditional Chinese medicine resulting in liver injury, the mechanism, pathological characteristics, clinical symptom of liver injury, the reasons of the reaction and how to prevent. The research aims to enhance the clinical physician recognition of liver injury caused by Chinese herbal medicine, in order to ensure the safe and rational usage of traditional Chinese medicine.

  5. Predictors of success in selective laser trabeculoplasty for primary open angle glaucoma in Chinese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee JW

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Jacky WY Lee,1,2 Catherine CL Liu,3 Jonathan CH Chan,4 Raymond LM Wong,5 Ian YH Wong,2 Jimmy SM Lai2 1The Department of Ophthalmology, Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 2The Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Applied Mathematics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 4The Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China; 5The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China Purpose: To determine the predictors of success for adjuvant selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT in Chinese primary open angle glaucoma (POAG patients. Methods: This prospective study recruited Chinese subjects with unilateral or bilateral POAG currently taking medication to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP. All subjects received a single session of 360° SLT treatment and continued their medications for 1 month. SLT success was defined as IOP reduction ≥20% at 1 month. The following covariates were analyzed in both groups via univariate and multivariate analyses: age, sex, lens status, initial IOPs, post-SLT IOPs, number and type of medications, SLT shots and energy, and pre-SLT investigations.Results: In 51 eyes of 33 POAG subjects, the success rate of SLT was 47.1%. Certain groups of patients were associated with greater success using univariate analysis. These groups included the following: older age (coefficient =0.1; OR: 1.1; P=0.0003, a higher pre-SLT IOP (coefficient =0.3; OR: 1.3; P=0.0005, using four types of antiglaucoma medication (coefficient =2.1; OR: 8.4; P=0.005, a greater degree of spherical equivalent (coefficient =2.1; OR: 8.4; P=0.005, and the use of a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (coefficient =1.7; OR: 6.0; P=0.003. None of the covariates were significant using

  6. [New method for analyzing pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicines by using specific knockout technology with monoclonal antibodies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yan; Qu, Hui-Hua; Wang, Qing-Guo

    2013-09-01

    Study on pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicines is one of the key issues for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. Having introduced the monoclonal antibody technology into the study on pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicines, the author prepared the immunoaffinity chromatography column by using monoclonal antibodies in active components of traditional Chinese medicines, so as to selectively knock out the component from herbs or traditional Chinese medicine compounds, while preserving all of the other components and keeping their amount and ratio unchanged. A comparative study on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics was made to explicitly reveal the correlation between the component and the main purpose of traditional Chinese medicines and compounds. The analysis on pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicines by using specific knockout technology with monoclonal antibodies is a new method for study pharmacodynamic material basis in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines. Its results can not only help study material basis from a new perspective, but also help find the modern scientific significance in single herb or among compounds of traditional Chinese medicines.

  7. Selective creation of colour centres and peaks of thermally stimulated luminescence by VUV photons in LiF single crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasil'chenko, E.; Kudryavtseva, I.; Lushchik, A.; Lushchik, Ch.; Nagirnyi, V.

    2005-01-01

    Processes of radiation creation and annealing of Frenkel defects as well as electron-hole processes have been studied in LiF single crystals with a various content of impurity ions by means of highly sensitive method of thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) and other optical methods. In highly pure LiF crystals, X-irradiated at 4.2 K, the TSL peaks connected with the annealing of interstitial fluorine ions (25-40 K) or atoms, i.e. H centres (50-65 K) and self-trapped holes (120-140 K) have been separated. For the first time, the creation spectra of the TSL peaks at 480 and 550 K by 10-33 eV-photon irradiation at 295 K have been measured. The anomalously high creation efficiency of the TSL peak at 480 K by 11.7-12.3 eV and 26-27 eV photons is interpreted as the creation of near-impurity electronic excitations both, directly by photons and by hot conduction electrons. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  8. Prediction consistency and clinical presentations of breast cancer molecular subtypes for Han Chinese population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Chi-Cheng

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease in terms of transcriptional aberrations; moreover, microarray gene expression profiles had defined 5 molecular subtypes based on certain intrinsic genes. This study aimed to evaluate the prediction consistency of breast cancer molecular subtypes from 3 distinct intrinsic gene sets (Sørlie 500, Hu 306 and PAM50 as well as clinical presentations of each molecualr subtype in Han Chinese population. Methods In all, 169 breast cancer samples (44 from Taiwan and 125 from China of Han Chinese population were gathered, and the gene expression features corresponding to 3 distinct intrinsic gene sets (Sørlie 500, Hu 306 and PAM50 were retrieved for molecular subtype prediction. Results For Sørlie 500 and Hu 306 intrinsic gene set, mean-centring of genes and distance-weighted discrimination (DWD remarkably reduced the number of unclassified cases. Regarding pairwise agreement, the highest predictive consistency was found between Hu 306 and PAM50. In all, 150 and 126 samples were assigned into identical subtypes by both Hu 306 and PAM50 genes, under mean-centring and DWD. Luminal B tended to show a higher nuclear grade and have more HER2 over-expression status than luminal A did. No basal-like breast tumours were ER positive, and most HER2-enriched breast tumours showed HER2 over-expression, whereas, only two-thirds of ER negativity/HER2 over-expression tumros were predicted as HER2-enriched molecular subtype. For 44 Taiwanese breast cancers with survival data, a better prognosis of luminal A than luminal B subtype in ER-postive breast cancers and a better prognosis of basal-like than HER2-enriched subtype in ER-negative breast cancers was observed. Conclusions We suggest that the intrinsic signature Hu 306 or PAM50 be used for breast cancers in the Han Chinese population during molecular subtyping. For the prognostic value and decision making based on intrinsic subtypes, further prospective

  9. Being Chinese or Being Different: Exploring Chinese Foreign Language (CFL) Teachers Use of Chineseness in Identity Construction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Chun

    2015-01-01

    that no matter which way they use ‘Chinese-ness’, the participants are able to reflect on their experiences and manifest a willingness to adapt to another culture, in which their identity as CFL teachers are constructed. By the end of study, the combination of teaching culture of Chinese and Danish, in which...... participants are forging new identities for them are discussed. Key words: CFL teacher, Danish university, teaching culture, Chinese-ness 中国式的汉语教师 探讨新汉语教师在构建其职业身份中对于中国特色的诠释和理解 中文摘要 在对外汉语教学中......Abstract This study reports on a qualitative research that explores how three beginning native CFL teachers in a Danish university use ‘Chinese-ness’ and how these serve in explaining their own narratives, either through identifying with, or distancing themselves from. Early results show...

  10. Involvement in Preschools: Comparing Chinese Immigrant and Non-Chinese Parents in New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qilong; Keown, Louise; Farruggia, Susan

    2014-01-01

    This study compared 120 Chinese immigrant parents and 127 non-Chinese parents from New Zealand preschools on their level of involvement in preschool-based activities, as well as key predictors of parental involvement. Results showed that Chinese immigrant parents had a lower level of involvement than non-Chinese parents across three forms of…

  11. Mortality on the Waiting List for Lung Transplantation in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Single-Centre Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, David; Fossi, Antonella; Bargagli, Elena; Refini, Rosa Metella; Pieroni, Maria; Luzzi, Luca; Ghiribelli, Claudia; Paladini, Piero; Voltolini, Luca; Rottoli, Paola

    2015-10-01

    Lung transplantation (LTX) is nowadays accepted as a treatment option for selected patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by the radiological and histologic appearance of usual interstitial pneumonia. It is associated with a poor prognosis, and LTX is considered an effective treatment to significantly modify the natural history of this disease. The aim of the present study was to analyse mortality during the waiting list in IPF patients at a single institution. A retrospective analysis on IPF patients (n = 90) referred to our Lung Transplant Program in the period 2001-2014 was performed focusing on patients' characteristics and associated risk factors. Diagnosis of IPF was associated with high mortality on the waiting list with respect to other diagnosis (p Pulmonary function tests failed to predict mortality and no other medical conditions were associated with survival. Patients newly diagnosed with IPF, especially in small to medium lung transplant volume centres and in Countries where a long waiting list is expected, should be immediately referred to transplantation, delay results in increased mortality. Early identification of IPF patients with a rapid progressive phenotype is strongly needed.

  12. Effect of tamsulosin on the pharmacokinetics of dutasteride in Chinese male healthy volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Huafang; Yang, Jiansong; Zhao, Hongxin; Fossler, Michael J; Wang, Chunrong

    2015-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tamsulosin (0.2 mg) on the pharmacokinetics of dutasteride (0.5 mg) in a group of healthy Chinese male volunteers. This was an open-label, single-sequence, 3-period, drug-drug interaction phase 1 study. Twenty-four healthy Chinese male volunteers were enrolled and administered a single dose of 0.5 mg dutasteride and, following a 28- to 30-day washout period, 0.2 mg tamsulosin once daily for 7 days. On day 5, subjects received 0.2 mg tamsulosin coadministered with 0.5 mg dutasteride. Serum dutasteride and tamsulosin concentrations were monitored. In the presence or absence of tamsulosin, there were no apparent changes in dutasteride AUC and Cmax . Adverse events reported were mild to moderate in intensity and resolved by the end of the study. In healthy Chinese male volunteers, tamsulosin 0.2 mg at steady state had no apparent effect on dutasteride pharmacokinetics. Dutasteride and tamsulosin when administered alone or in combination were well tolerated. © 2015, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

  13. Comparison of Journal Self-Citation Rates between Some Chinese and Non-Chinese International Journals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zu-Guo; Gao, Feng; Zhang, Chun-Ting

    2012-01-01

    Background The past 3 decades have witnessed a boost in science development in China; in parallel, more and more Chinese scientific journals are indexed by the Journal Citation Reports issued by Thomson Reuters (SCI). Evaluation of the performance of these Chinese SCI journals is necessary and helpful to improve their quality. This study aimed to evaluate these journals by calculating various journal self-citation rates, which are important parameters influencing a journal impact factor. Methodology/Principal Findings We defined three journal self-citation rates, and studied these rates for 99 Chinese scientific journals, almost exhausting all Chinese SCI journals currently available. Likewise, we selected 99 non-Chinese international (abbreviated as ‘world’) journals, with each being in the same JCR subject category and having similar impact factors as their Chinese counterparts. Generally, Chinese journals tended to be higher in all the three self-citation rates than world journal counterparts. Particularly, a few Chinese scientific journals had much higher self-citation rates. Conclusions/Significance Our results show that generally Chinese scientific journals have higher self-citation rates than those of world journals. Consequently, Chinese scientific journals tend to have lower visibility and are more isolated in the relevant fields. Considering the fact that sciences are rapidly developing in China and so are Chinese scientific journals, we expect that the differences of journal self-citation rates between Chinese and world scientific journals will gradually disappear in the future. Some suggestions to solve the problems are presented. PMID:23173041

  14. [Application of traditional Chinese medicine reference standards in quality control of Chinese herbal pieces].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Tu-Lin; Li, Jin-Ci; Yu, Jiang-Yong; Cai, Bao-Chang; Mao, Chun-Qin; Yin, Fang-Zhou

    2014-01-01

    Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) reference standards plays an important role in the quality control of Chinese herbal pieces. This paper overviewed the development of TCM reference standards. By analyzing the 2010 edition of Chinese pharmacopoeia, the application of TCM reference standards in the quality control of Chinese herbal pieces was summarized, and the problems exiting in the system were put forward. In the process of improving the quality control level of Chinese herbal pieces, various kinds of advanced methods and technology should be used to research the characteristic reference standards of Chinese herbal pieces, more and more reasonable reference standards should be introduced in the quality control system of Chinese herbal pieces. This article discussed the solutions in the aspect of TCM reference standards, and future development of quality control on Chinese herbal pieces is prospected.

  15. Long-read sequencing and de novo assembly of a Chinese genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Short-read sequencing has enabled the de novo assembly of several individual human genomes, but with inherent limitations in characterizing repeat elements. Here we sequence a Chinese individual HX1 by single-molecule real-time (SMRT) long-read sequencing, construct a physical map by NanoChannel arr...

  16. Chinese student mobility, local engagement and transformation of Chinese communities in England: an empirical study

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Bin

    2016-01-01

    Unprecedented growth and circulation of Chinese international students cannot be fully understood unless the roles of host societies including diaspora Chinese communities are taken into account. This chapter draws attention to a phenomenon of local engagement, a process of interconnections and interactions between Chinese students and local communities, leading to a co-development of both Chinese students and diaspora Chinese communities in host countries. The links and impacts of Chinese st...

  17. MANDARIN CHINESE DICTIONARY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    WANG, FRED FANGYU

    IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS LEARNING CHINESE, SETON HALL UNIVERSITY UNDERTOOK A CONTRACT WITH THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION TO COMPILE A BILINGUAL POCKET-SIZE DICTIONARY FOR BEGINNING STUDENTS OF SPOKEN MANDARIN CHINESE. THE PRESENT WORK IS THE CHINESE TO ENGLISH SECTION IN PRELIMINARY…

  18. Chinese restaurant syndrome

    OpenAIRE

    Balachandran C; Srinivas C; Shenoy S

    1991-01-01

    A 24-year-old Chinese student with history of recurrent attacks of flushing with burning and dryness of face of 4 years duration showed exacerbation of the symptoms after oral provocation with 1 mg of Chinese salt. Patient was treated with 50 mg pyridoxine daily and restriction of the Chinese salt in diet with moderate improvement.

  19. Chinese restaurant syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balachandran C

    1991-01-01

    Full Text Available A 24-year-old Chinese student with history of recurrent attacks of flushing with burning and dryness of face of 4 years duration showed exacerbation of the symptoms after oral provocation with 1 mg of Chinese salt. Patient was treated with 50 mg pyridoxine daily and restriction of the Chinese salt in diet with moderate improvement.

  20. Birth centre confinement at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre. I. Obstetric and neonatal outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, J; Hudson, H; Lumley, J; Morris, N; Rao, J; Spensley, J

    1981-10-03

    A review of hte first 175 confinements at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre Birth Centre is presented. The design, structure and function of hte Birth Centre is described and the safety of the programme demonstrated. Seventy-four pregnancies (42%) accepted for Birth Centre confinement required transfer because of antepartum or intrapartum complications. There were satisfactory obstetric and neonatal outcomes in all pregnancies. The first year's experience has allowed a reassessment of the risk factors, which will permit greater use of the Birth Centre without any increases risk to mothers or babies.

  1. A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Stromal Cell-Derived Factor 1 Gene Is Associated with Coronary Heart Disease in Chinese Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Feng

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Coronary heart disease (CHD is highly prevalent globally and a major cause of mortality. Genetic predisposition is a non-modifiable risk factor associated with CHD. Eighty-four Chinese patients with CHD and 253 healthy Chinese controls without CHD were recruited. Major clinical data were collected, and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in the stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1 gene at position 801 (G to A, rs1801157 in the 3'-untranslated region was identified. The correlation between rs1801157 genotypes and CHD was evaluated by a multivariate logistic regression analysis. The allele frequency in the CHD and control groups was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE (p > 0.05. The frequency of the GG genotype in the CHD group (59.5% was significantly higher than that in the control group (49.8% (p = 0.036. A number of variables, including male sex, age, presence of hypertension, and the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, triglycerides (TG, uric acid, and total bilirubin, were associated with CHD in a primary univariate analysis. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the GG genotype (GG:AA, odds ratio (OR = 2.31, 95% confidence interval (CI = 1.21–5.23, male sex, advanced age (≥60 years, presence of hypertension, LDL-C level ≥ 3.33 mg/dL, HDL-C level < 1.03 mg/dL, and TG level ≥ 1.7 mg/dL were independent risk factors for CHD.

  2. Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Hung-Rong; Chen, Ying-Yu; Huang, Tzu-Ping; Chang, Tung-Ti; Tsao, Jung-Ying; Chen, Bor-Chyuan; Sun, Mao-Feng

    2015-08-02

    Uterine fibroid (myoma) is one of the most common diseases in women. Although there are several studies on the efficacy of Chinese herbs, there is a lack of large-scale survey on the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of uterine fibroid. This study aimed to investigate the utilization of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid, prescribed by licensed TCM doctors in Taiwan. A random sample comprised of one million individuals with newly diagnosed uterine fibroid between 2002 and 2010 from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database was analyzed. Demographic characteristics, TCM usage, the frequency as well as average daily dose of Chinese herbal formulas and the single herbs prescribed for patients with uterine fibroid, were analyzed. Overall, 35,786 newly diagnosed subjects with uterine fibroid were included. Majority of these patients (87.1%; n=31,161) had visited TCM clinics. Among them, 61.8% of their visits used Chinese herbal remedies. Patients less than 45 years of age tended to use TCM more frequently than elder patients. Gui-Zhi-Fu-Ling-Wan (Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill) was the most frequently prescribed Chinese herbal formula, while San-Leng (Rhizoma Sparganii) was the most commonly prescribed single herb. Our study identified the characteristics and prescription patterns of TCM for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan. Further basic mechanistic studies and clinical trials are needed to confirm the therapeutic effects and mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The Search for Centre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunes, April

    2006-01-01

    This paper acknowledges the importance of a dancer's centre but likewise highlights the problematic nature of the communication of this concept from dance teacher to student. After a brief introduction of orthodox approaches in finding centre, this paper suggests a method of locating centre through the ancient somatic technique.

  4. Frequency and co-prescription pattern of Chinese herbal products for hypertension in Taiwan: a Cohort study

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Pei-Rung; Shih, Wei-Tai; Chu, Yen-Hua; Chen, Pau-Chung; Wu, Ching-Yuan

    2015-01-01

    Background Chinese herbal products (CHPs) have been frequently used among patients with chronic diseases including hypertension; however, the co-prescription pattern of herbal formulae and single herbs remain uncharacterized. Thus, this large-scale pharmacoepidemiological study evaluated the frequency and co-prescription pattern of CHPs for treating hypertension in Taiwan from 2003 to 2009. Methods The database of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims was obtained from the Nati...

  5. Factors associated with job satisfaction among Chinese community health workers: a cross-sectional study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background With the medical reform, the function of community health centres emerged to be more important recently in China. However, the health service capabilities were tremendously different between metropolitan cities and small cities. This study aims to clarify the level of job satisfaction of Chinese community health workers between a metropolitan (Shenyang) and a small city (Benxi) in Liaoning province and explore its associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2009 to February 2010. A multi-stage sample was used and a total of 2,100 Chinese community health workers from the two cities completed self-administered questionnaire pertaining to job satisfaction indicated by Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), demographic characteristic and working situations, stress and job burnout. The effective response rate was 80.7%. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to explore the related factors. All data analyses for the two cities were performed separately. Results The averages of overall job satisfaction score of Chinese community health workers were 67.17 in Shenyang and 69.95 in Benxi. Intrinsic job satisfaction and extrinsic job satisfaction among Chinese community health workers were significantly different between Shenyang and Benxi (p job satisfactions, respectively. In Benxi, the fourth model explained 48%, 52% of the variance of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfactions, respectively. Three significant predictors of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfactions for the two cities were the two dimensions (social support and decision latitude) of stress and cynicism of burnout. Conclusion From this study, the job satisfaction among Chinese community health workers in the two cities enjoyed a moderate level of job satisfactions, which represented they are not fully satisfied with their jobs. Community health workers in Shenyang had lower job satisfaction as compared to those in Benxi. This study strengthened the

  6. Effectiveness of cognitive training for Chinese elderly in Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwok T

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Timothy Kwok,1,2 Anita Wong,3 Grace Chan,4 YY Shiu,3 Ko-Chuen Lam,2 Daniel Young,2 Daniel WH Ho,2 Florence Ho21Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; 2Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Shatin, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; 3The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club Madam Wong Chan Sook Ying Memorial Care and Attention Home for the Aged, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; 4The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Hong Kong, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: In Hong Kong, the evidence for cognitive-training programs in fighting against memory complaints is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Active Mind cognitive-training program in improving the cognitive function and quality of life (QoL for local community-dwelling Chinese older adults. A total of 200 subjects were recruited from 20 different district elderly community centers (DECCs. Centers were randomly assigned into either the intervention group or control group. The intervention group underwent eight 1-hour sessions of cognitive training, while the control group were included in the usual group activities provided by the DECCs. Standardized neuropsychological tests (the Chinese version of Mattis Dementia Rating Scale [CDRS] and the Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the QoL questionnaire SF12 were used to assess participants' cognitive function and QoL before and after the trial. A total of 176 subjects completed the study. The intervention group showed greater improvement in the cognitive function measured by total CDRS score (treatment: 12.24 ± 11.57 vs control: 4.37 ± 7.99; P < 0.001 and QoL measured by total SF12 score (treatment: 7.82 ± 13.19 vs control: 3.18 ± 11.61; P = 0.014. Subjects with lower education level were associated with better cognitive response to the cognitive-training program. The current findings indicated that the Active

  7. Deep whole-genome sequencing of 90 Han Chinese genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Tianming; Lin, Haoxiang; Zhu, Wenjuan; Laurent, Tellier Christian Asker Melchior; Yang, Mengcheng; Liu, Xin; Wang, Jun; Wang, Jian; Yang, Huanming; Xu, Xun; Guo, Xiaosen

    2017-09-01

    Next-generation sequencing provides a high-resolution insight into human genetic information. However, the focus of previous studies has primarily been on low-coverage data due to the high cost of sequencing. Although the 1000 Genomes Project and the Haplotype Reference Consortium have both provided powerful reference panels for imputation, low-frequency and novel variants remain difficult to discover and call with accuracy on the basis of low-coverage data. Deep sequencing provides an optimal solution for the problem of these low-frequency and novel variants. Although whole-exome sequencing is also a viable choice for exome regions, it cannot account for noncoding regions, sometimes resulting in the absence of important, causal variants. For Han Chinese populations, the majority of variants have been discovered based upon low-coverage data from the 1000 Genomes Project. However, high-coverage, whole-genome sequencing data are limited for any population, and a large amount of low-frequency, population-specific variants remain uncharacterized. We have performed whole-genome sequencing at a high depth (∼×80) of 90 unrelated individuals of Chinese ancestry, collected from the 1000 Genomes Project samples, including 45 Northern Han Chinese and 45 Southern Han Chinese samples. Eighty-three of these 90 have been sequenced by the 1000 Genomes Project. We have identified 12 568 804 single nucleotide polymorphisms, 2 074 210 short InDels, and 26 142 structural variations from these 90 samples. Compared to the Han Chinese data from the 1000 Genomes Project, we have found 7 000 629 novel variants with low frequency (defined as minor allele frequency genome. Compared to the 1000 Genomes Project, these Han Chinese deep sequencing data enhance the characterization of a large number of low-frequency, novel variants. This will be a valuable resource for promoting Chinese genetics research and medical development. Additionally, it will provide a valuable supplement to the 1000

  8. Five years' experience at a single centre of craniocerebral injury from winnowing fan blades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Apoorva; Shankar, Ravi; Pandey, Rajendra P; Keshri, Virendra; Singh, Kulwant; Sharma, Vivek

    2010-02-01

    India, an agriculture-based country, relies heavily on indigenous farm machinery. In our study we present 31 patients with winnowing fan blade head injury, operated on at our centre between 2004 and 2008. The mechanism and nature of the injuries, operative methods, outcome and methods of prevention are discussed with special reference to the occurrence of this type of injury in the pediatric population. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Initial value sensitivity of the Chinese stock market and its relationship with the investment psychology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ying, Shangjun; Li, Xiaojun; Zhong, Xiuqin

    2015-04-01

    This paper discusses the initial value sensitivity (IVS) of Chinese stock market, including the single stock market and the Chinese A-share stock market, with respect to real markets and evolving models. The aim is to explore the relationship between IVS of the Chinese A-share stock market and the investment psychology based on the evolving model of genetic cellular automaton (GCA). We find: (1) The Chinese stock market is sensitively dependent on the initial conditions. (2) The GCA model provides a considerable reliability in complexity simulation (e.g. the IVS). (3) The IVS of stock market is positively correlated with the imitation probability when the intensity of the imitation psychology reaches a certain threshold. The paper suggests that the government should seek to keep the imitation psychology under a certain level, otherwise it may induce severe fluctuation to the market.

  10. Influences of xylooligosaccharides on the quality of Chinese-style meatball (kung-wan).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yu-Bi; Lin, Kuo-Wei

    2011-07-01

    Physicochemical properties, sensory traits, and protein surface hydrophobicity of Chinese-style meatball (20% fat) processed from various combinations of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) and sucrose were investigated. No significant differences in pH and water-holding capacity were noted for treatments following cooking and frozen storage. Sensory springiness, hardness, chewiness, and overall acceptability of all treatments were found not significantly different. Water-soluble protein and total extractable protein concentrations of XOS4 (4% xylooligosaccharides) containing treatments were higher than other treatments at any frozen storage period (0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks). Addition of xylooligosaccharides or sucrose singly or in combination at levels investigated in this experiment resulted in Chinese meatballs with comparable quality. Substitution of sucrose with varying amounts (1, 2, and 4%) of xylooligosaccharides functioned equally on the quality of Chinese-style meatball. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Chinese herbal prescriptions for osteoarthritis in Taiwan: analysis of national health insurance dataset

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been commonly used for treating osteoarthritis in Asia for centuries. This study aimed to conduct a large-scale pharmaco-epidemiologic study and evaluate the frequency and patterns of CHM used in treating osteoarthritis in Taiwan. Methods A complete database (total 22,520,776 beneficiaries) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims offered by the National Health Insurance program in Taiwan for the year 2002 was employed for this research. Patients with osteoarthritis were identified according to the diagnostic code of the International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files. Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and an association rule was applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM for treating osteoarthritis. Results There were 20,059 subjects who visited TCM clinics for osteoarthritis and received a total of 32,050 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 40 and 49 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (19.2%), followed by 50-59 years (18.8%) and 60-69 years group (18.2%). In addition, female subjects used CHMs for osteoarthritis more frequently than male subjects (female: male = 1.89: l). There was an average of 5.2 items prescribed in the form of either an individual Chinese herb or formula in a single CHM prescription for osteoarthritis. Du-zhong (Eucommia bark) was the most commonly prescribed Chinese single herb, while Du-huo-ji-sheng-tang was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula for osteoarthritis. According to the association rule, the most commonly prescribed formula was Du-huo-ji-sheng-tang plus Shen-tong-zhu-yu-tang, and the most commonly prescribed triple-drug combination was Du-huo-ji-sheng-tang, Gu-sui-pu (Drynaria fortune (Kunze) J. Sm.), and Xu-Duan (Himalaya teasel). Nevertheless, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these CHMs for treating osteoarthritis. Conclusions This study

  12. Coping as a Mediator Between Parental Attachment and Resilience: An Examination of Differential Effects Between Chinese Adolescents From Single Parent Families Versus Those From Intact Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xiamei

    2018-01-01

    The crude divorce rate has been increasing steadily for over a decade in China. Consequently, more and more children have to face the challenge of growing up in single parent families. The current study investigated the mediating effects of problem-oriented and emotion-oriented coping on the relationship between parental attachment and psychological resilience among a sample of Chinese adolescents from single parent families and intact families. Participants were 975 high school students (44.30% males; aged 15-19 years, M = 16.32 years, SD = 0.74), 871 from intact families and 104 from single parent families. Structural equation modeling showed that security in maternal attachment was positively associated with resilience through the indirect effect of reduced emotion-oriented coping among adolescents from single parent families. Among adolescents from intact families, security in maternal attachment was both directly associated with resilience and indirectly through enhanced problem-oriented and reduced emotion-oriented coping. Security in paternal attachment was associated with resilience both directly and indirectly through enhanced problem-oriented coping as well among those from intact families. Female adolescents exhibited significantly lower levels of resilience than male adolescents did regardless of the marital status of their parents. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

  13. Characterization of genetic defects of hemophilia A in patients of Chinese origin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Shu-Wha; Lin, Shu-Rung; Shen, Ming-Ching (National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China))

    1993-12-01

    The molecular characterization of hemophilia A of Chinese origin was carried out by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing of patient's factor VIII genes. Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and dideoxy fingerprinting (ddF) were used as screening methods to detect mutated DNAs. A total of 102 individuals from 87 different families, including 10 patients (10 families) with mild-to-moderate and 92 patients (77 families) with severe hemophilia A, were analyzed by PCR-SSCP and PCR-ddF. Of the 87 independent cases, 40 revealed a single mutation in the coding regions of their factor VIII genes. These mutations include 21 with single base changes resulting in 8 nonsense and 13 missense codons, 16 with deletion or insertion of 1-11 nucleotides, and 3 with deletion of large DNA fragments. The frequency of 8 of the identified factor VIII polymorphisms or silent mutations was also determined among Chinese. The frequencies for codons 1241, 1269, and 2223 (the numbering system follows J. Gitschier et al., 1984, Nature 312: 326-330) were found to be different from those reported for other populations. As for the 47 severe cases whose mutational events were not readily detected by PCR-SSCP and PCR-ddF, the reverse transcriptase PCR method was applied. In 24 such cases analyzed, 17 were found to be of the [open quotes]intron 22 mutations[close quotes] as described by Naylor et al. (1992, The Lancet, 342: 1066-1067), accounting for 39% of Chinese patients with hemophilia A. 31 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs.

  14. Organ Preservation Using Contact Radiotherapy for Early Rectal Cancer: Outcomes of Patients Treated at a Single Centre in the UK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhadda, A S; Martin, A; Killeen, S; Hunter, I A

    2017-03-01

    Contact radiotherapy for early rectal cancer uses 50 kV X-rays to treat rectal cancers under direct vision. We present data of a series of patients treated at a single centre with prospective follow-up and functional assessment. All patients were treated at the Queen's Centre for Oncology, Hull, UK between September 2011 and October 2015. Patients received a biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver/pelvis, computed tomography of the chest and endorectal ultrasound. Patients were deemed to be either unfit for radical surgery or refused it due to the need for a permanent stoma. Follow-up consisted of 3 monthly flexible sigmoidoscopy and MRI of the liver/pelvis and 12 monthly computed tomography of the chest. In total, 42 patients were treated with contact radiotherapy ± external beam chemo/radiotherapy without any primary surgical excision. The median age was 78 years (range 50-94 years). Local recurrence-free survival was 88%, disease-free survival was 86% and overall survival was 88% with a median follow-up of 24 months (range 5-54 months). The median time to recurrence was 12 months (range 4-14 months). The estimated 30 day surgical mortality for this cohort with radical surgery was 12%. Mortality from the contact radiotherapy procedure was 0%. Functional outcomes as investigated by the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) score were good, with 65% having no LARS. Contact radiotherapy for early rectal cancer is a safe, well-tolerated outpatient procedure, allowing organ preservation, with excellent oncological and functional outcomes. For elderly co-morbid patients with suitable rectal cancers this should be considered as a standard of care. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms: differential symptom functioning across Malaysian Malay and Chinese children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, Rapson; Vance, Alasdair

    2008-08-01

    This study examined differential symptom functioning (DSF) in ADHD symptoms across Malay and Chinese children in Malaysia. Malay (N=571) and Chinese (N=254) parents completed the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale, which lists the DSM-IV ADHD symptoms. DSF was examined using the multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) structural equation modeling procedure. Although DSF was found for a single inattention (IA) symptom and three hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI) symptoms, all these differences had low effect sizes. Controlling for these DSF, Chinese children had higher IA and HI latent factor scores. However the effect sizes were small. Together, these findings suggest adequate support for invariance of the ADHD symptoms across these ethno-cultural groups. The implications of the findings for cross-cultural invariance of the ADHD symptoms are discussed.

  16. Single top quark production with CMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piccolo Davide

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Measurements of single top quark production performed using the CMS experiment [1] data collected in 2011 at centre-of-mass energies of 7 TeV and in 2012 at 8 TeV, are presented. The cross sections for the electroweak production of single top quarks in the t-channel and in association with W-bosons is measured and the results are used to place constraints on the CKM matrix element Vtb. Measurements of top quark properties in single top quark production are also presented. The results include the measurement of the charge ratio in the single top t-channel.

  17. Mothers' Self-Reported Emotional Expression in Mainland Chinese, Chinese American and European American Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camras, Linda; Kolmodin, Karen; Chen, Yinghe

    2008-01-01

    This study compared Mainland Chinese, Chinese American and European American mothers' self-reported emotional expression within the family. Mothers of 3-year-old European American (n = 40), Chinese American (n = 39) and Mainland Chinese (n = 36) children (n = 20 girls per group) completed the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire (SEFQ),…

  18. The Aube centre; Le Centre de l`Aube

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    This educational booklet is devoted to a general presentation of the Aube radioactive wastes storage centre. After a short presentation of the Andra, the French national agency for the management of radioactive wastes, it gives some general information about radioactive wastes (origin, classification), containers (quality assurance and different types), wastes transportation (planning, safety), and about the Aube centre itself: description, treatment and conditioning of drums (compacting and injection), storage facilities, geological situation of the site, and environmental controls. (J.S.)

  19. Effects of the daily consumption of protein enriched bread and protein enriched drinking yoghurt on the total protein intake in older adults in a rehabilitation centre: a single blind randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Til, A J; Naumann, E; Cox-Claessens, I J H M; Kremer, S; Boelsma, E; de van der Schueren, M A E

    2015-05-01

    To investigate the effects of protein enriched bread and drinking yoghurt, substituting regular products, on the total protein intake and the distribution of protein intake over the day in older adults. A single blind randomised controlled trial. Rehabilitation centre. Older adults (≥ 55 years) admitted to a rehabilitation centre after hospital discharge (n=34). Participants received a high protein diet (protein enriched bread and protein enriched drinking yoghurt; n=17) or a regular diet (regular bread and regular drinking yoghurt; n=17) for three consecutive weeks. Total protein intake and protein intake per meal, measured twice weekly over a three weeks period (six measurements per participant). Compared with controls, patients who received the protein enriched products had a significantly higher protein intake (115.3 g/d vs 72.5 g/d, Pconsumption of protein enriched products improves protein distribution over the day.

  20. Third-Generation Cephalosporin-Resistant Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis: A single-Centre Experience and Summary of Existing Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Chaulk

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP is the most prevalent bacterial infection in patients with cirrhosis. Although studies from Europe have reported significant rates of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, there are limited SBP-specific data from centres in North America.

  1. Client Centred Desing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ørngreen, Rikke; Nielsen, Janni; Levinsen, Karin

    2008-01-01

    In this paper we argue for the use of Client Centred preparation phases when designing complex systems. Through Client Centred Design human computer interaction can extend the focus on end-users to alse encompass the client's needs, context and resources....

  2. [Comparative analysis between origin of cooked traditional Chinese medicine powder and modern formula granules].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Rui; Zhai, Hua-Qiang; Tian, Wei-Lan; Hou, Ji-Ru; Jin, Shi-Yuan; Wang, Yong-Yan

    2016-03-01

    In this study, the origin and causes of cooked traditional Chinese medicine powder were reviewed, and a comprehensive analysis was made for the time background of modern traditional Chinese medicine formula granules and the future development trend, in order to provide reference for application and promotion of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules. By reference to ancient medical books of previous dynasties, a system review was conducted for infancy, formation, maturity and transition of cooked traditional Chinese medicine powder, and a comprehensive analysis was made for the six factors of cooked traditional Chinese medicine powder's maturity in the Song Dynasty. Efforts were made to collect domestic and foreign research literatures of modern formula granules, understand the detailed development, and conduct an objective analysis of the current clinical application of modern formula granules. According to the comparative analysis for the application characteristics of cooked traditional Chinese medicine powder and modern formula granules, ①the popularity of cooked traditional Chinese medicine powder in the Song Dynasty has six factors: soaring numbers of medical students and medical practitioners, high medical expenses due to huge army, rapid population growth, frequent epidemics and increasing diseases, and insufficient finances of central and local governments. ②On the basis of clinical application characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules, traditional Chinese medicine formula granules contain extracted and concentrated effective components, which guarantee the curative effect, meet modern people's demands for "quick, simple and convenience" traditional Chinese medicine decoctions, show a relatively high cost performance; however, formula granules are restricted by their varieties and lack unified quality control standards, and single-extract formula granules have not synergy and attenuation effects of combined traditional

  3. Chinese Organized Crime in Latin America

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-01

    Rafáel Rodríguez, “Cárcel para miembros de la ‘mafia china,’” La Estrella (Panama City), November 9, 2008. 15 “Caso de los asiáticos asesinados es...un hecho aislado, ministro Mulino,” La Estrella (Panama City), September 19, 2011. 16 ana-Lisa Paul, “Police deny Chinese singled out for criminal...32 “Borrando las huellas,” La Estrella (Panama City), april 26, 2011. See also “tráfico de chinos en el gobierno del cambio,” La Estrella , april 25

  4. Prescriptions of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Constipation Under the National Health Insurance in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maw-Shiou Jong

    2010-07-01

    Conclusion: This study showed the pattern of single Chinese herbs or herbal formulae used in treating constipation in Taiwan. Further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these CHMs in treating constipation.

  5. Chop Suey as Imagined Authentic Chinese Food: The Culinary Identity of Chinese Restaurants in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiming Liu

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available At least until the 1960s, chop suey was synonymous with Chinese food in the United States, where most Chinese restaurants were called chop suey houses. By uncovering the history of chop suey, this article analyzes the development of Chinese cuisine in the U.S. as an example of transnational cultural exchange. The authenticity and culinary identity of Chinese food in America often rested on its real or imagined Chinese roots while its popularity depended on how well Chinese restaurant proprietors adapted the flavors, ingredients, and cooking methods of Chinese cuisine to the tastes and markets of local American communities. The dynamic interaction between Chinese food and American customers functioned as a complex cultural negotiation. While Chinese restaurants helped shape the American diet, Chinese food was at the same time being shaped and transformed by American popular taste. By appealing to a wide range of American diners, chop suey eventually evolved into a popular American ethnic food and a central component in the culinary identity of Chinese restaurants. Chop suey generated numerous jobs for Chinese immigrants and established a culinary bond between Chinese food and American customers. Also, as an imagined authentic Chinese dish, it represented a type of affordable exoticism in the eyes of American consumers, meeting not only American tastes but also their social expectations of Chinese culture.

  6. Chop Suey as Imagined Authentic Chinese Food: The Culinary Identity of Chinese Restaurants in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiming Liu

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available

    At least until the 1960s, chop suey was synonymous with Chinese food in the United States, where most Chinese restaurants were called chop suey houses. By uncovering the history of chop suey, this article analyzes the development of Chinese cuisine in the U.S. as an example of transnational cultural exchange. The authenticity and culinary identity of Chinese food in America often rested on its real or imagined Chinese roots while its popularity depended on how well Chinese restaurant proprietors adapted the flavors, ingredients, and cooking methods of Chinese cuisine to the tastes and markets of local American communities. The dynamic interaction between Chinese food and American customers functioned as a complex cultural negotiation. While Chinese restaurants helped shape the American diet, Chinese food was at the same time being shaped and transformed by American popular taste. By appealing to a wide range of American diners, chop suey eventually evolved into a popular American ethnic food and a central component in the culinary identity of Chinese restaurants. Chop suey generated numerous jobs for Chinese immigrants and established a culinary bond between Chinese food and American customers. Also, as an imagined authentic Chinese dish, it represented a type of affordable exoticism in the eyes of American consumers, meeting not only American tastes but also their social expectations of Chinese culture.

  7. Adult Chinese as a Second Language Learners' Willingness to Communicate in Chinese: Effects of Cultural, Affective, and Linguistic Variables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Meihua

    2017-06-01

    The present research explored the effects of cultural, affective, and linguistic variables on adult Chinese as a second language learners' willingness to communicate in Chinese. One hundred and sixty-two Chinese as a second language learners from a Chinese university answered the Willingness to Communicate in Chinese Scale, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, Chinese Speaking Anxiety Scale, Chinese Learning Motivation Scale, Use of Chinese Profile, as well as the Background Questionnaire. The major findings were as follows: (1) the Willingness to Communicate in Chinese Scales were significantly negatively correlated with Chinese Speaking Anxiety Scale but positively correlated with length of stay in China and (2) Chinese Speaking Anxiety Scale was a powerful negative predictor for the overall willingness to communicate in Chinese and the Willingness to Communicate in Chinese Scales, followed by length of stay in China, Chinese Learning Motivation Scale, interaction attentiveness, and Chinese proficiency level. Apparently, students' willingness to communicate in Chinese is largely determined by their Chinese Speaking Anxiety Scale level and length of stay in China, mediated by other variables such as Chinese proficiency level and intercultural communication sensitivity level.

  8. TRADITIONAL CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ZHU, YP; WOERDENBAG, HJ

    1995-01-01

    Herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, and massage and the three major constituent parts of traditional Chinese medicine. Although acupuncture is well known in many Western countries, Chinese herbal medicine, the mos important part of traditional Chinese medicine, is less well known in the

  9. Instrument performance in bone density testing at five Australian centres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khan, K M; Saul, A; Wark, J D [Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC (Australia). Department of Medicine; Henzell, S L [Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA (Australia). Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes; Broderick, C [University of NSW, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Prince, R L [University of Western Australia, Perth, WA. (Australia). Department of Medicine; Lomman, J [Bone Densitometry Technologist, Ashford, SA (Australia)

    1997-10-01

    Using a multicentre reliability study the accuracy and short- and long-term precision of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in vitro was compared on five instruments. Measures were performed using pencil beam mode on four Hologic QDR- 2000 densitometers and one Hologic QDR-1000/W (Hologic Inc, Waltham, MA). Short-term precision of bone mineral density measurement was less than 0.5% for spine phantoms (n= 10 for each centre, mean intrasite coefficient of variation [CV] 0.39{+-}0.09% [SD]) and for hip phantoms (n=10 for each centre, mean intrasite coefficient of variation [CV] 0.34{+-}0.10% [SD]). Between-centre measurement (n=10 for each phantom) of a single spine phantom and a single hip phantom (specified mineral contents - 58.5 g and 38.6 g, respectively) revealed ranges of bone mineral content of 57.7-58.1 g (all-point CV=0.52%) and 37.1-37.8 g (all-point CV=0.70%), respectively. When results from pairs of machines were compared there were statistically different mean BMD results for the majority of the ten possible pairings for both spine and hip measurements. Each study centre measured in vitro stability of phantom BMD measurements over a one year period (n=45-283, median 157 for spine; and n=0-262, median 38, for hip); CVs ranged from 0.38 % to 0.53% for the spine measurements and from 0.38 % to 0.54% for the hip measurements. The mean all-point accuracy of the spine phantom measurements was 99.1% and the hip phantom measurements was 96.7%. It is concluded that across a number of instruments assessed in this study, DXA demonstrates in vitro all-point precision of 0.5% for the spine phantom and 0.7% for the hip phantom. The instrument demonstrates accuracy of greater than 99% at the spine and 96% at the hip (authors). 14 refs., 3 tabs., 4 figs.

  10. The Danger of Chinese Exceptionalism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xin

    2016-01-01

    In the movement of Chinese indigenous management research, a sort of ‘Chinese exceptionalism’ (as critiqued by Peng, 2005: 133) seems to have been emerging, namely, some Chinese scholars see Chinese culture, philosophy, and way of thinking are unique and cannot be accounted for by some...

  11. Communication and relationship satisfaction in Chinese, Western, and intercultural Chinese-Western couples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiew, Danika N; Halford, W Kim; van de Vijver, Fons J R; Liu, Shuang

    2016-03-01

    The current study compared Chinese, Western, and intercultural Chinese-Western couples' communication and examined how culture moderates the association of communication with relationship satisfaction. We coded the communication of 33 Western couples, 36 Chinese couples, and 54 intercultural Chinese-Western couples when discussing a relationship problem and when reminiscing about positive relationship events. Couples with Chinese female partners showed fewer positive behaviors and more negative behaviors (as classified in existing Western coding systems) than couples with Western female partners. The male partner's culture had few associations with couples' rates of communication behavior. Relationship satisfaction was associated with low rates of negative behaviors and high rates of most of the positive behaviors across cultural groups, and these associations were more evident in problem discussions than positive reminiscences. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Factors associated with anxiety and depression among type 2 diabetes outpatients in Malaysia: a descriptive cross-sectional single-centre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganasegeran, Kurubaran; Renganathan, Pukunan; Manaf, Rizal Abdul; Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman

    2014-04-23

    To determine the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among type 2 diabetes outpatients in Malaysia. Descriptive, cross-sectional single-centre study with universal sampling of all patients with type 2 diabetes. Endocrinology clinic of medical outpatient department in a Malaysian public hospital. All 169 patients with type 2 diabetes (men, n=99; women, n=70) aged between 18 and 90 years who acquired follow-up treatment from the endocrinology clinic in the month of September 2013. The validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), sociodemographic characteristics and clinical health information from patient records. Of the total 169 patients surveyed, anxiety and depression were found in 53 (31.4%) and 68 (40.3%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, age, ethnicity and ischaemic heart disease were significantly associated with anxiety, while age, ethnicity and monthly household income were significantly associated with depression. Sociodemographics and clinical health factors were important correlates of anxiety and depression among patients with diabetes. Integrated psychological and medical care to boost self-determination and confidence in the management of diabetes would catalyse optimal health outcomes among patients with diabetes.

  13. SAP Nuclear Competence Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrlova, Z.

    2009-01-01

    In this issue we continue and introduce the SAP Nuclear Competence Centre and its head Mr. Igor Dzama. SAP Nuclear Competence Centrum is one of the fi rst competence centres outside ENEL headquarters. It should operate in Slovakia and should have competencies within the whole Enel group. We are currently dealing with the issues of organisation and funding. We are trying to balance the accountability to the NPP directors and to the management of the competence centres at Enel headquarters; we are looking at the relations between the competence centres within the group and defining the services that we will provide for the NPPs. author)

  14. Associations of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the Mina gene with the development of asthma in Chinese Han children: a case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yun; Yang, Xiqiang; Huang, Ying; Liu, Enmei; Wang, Lijia

    2011-01-01

    The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the Mina gene in animals are associated with the development of Th2-mediated diseases. However, there is no information whether the association occurs in humans. This case-control study aimed at examining the potential association of the SNP of the Mina gene with the development of asthma in Chinese Han children. The DNA genotypes and serum immunoglobulin E and interleukin-4 levels of 202 asthmatic patients and 191 nonasthmatic subjects were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. We found that the frequency of the T allele of rs4857304, but not rs832081, rs832078, rs9879532, and rs17374916, in the Mina gene in asthmatic patients was significantly higher than that of controls (p = 0.0199). Using a recessive model, we found that the percentage of patients with TT homozygous rs4857304 was significantly higher than that of controls (p = 0.0282, odds ratio=1.568, 95% confidence interval=1.048-2.346). Further, the mean levels of serum immunoglobulin E and interleukin-4 in the patients with TT genotype of rs4857304 were significantly higher than that of patients with the G allele (p = 0.000 and p = 0.03, respectively). Apparently, the T allele of rs4857304 of the Mina gene may be associated with increased risk for the development of asthma in Chinese Han children.

  15. [Moderation-integrated-balance presupposition of Chinese medicine compound and pharmacological problems in traditional Chinese drug research].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jun-Ning

    2017-03-01

    The moderation-integrated-balance presupposition (MIBP) of Chinese medicine compound was first proposed in this paper based on the review of function characteristics and action principles of Chinese medicine compound. Furthermore, the pharmacological problems of traditional Chinese drug research were discussed in details. The results were of important value in accelerating the transformation of traditional Chinese medicine compound, and constructing the new drug innovation and review system for traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  16. Managing a tier-2 computer centre with a private cloud infrastructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagnasco, Stefano; Berzano, Dario; Brunetti, Riccardo; Lusso, Stefano; Vallero, Sara

    2014-01-01

    In a typical scientific computing centre, several applications coexist and share a single physical infrastructure. An underlying Private Cloud infrastructure eases the management and maintenance of such heterogeneous applications (such as multipurpose or application-specific batch farms, Grid sites, interactive data analysis facilities and others), allowing dynamic allocation resources to any application. Furthermore, the maintenance of large deployments of complex and rapidly evolving middleware and application software is eased by the use of virtual images and contextualization techniques. Such infrastructures are being deployed in some large centres (see e.g. the CERN Agile Infrastructure project), but with several open-source tools reaching maturity this is becoming viable also for smaller sites. In this contribution we describe the Private Cloud infrastructure at the INFN-Torino Computer Centre, that hosts a full-fledged WLCG Tier-2 centre, an Interactive Analysis Facility for the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC and several smaller scientific computing applications. The private cloud building blocks include the OpenNebula software stack, the GlusterFS filesystem and the OpenWRT Linux distribution (used for network virtualization); a future integration into a federated higher-level infrastructure is made possible by exposing commonly used APIs like EC2 and OCCI

  17. Chinese herbal medicine for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Chun-Xiang; Wang, Li-Qiong; Grant, Suzanne J; Liu, Jian-Ping

    2014-06-01

    To assess the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue. We systematically searched seven electronic databases and two trial registries for randomized clinical trials of Chinese herbal medicine for cancer-related fatigue. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the included trials using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data were synthesized using RevMan 5.2 software. A total of 10 trials involving 751 participants with cancer-related fatigue were identified and the methodological quality of the included trials was generally poor. Chinese herbal medicine used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or supportive care showed significant relief in cancer-related fatigue compared to placebo, chemotherapy or supportive care based on single trials. Chinese herbal medicine plus chemotherapy or supportive care was superior to chemotherapy or supportive care in improving quality of life. Data from one trial demonstrated Chinese herbal medicine exerted a greater beneficial effect on relieving anxiety but no difference in alleviating depression. Seven trials reported adverse events and no severe adverse effects were found in Chinese herbal medicine groups. The findings from limited number of trials suggest that Chinese herbal medicine seems to be effective and safe in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue. However, the current evidence is insufficient to draw a confirmative conclusion due to the poor methodological quality of included trials. Thus, conducting rigorously designed trials on potential Chinese herbal medicine is warranted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. [Proteomics and its application to determine mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xin, Ping; Kuang, Hai-Xue; Li, Xiao-Liang; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Ben-Mei; Bu, He; Wang, Zhi-Bin; Meng, Yong-Hai; Wang, Yan-Hong; Wang, Qiu-Hong

    2018-03-01

    There is no doubt that the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is effective, practical and scientific after it was used for thousands of years. However, the mechanisms of action of many TCM are still unclear because of their multi-component, multi-target and multi-level features, which hinder the modernization and internationalization of the TCM. Proteomics is to analyze the composition and activity of intracellular proteins which are changing dynamically from a holistic perspective. It is consistent with the holistic and dynamic views of the TCM and brings about the hope of clarifying the mechanism of action of the TCM. In recent years, great progress has been made in the application of proteomics to determine the mechanism of the TCM. This article introduced the core technologies of proteomics and systematically summarized the applications of proteomics in the study of the mechanism of the Chinese medicinal formulae, single Chinese medicine and monomeric compounds from the TCM to provide innovative ideas and methods for reference. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  19. Validation and comparison of seventeen noninvasive models for evaluating liver fibrosis in Chinese hepatitis B patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Minhui; Wu, Jingwen; Yu, Xueping; Li, Jing; Yang, Sisi; Qi, Xun; Mao, Richeng; Zhang, Yongmei; Yu, Jie; Zhu, Haoxiang; Yang, Feifei; Qin, Yanli; Zhang, Jiming

    2018-01-03

    To avoid liver biopsy, many noninvasive models comprised of serum markers for liver fibrosis assessment have been developed. Given that most of them were developed in hepatitis C cohorts and few of them have been validated in Chinese hepatitis B patients, we aim to conduct this validation and compare their diagnostic accuracies in such a population. A total of 937 HBV-infected patients who underwent liver biopsy were included in this single-centre retrospective study. The diagnostic accuracies of the 17 noninvasive models were assessed by areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROCs), using histologically evaluated fibrotic stages of the biopsy specimens as standards. To compare efficiencies of the models, a grading system based on AUROC levels was developed. For discriminating significant fibrosis in all patients, the best three noninvasive models were King's score (AUROC = 0.756), Virahep-C model (AUROC = 0.756) and GPR (AUROC = 0.744); and for diagnosing cirrhosis, Lok index (AUROC = 0.832), FI (AUROC = 0.820) and FIB-4 (AUROC = 0.818) got the first three places. AUROCs in HBeAg-positive group were generally higher than those in HBeAg-negative group. In addition, based on the grading system, Virahep-C and GPR outstood others in evaluating liver fibrosis in all patients. In Chinese HBV-infected patients, Virahep-C models and GPR had high accuracies in diagnosing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, while the most discussed models like APRI and FIB-4 did not outstand. Assessment should take into account the HBeAg sero-status, since these noninvasive models were more appropriate for HBeAg-positive patients than HBeAg-negative ones. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Effects of unstratified and centre-stratified randomization in multi-centre clinical trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anisimov, Vladimir V

    2011-01-01

    This paper deals with the analysis of randomization effects in multi-centre clinical trials. The two randomization schemes most often used in clinical trials are considered: unstratified and centre-stratified block-permuted randomization. The prediction of the number of patients randomized to different treatment arms in different regions during the recruitment period accounting for the stochastic nature of the recruitment and effects of multiple centres is investigated. A new analytic approach using a Poisson-gamma patient recruitment model (patients arrive at different centres according to Poisson processes with rates sampled from a gamma distributed population) and its further extensions is proposed. Closed-form expressions for corresponding distributions of the predicted number of the patients randomized in different regions are derived. In the case of two treatments, the properties of the total imbalance in the number of patients on treatment arms caused by using centre-stratified randomization are investigated and for a large number of centres a normal approximation of imbalance is proved. The impact of imbalance on the power of the study is considered. It is shown that the loss of statistical power is practically negligible and can be compensated by a minor increase in sample size. The influence of patient dropout is also investigated. The impact of randomization on predicted drug supply overage is discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Single-Centre Experience with Percutaneous Cryoablation of Breast Cancer in 23 Consecutive Non-surgical Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cazzato, Roberto Luigi; Lara, Christine Tunon de; Buy, Xavier; Ferron, Stéphane; Hurtevent, Gabrielle; Fournier, Marion; Debled, Marc; Palussière, Jean

    2015-01-01

    AimTo present our single-centre prospective experience on the use of cryoablation (CA) applied to treat primary breast cancer (BC) in a cohort of patients unsuitable for surgical treatment.Materials and MethodsTwenty-three consecutive post-menopausal female patients (median age 85 years; range 56–96) underwent percutaneous CA of unifocal, biopsy-proven BC, under ultrasound/computed tomography (US/CT) guidance. Clinical and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) follow-ups were systematically scheduled at 3, 12, 18 and 24 months. Local tumour control was assessed by comparing baseline and follow-up DCE-MRI.ResultsTwenty-three BC (median size 14 mm) were treated under local anaesthesia (78.3 %) or local anaesthesia and conscious sedation (21.7 %). Median number of cryo-probes applied per session was 2.0. A “dual-freezing” protocol was applied for the first ten patients and a more aggressive “triple-freezing” protocol for the remaining 13. Median follow-up was 14.6 months. Five patients recurred during follow-up and two were successfully re-treated with CA. Five patients presented immediate CA-related complications: four hematomas evolved uneventfully at 3-month follow-up and one skin burn resulted in skin inflammation and skin retraction at 3 and 12 months, respectively.ConclusionsPercutaneous CA is safe and well tolerated for non-resected elderly BC patients. Procedures can be proposed under local anaesthesia only. Given the insulation properties of the breast gland, aggressive CA protocols are required. Prospective studies are needed to better understand the potential role of CA in the local treatment of early BC

  2. Single-Centre Experience with Percutaneous Cryoablation of Breast Cancer in 23 Consecutive Non-surgical Patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cazzato, Roberto Luigi, E-mail: r.cazzato@unicampus.it [Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Medical Imaging (France); Lara, Christine Tunon de, E-mail: c.tunondelara@bordeaux.unicancer.fr [Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Surgery (France); Buy, Xavier, E-mail: x.buy@bordeaux.unicancer.fr; Ferron, Stéphane, E-mail: s.ferron@bordeaux.unicancer.fr; Hurtevent, Gabrielle, E-mail: g.hurtevent@bordeaux.unicancer.fr [Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Medical Imaging (France); Fournier, Marion, E-mail: m.fournier@bordeaux.unicancer.fr [Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Surgery (France); Debled, Marc, E-mail: m.debled@bordeaux.unicancer.fr [Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Medical Oncology (France); Palussière, Jean, E-mail: j.palussiere@bordeaux.unicancer.fr [Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Medical Imaging (France)

    2015-10-15

    AimTo present our single-centre prospective experience on the use of cryoablation (CA) applied to treat primary breast cancer (BC) in a cohort of patients unsuitable for surgical treatment.Materials and MethodsTwenty-three consecutive post-menopausal female patients (median age 85 years; range 56–96) underwent percutaneous CA of unifocal, biopsy-proven BC, under ultrasound/computed tomography (US/CT) guidance. Clinical and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) follow-ups were systematically scheduled at 3, 12, 18 and 24 months. Local tumour control was assessed by comparing baseline and follow-up DCE-MRI.ResultsTwenty-three BC (median size 14 mm) were treated under local anaesthesia (78.3 %) or local anaesthesia and conscious sedation (21.7 %). Median number of cryo-probes applied per session was 2.0. A “dual-freezing” protocol was applied for the first ten patients and a more aggressive “triple-freezing” protocol for the remaining 13. Median follow-up was 14.6 months. Five patients recurred during follow-up and two were successfully re-treated with CA. Five patients presented immediate CA-related complications: four hematomas evolved uneventfully at 3-month follow-up and one skin burn resulted in skin inflammation and skin retraction at 3 and 12 months, respectively.ConclusionsPercutaneous CA is safe and well tolerated for non-resected elderly BC patients. Procedures can be proposed under local anaesthesia only. Given the insulation properties of the breast gland, aggressive CA protocols are required. Prospective studies are needed to better understand the potential role of CA in the local treatment of early BC.

  3. The Sicomines agreement revisited: prudent Chinese banks and risk-taking Chinese companies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jansson, Johanna

    2013-01-01

    The Sicomines ‘minerals-for-infrastructure' agreement struck between the Congolese government and a consortium of Chinese companies in 2007 is one of the most well-known embodiments of the Chinese presence in Africa. This briefing analyses recent developments in the implementation of the agreement....... With important expenses incurred in the DRC, the Chinese parties to the agreement are still negotiating for a financing arrangement in China. This illustrates that China is no monolith in its overseas activities. While China’s banks are cautious, the real risk-takers in the context of the Sicomines agreement...... are the Chinese companies....

  4. OA2 Chinese migrant peasant workers and the contradictory demands of filial piety in neo-liberal chinese society: a case study of filial end-of-life care in langzhong city.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Longtao

    2015-04-01

    Many scholars claim that recent changes to Chinese society since economic reform have challenged longstanding forms of informal social care, such as filial piety. For instance there is a societal tension at work in contemporary Chinese society today. On the one hand decreasing co-residence in multi-generational households caused by rural-urban migration, population ageing, the fall in fertility and 'One-Child Policy', and women's increasing participation in the labour market, emphasises an individualised, wage earning centred society. On the other hand, the Chinese government has sought to enforce a form of institutionalised filial piety through policies that legally require younger generations fulfil the full responsibility of care as there is no institutionalised equivalent of the welfare state to provide e.g. home help or personal care to the elderly whose relatives live and work at some distance. This places many younger generations in the contradiction of having to comply with neo-liberal labour market demands while also fulfilling state enforced filial piety. This research is to look at how Chinese migrant worker experience perceived filial responsibilities in relation to End-of-Life care for parents diagnosed with cancer in the current Chinese context. My PhD, based on interviews with migrant peasant workers caught in this dilemma by the demands of having a terminally ill parent, examines how Chinese migrant peasant workers negotiate and conduct their filial practices. The preliminary analysis of the interviews suggests that 'Filial Piety' is getting reconstructed in multifaceted ways as they negotiate the care dilemmas they face. The way they engage with the concept of filial piety enables and constrains how they can think about and practically organise their parents' care. The result would shed a light on evaluation of and suggestions for governmental policy-makings, such as the newly implemented Parent-Visiting law in China, in terms of better reinforcing

  5. Clinical and genetic characteristics of Pseudohypoparathyroidism in the Chinese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Xueying; Zhu, Yan; Wang, Ou; Nie, Min; Quan, Tingting; Xue, Yu; Wang, Wenbo; Jiang, Yan; Li, Mei; Xia, Weibo; Xing, Xiaoping

    2018-02-01

    Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is caused by mutations and epimutations in the GNAS locus, and characterized by the possibility of resistance to multiple hormones and Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy. PHP can be classified into the forms 1A/C, sporadic 1B and familial 1B. To obtain an overall view of the clinical and genetic characteristics of the Chinese PHP patient population. From 2000 to 2016, 120 patients were recruited and studied using Sanger sequencing, methylation-specific multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) and combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA). Of these patients, 104 had positive molecular alterations indicative of certain forms of PHP and were included in data analysis. Clinical and laboratory features were compared between PHP1A/C and PHP1B patients. Ten PHP1A/C, 21 familial PHP1B and 73 sporadic PHP1B patients were identified. Four novel GNAS mutations were discovered in these patients, including c.1038+1G>T, c.530+2T>C, c.880_883delCAAG and c.311_312delAAG, insT. The most common symptoms in this series were recurrent tetany (89.4%) and epilepsy (47.1%). The prevalence of weight excess increased with age for PHP1B (10%-35%) and PHP1A/C (50%-75%). Intracranial calcification had a prevalence of 94.6% and correlated with seizures (r = .227, P = .029). Cataracts occurred in 56.2% PHP patients, and there was a trend towards longer disease duration in patients with cataracts (P = .051). Statistically significant differences (P PHP1B and PHP1A/C patients, including age of onset (10 vs 7 year), short stature (21.3% vs 70%), rounded face (60.6% vs 100%), brachydactyly (25.5% vs 100%), ectopic ossification (1.1% vs 40%) and TSH resistance (44.6% vs 90%), respectively. This study is the largest single-centre series of PHP patients and summarizes the clinical and genetic features of the Chinese PHP population. While there was substantial clinical overlap between PHP1A/C and PHP1B, differences in disease progression

  6. The impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on left ventricular performance and wall thickness – single-centre experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szymański, Piotr; Dąbrowski, Maciej; Zakrzewski, Dariusz; Michałek, Piotr; Orłowska-Baranowska, Ewa; El-Hassan, Kamal; Chmielak, Zbigniew; Witkowski, Adam; Hryniewiecki, Tomasz

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a treatment alternative for the elderly population with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Aim To assess the impact of TAVI on echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) performance and wall thickness in patients subjected to the procedure in a single-centre between 2009 and 2013. Material and methods The initial group consisted of 170 consecutive patients with severe AS unsuitable for SAVR. Logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) was 21.73 ±12.42% and mean age was 79.9 ±7.5 years. Results The TAVI was performed in 167 (98.2%) patients. Mean aortic gradient decreased significantly more rapidly after the procedure (from 58.6 ±16.7 mm Hg to 11.9 ±4.9 mm Hg, p < 0.001). The LV ejection fraction (LVEF) significantly increased in both short-term and long-term follow-up (57 ±14% vs. 59 ±13%, p < 0.001 and 56 ±14% vs. 60 ±12%, p < 0.001, respectively). Significant regression of interventricular septum diameter at end-diastole (IVSDD) and end-diastolic posterior wall thickness (EDPWth) was noted in early (15.0 ±2.4 mm vs. 14.5 ±2.3 mm, p < 0.001 and 12.7 ±2.1 mm vs. 12.4 ±1.9 mm, p < 0.028, respectively) and late post-TAVI period (15.1 ±2.5 mm to 14.3 ±2.5 mm, p < 0.001 and 12.8 ±2.0 mm to 12.4 ±1.9 mm, p < 0.007, respectively). Significant paravalvular leak (PL) was noted in 21 (13.1%) patients immediately after TAVI and in 13 (9.6%) patients in follow-up (p < 0.001). Moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (msMR) was seen in 24 (14.9%) patients from the initial group and in 19 (11.8%) patients after TAVI (p < 0.001). Conclusions The TAVI had an immediate beneficial effect on LVEF, LV walls thickness, and the incidence of msMR. The results of the procedure are comparable with those described in other centres. PMID:25848369

  7. Prescription frequency and patterns of Chinese herbal medicine for liver cancer patients in Taiwan: a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health Insurance Research Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ting, Chin-Tsung; Kuo, Chian-Jue; Hu, Hsiao-Yun; Lee, Ya-Ling; Tsai, Tung-Hu

    2017-02-20

    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is frequently provided to HCC patients. The aim of this study was to understand the prescription frequency and patterns of CHM for HCC patients by analyzing the claims data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan. We identified 73918 newly diagnosed HCC subjects from the database of Registry for Catastrophic Illness during 2002 to 2009 and to analyze the frequency and pattern of corresponding CHM prescriptions for HCC patients. There were a total of 685,079 single Chinese herbal prescriptions and 553,952 Chinese herbal formula prescriptions used for 17,373 HCC subjects before 2 years of HCC diagnosis. Among the 13,093 HCC subjects who used CHMs after HCC diagnosis, there were 462,786 single Chinese herbal prescriptions and 300,153 Chinese herbal formula prescriptions were counted. By adjusting with person-year and ratio of standardized incidence rate, the top ten prescribed single herbal drugs and Chinese herbal formulas for HCC patients were described in our study. Among them, we concluded that, Oldenlandia diffusa (Chinese herbal name: Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao), Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (Da Huang) and the herbal preparation of Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang and Gan-Lu-Yin, were the most obviously increased and important CHMs been used for HCC patients. We established an accurate and validated method for the actual frequency and patterns of CHM use in treating HCC in Taiwan. We propose that these breakthrough findings may have important implications for HCC therapy, clinical trials and modernization of CHM.

  8. Defining and describing birth centres in the Netherlands - a component study of the Dutch Birth Centre Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermus, M A A; Boesveld, I C; Hitzert, M; Franx, A; de Graaf, J P; Steegers, E A P; Wiegers, T A; van der Pal-de Bruin, K M

    2017-07-03

    During the last decade, a rapid increase of birth locations for low-risk births, other than conventional obstetric units, has been seen in the Netherlands. Internationally some of such locations are called birth centres. The varying international definitions for birth centres are not directly applicable for use within the Dutch obstetric system. A standard definition for a birth centre in the Netherlands is lacking. This study aimed to develop a definition of birth centres for use in the Netherlands, to identify these centres and to describe their characteristics. International definitions of birth centres were analysed to find common descriptions. In July 2013 the Dutch Birth Centre Questionnaire was sent to 46 selected Dutch birth locations that might qualify as birth centre. Questions included: location, reason for establishment, women served, philosophies, facilities that support physiological birth, hotel-facilities, management, environment and transfer procedures in case of referral. Birth centres were visited to confirm the findings from the Dutch Birth Centre Questionnaire and to measure distance and time in case of referral to obstetric care. From all 46 birth locations the questionnaires were received. Based on this information a Dutch definition of a birth centre was constructed. This definition reads: "Birth centres are midwifery-managed locations that offer care to low risk women during labour and birth. They have a homelike environment and provide facilities to support physiological birth. Community midwives take primary professional responsibility for care. In case of referral the obstetric caregiver takes over the professional responsibility of care." Of the 46 selected birth locations 23 fulfilled this definition. Three types of birth centres were distinguished based on their location in relation to the nearest obstetric unit: freestanding (n = 3), alongside (n = 14) and on-site (n = 6). Transfer in case of referral was necessary for all

  9. Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for post-surgery colon cancer patients in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Te-Hsin; Fu, Pin-Kuei; Chang, Chiung-Hung; Chang, Shih-Ni; Chiahung Mao, Frank; Lin, Ching-Heng

    2014-08-08

    Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly provided to cancer patients, however, the patterns of prescriptions for this type of medicine in Taiwan are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the use of traditional Chinese medicine products in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan and to research patterns of TCM. This was a cross-sectional study of newly diagnosed colon cancer patients who received surgery between 2004 and 2008 identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The prescription patterns and reasons for the use of TCM for colon cancer were analyzed. The results showed that "symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions" (23.3%) and diseases of the digestive system (16.9%) were the most common reasons for using Chinese herbal medicine. Xiang-sha-liu-jun-zi-tang (7.1%), Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang (4.3%), Jia-wei-xiao-yao-san (4.1%), Shen-Ling-Bai-Zhu-San (3.7%), Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang (3.4%), Gui-pi-tang (2.4%), Ping-Wei-San (2.4%), Gan-Lu-Yin (2.0%), Bao-He-Wan (1.9%), and Zhen-Ren-Huo-Ming-Yin (1.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbal formulae (CHF) for colon cancer patients post-surgery. Hedyotis diffusa Willd (Bai Hua She She Cao) (5.1%) and Scutellaria barbata (Ban Zhi Lian )(4.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbs. This study identified patterns of TCM use in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan. The herbal ingredients were most commonly used for stimulate ghrelin secretion to increase food intake and had potential anti-tumor effect. However, further research is required to evaluate any beneficial effects which could identify leads for the development of new treatment strategies using TCM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Creation of Indian–Chinese cuisine: Chinese food in an Indian city

    OpenAIRE

    Amal Sankar

    2017-01-01

    This paper discusses two aspects of Chinese food served in India, based on data collected from fieldwork in Dharavi, Mumbai along with the data gathered from online restaurant reviews, food ordering portals, and blogs. First it discusses different forms of Indianizations in Chinese food served in India. Second part discusses how Chineseness is created through exhibits in and out of the restaurants, and how it communicates ‘Chinese’ in the menu through these symbols. One Major observation was ...

  11. Effect of vitamin E on cytotoxicity, DNA single strand breaks, chromosomal aberrations, and mutation in Chinese hamster V-79 cells exposed to ultraviolet-B light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, M.; Tsuzuki, K.; Matsumoto, K.; Ogura, R.

    1992-01-01

    The effect of pretreatment with vitamin E on cytotoxicity, DNA single strand breaks, and chromosomal aberrations as well as on mutation induced by ultraviolet-B light (UV-B) was investigated in Chinese hamster V-79 cells. Cellular pretreatment with non-toxic levels of 25 μM α-tocopherol succinate (vitamin E) for 24h prior to exposure resulted in a 10-fold increase in cellular levels of α-tocopherol. Using a colony-forming assay, this pretreatment decreased the cytotoxicity of UV-B light. However, alkaline elution assays demonstrated that pretreatment with vitamin E did not affect the number of DNA single strand breaks caused by UV-B light. UV-B exposure produced a dose-dependent induction of chromosomal aberrations and mutations at the HGPRT locus, and neither of these actions of UV-B was influenced by pretreatment with the vitamin. These results suggest that vitamin E protects cells from UV-B-induced cytotoxicity, possibly through its ability to scavenge free radicals. The genotoxicity induced by UV-B light may not correlate directly with the cytotoxic action of this wavelength region in sunlight. (author)

  12. Traditional Chinese Biotechnology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yan; Wang, Dong; Fan, Wen Lai; Mu, Xiao Qing; Chen, Jian

    The earliest industrial biotechnology originated in ancient China and developed into a vibrant industry in traditional Chinese liquor, rice wine, soy sauce, and vinegar. It is now a significant component of the Chinese economy valued annually at about 150 billion RMB. Although the production methods had existed and remained basically unchanged for centuries, modern developments in biotechnology and related fields in the last decades have greatly impacted on these industries and led to numerous technological innovations. In this chapter, the main biochemical processes and related technological innovations in traditional Chinese biotechnology are illustrated with recent advances in functional microbiology, microbial ecology, solid-state fermentation, enzymology, chemistry of impact flavor compounds, and improvements made to relevant traditional industrial facilities. Recent biotechnological advances in making Chinese liquor, rice wine, soy sauce, and vinegar are reviewed.

  13. [Development and validation of the Chinese version of modified body imgae scale in Chinese population].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, X X; Zhu, L; Yu, S J; Xu, T

    2018-02-25

    Objective: To develop the Chinese version of modified body image scale (MBIS) questionnaires, and to validate them in Chinese population. Methods: The original English MBIS questionnaire was translated into Chinese, following the WHO cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality of life measures. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of MBIS questionnaires were evaluated in Chinese population, MRKH syndrome patients. Results: Totally 50 patients with MRKH syndrome completed the MBIS and short-form 12-item health survey (SF-12) questionnaires. The Cronbach's alpha of MBIS was 0.741, intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.472-0.815 ( PChinese version of MBIS has high reliability and validity in Chinese population, therefore is suitable for clinic and research.

  14. [Verruca planae Chinese medicine treatment].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hai-Ming

    2008-08-01

    Flat wart on the effectiveness of TCM treatment. Outpatients will be by the "People's Republic of China Chinese medicine industry standards, TCM diagnosis of dermatological diseases efficacy standards, Chen Hou State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1994-06-28 approved, 1995-01-01 implementation". Randomly divided into two groups. Treatment and control groups. Treatment groups treated with Chinese herbs. The control group were treated with WM. Since the preparation of the unification formula ointment, cuboiling method. Chinese herbal medicine preparation by my hospital room Producer. 5 g pre pack, after treatment for 30 days, clinical observation. The group of Chinese medicine is better than western medicine (86.7% vs 71.7% , P < 0.05). Chinese medicine has some effect flat wart.

  15. Catquest-9SF questionnaire: validation of Malay and Chinese-language versions using Rasch analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adnan, Tassha Hilda; Mohamed Apandi, Mokhlisoh; Kamaruddin, Haireen; Salowi, Mohamad Aziz; Law, Kian Boon; Haniff, Jamaiyah; Goh, Pik Pin

    2018-01-05

    Catquest questionnaire was originally developed in Swedish to measure patients' self-assessed visual function to evaluate the benefit of cataract surgery. The result of the Rasch analysis leading to the creation of the nine-item short form of Catquest, (Catquest-9SF), and it had been translated and validated in English. The aim is therefore to evaluate the translated Catquest-9SF questionnaire in Malay and Chinese (Mandarin) language version for measuring patient-reported visual function among cataract population in Malaysia. The English version of Catquest-9SF questionnaire was translated and back translated into Malay and Chinese languages. The Malay and Chinese translated versions were self-administered by 236 and 202 pre-operative patients drawn from a cataract surgery waiting list, respectively. The translated Catquest-9SF data and its four response options were assessed for fit to the Rasch model. The Catquest-9SF performed well in the Malay and Chinese translated versions fulfilling all criteria for valid measurement, as demonstrated by Rasch analysis. Both versions of questionnaire had ordered response thresholds, with a good person separation (Malay 2.84; and Chinese 2.59) and patient separation reliability (Malay 0.89; Chinese 0.87). Targeting was 0.30 and -0.11 logits in Malay and Chinese versions respectively, indicating that the item difficulty was well suited to the visual abilities of the patients. All items fit a single overall construct (Malay infit range 0.85-1.26, outfit range 0.73-1.13; Chinese infit range 0.80-1.51, outfit range 0.71-1.36), unidimensional by principal components analysis, and was free of Differential Item Functioning (DIF). These results support the good overall functioning of the Catquest-9SF in patients with cataract. The translated questionnaire to Malay and Chinese-language versions are reliable and valid in measuring visual disability outcomes in the Malaysian cataract population.

  16. Birth centre confinement at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre: four years' experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, N; Campbell, J; Biro, M A; Lumley, J; Rao, J; Spensley, J

    1986-06-09

    A review of the first four years of the functioning of the birth centre at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre is presented. In that time, 1040 pregnant women were accepted for confinement there. Of these, 52 withdrew for non-obstetric reasons, while 470 were transferred to alternative obstetrical care--274 because of antepartum complications and 196 because of intrapartum problems. Therefore, 518 women were delivered in the birth centre. The care of the women is entrusted almost entirely to a team of midwives and this review demonstrates an enviable safety record.

  17. Increased Cardiovascular Events and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: 1 Year Prospective Single Centre Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piero Ruscitti

    Full Text Available Several studies showed the close relationship between Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA and cerebro-cardiovascular events (CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis during the course of RA and we evaluated the possible role of both traditional cardiovascular (CV and disease related risk factors to predict the occurrence of new CVEs and the onset of subclinical atherosclerosis.We designed a single centre, bias-adjusted, prospective, observational study to investigate, in a homogeneous subset of RA patients, the occurrence of new onset of CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the role of traditional CV and disease-related risk factors to predict the occurrence of new CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis.We enrolled 347 RA patients prospectively followed for 12 months. An increased percentage of patients experienced CVEs, developed subclinical atherosclerosis and was affected by systemic arterial hypertension (SAH, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (MS, at the end of follow up. Our analysis showed that the insurgence of both SAH and MS, during the follow up, the older age, the CVE familiarity and the lack of clinical response, were associated with a significantly increased risk to experience CVEs and to develop subclinical atherosclerosis.Our study quantifies the increased expected risk for CVEs in a cohort of RA patients prospectively followed for 1 year. The occurrence of both new CVEs and subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients may be explained by inflammatory burden as well as traditional CV risk factors.

  18. Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Indonesia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gammeltoft, Peter; Tarmidi, Lepi T.

    2013-01-01

    In Indonesia, no systematic study of Chinese FDI has been undertaken to date. This paper contributes to filling this research gap and analyses the current composition as well as the historical evolution of Chinese FDI in Indonesia, relying on a survey conducted in 2008 among Chinese invested...... enterprises supplemented with key informant interviews, available official statistics and secondary data. Considering the evolution of Chinese investments in Indonesia over time, investments have evolved from being individual and isolated projects to acquiring more systemic properties. Chinese companies have...... acquired a broader sectoral presence in Indonesia and Chinese invested companies in, e.g., extractive or manufacturing activities can increasingly rely on complementary Chinese investments in logistics, travel, finance, etc. Where the local development effects are concerned, a picture emerges where Chinese...

  19. International research centre launched

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1965-01-01

    Full text: The first scientific research and educational institution to be set up on a completely international basis was officially inaugurated in Trieste on 5 October 1964 by the Director General of IAEA, Dr. Sigvard Eklund, when he opened the first seminar of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. As evidence of the international nature of the institution he noted that the scientists who would work and teach there during the first year represented sixteen different countries. By the end of 1964, the Centre building was nearing completion and three of the five floors were occupied. A successful symposium had been held on the subject of plasma physics, and a score of professors and fellows were at work, from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Greece, India, Japan, Jordan, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A dozen scientific papers had been issued as preprints. The main purpose of the Centre is to foster the advancement of theoretical physics through training and research; at first the chief subject will be high-energy and elementary particle physics. Plasma physics, low energy physics and solid-state physics will also be dealt with. Special attention is paid to the needs of the developing countries. Of the 25 fellows selected for the academic year 1964-65, more than half are from South America, Africa and Asia. In conjunction with the Research Centre, there is an Advanced School for theoretical Physics to provide graduate training for fellows who need such preparation before they embark upon research. The Centre works under the guidance of a Scientific Council comprising the president, Prof. M. Sandoval-Vallarta (Nuclear Energy Commission of Mexico); Prof. A. Abragam (Saclay, France); Prof. R. Oppenheimer (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA); Dr. V. Soloviev (Dubna, USSR); Prof V.F. Weiskopf (Director General, CERN) ; Prof Abdus Salam (Imperial College, London) ; Prof. P. Budini (University of Trieste

  20. Migrant Labor and Massacres: A Comparison of the 1923 Massacre of Koreans and Chinese during the Great Kanto Earthquake and the 1931 Anti-Chinese Riots and Massacre of Chinese in Colonial Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byung Wook Jung

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This article compares two historical massacres that resulted from ethnic antagonism during the Japanese colonial period: the massacre of Koreans and Chinese by the Japanese during the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and a series of anti-Chinese riots and the massacre of Chinese that erupted in colonial Korea in 1931. A similar trajectory led up to both massacres: most of the assailants and victims were lower-class male workers, and both incidents occurred during economic depressions when competition between indigenous workers and immigrants had intensified due to a massive influx of migrant labor. The fact that the majority of the assailants were from the lower class suggests that their own resentment, long condensed from years of experiencing discrimination in their home society, combined with nationalism and anti-foreignism to explode in the form of massacres. In addition, the reality that all assailants were male workers implies that their value system, their mode of life, and the consciousness of a patriarchal hierarchy, which dominated the everyday lives of the male workers of the lower class, were transformed into violence under exceptional circumstances. Lastly, the fact that the victims of the two massacres were migrant workers means that, from the outset, the trigger for the massacres can be understood from a transnational perspective on migrant labor and cannot be confined to the boundary of a single nation.

  1. Chop Suey as Imagined Authentic Chinese Food: The Culinary Identity of Chinese Restaurants in the United States

    OpenAIRE

    Haiming Liu

    2009-01-01

    At least until the 1960s, chop suey was synonymous with Chinese food in the United States, where most Chinese restaurants were called chop suey houses. By uncovering the history of chop suey, this article analyzes the development of Chinese cuisine in the U.S. as an example of transnational cultural exchange. The authenticity and culinary identity of Chinese food in America often rested on its real or imagined Chinese roots while its popularity depended on how well Chinese restaurant...

  2. The ABCs of Chinese Pop: Wang Leehom and the Marketing of a Global Chinese Celebrity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grace Wang

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available How did singer Wang Leehom, a Chinese American raised in the suburbs of New York, end up becoming one of the industry heavyweights of Mandopop (Mandarin-language pop music? This essay uses Wang as a case study to investigate how discourses of race, market, and belonging are reworked in global contexts. Drawing on Sau-ling Wong’s theoretical insights on transnational processes of race, citizenship, and belonging, it argues that Wang capitalizes on a fluid dynamic of sameness and difference to appeal to a heterogeneous Chinese-speaking audience that stretches across China to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and the greater Chinese diaspora. Through an examination of the racial and national contexts that frame Wang’s participation in Mandopop, this essay analyzes the particular calibrations of Chineseness that emerge from the singer’s music and public image and the imperfect translation of identities such as Chinese American, Chinese diasporic, and Chinese across diverse linguistic and national communities.

  3. Buddhist Activism and Chinese Modernity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hung-yok Ip

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The history of modern Chinese Buddhism has begun to attract attention in recent years. Some scholars have done inspiring research as they unravel the integration of Buddhism into the highly secularized process of Chinese modernity by drawing on the repository of knowledge on modern China. While this special issue joins this exciting endeavor, it also uses Buddhism as a window to reflect on scholarship on Chinese modernity. Conceptually, this special issue presses scholars in the field of modern China to rethink the place of tradition in the course of modernity. Thematically we show the expansionist impulse of Chinese Buddhism: In addition to envisioning the geographical expansion of their religion, Chinese Buddhists have endeavored to enhance the significance of Buddhism in various dimensions of Chinese society in particular and human life in general.

  4. Increased deficit of visual attention span with development in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jing; Liu, Menglian; Liu, Hanlong; Huang, Chen

    2018-02-16

    It has been suggested that orthographic transparency and age changes may affect the relationship between visual attention span (VAS) deficit and reading difficulty. The present study explored the developmental trend of VAS in children with developmental dyslexia (DD) in Chinese, a logographic language with a deep orthography. Fifty-seven Chinese children with DD and fifty-four age-matched normal readers participated. The visual 1-back task was adopted to examine VAS. Phonological and morphological awareness tests, and reading tests in single-character and sentence levels were used for reading skill measurements. Results showed that only high graders with dyslexia exhibited lower accuracy than the controls in the VAS task, revealing an increased VAS deficit with development in the dyslexics. Moreover, the developmental trajectory analyses demonstrated that the dyslexics seemed to exhibit an atypical but not delayed pattern in their VAS development as compared to the controls. A correlation analysis indicated that VAS was only associated with morphological awareness for dyslexic readers in high grades. Further regression analysis showed that VAS skills and morphological awareness made separate and significant contributions to single-character reading for high grader with dyslexia. These findings suggested a developmental increasing trend in the relationship between VAS skills and reading (dis)ability in Chinese.

  5. A Single Centre Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment of Endocrine Pancreatic Tumours

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. T. Adil

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Endocrine Pancreatic Tumours (PENs are rare and can be nonfunctioning or functioning. They carry a good prognosis overall though high grade lesions show a relatively shorter survival. The aim of the current study is to describe a single centre analysis of the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment of PENs. Patients and Methods. This is a cohort analysis of 40 patients of PENs who underwent surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India, from 1995 to 2013. Patient particulars, clinical features, surgical interventions, postoperative outcome, and followup were done and reviewed. The study group was divided based on grade (G1, G2, and G3 and functionality (nonfunctioning versus functioning for comparison. Results. PENs comprised 6.3% of all pancreatic neoplasms (40 of 634. Twenty-eight patients (70% had nonfunctioning tumours. Eighteen PENs (45% were carcinomas (G3, all of which were nonfunctioning. 14 (78% of these were located in the pancreatic head and uncinate process (P=0.09. The high grade (G3 lesions were significantly larger in size than the lower grade (G1 + G2 tumours (7.0 ± 3.5 cms versus 3.1 ± 1.6 cms, P=0.007. Pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in 18 (45%, distal pancreatectomy in 10 (25%, and local resection in 8 (20% and nonresective procedures were performed in 4 patients (10%. Fourteen patients (35% had postoperative complications. All G3 grade tumours which were resected had positive lymph nodes (100% and 10 had angioinvasion (71%. Eight neoplasms (20% were cystic, all being grade G3 carcinomas, while the rest were solid. The overall disease related mortality attributable to PEN was 14.3% (4 of 28 and for malignant PENs was 33.3% (4 of 12 after a mean follow-up period of 49.6 months (range: 2–137 months. Conclusion. Majority of PENs are nonfunctioning. They are more likely malignant if they are nonfunctioning and large in size, show cystic appearance, and are situated in the pancreatic head

  6. Home-based versus centre-based cardiac rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Rod S; Dalal, Hayes; Jolly, Kate; Moxham, Tiffany; Zawada, Anna

    2010-01-20

    The burden of cardiovascular disease world-wide is one of great concern to patients and health care agencies alike. Traditionally centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes are offered to individuals after cardiac events to aid recovery and prevent further cardiac illness. Home-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes have been introduced in an attempt to widen access and participation. To determine the effectiveness of home-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes compared with supervised centre-based cardiac rehabilitation on mortality and morbidity, health-related quality of life and modifiable cardiac risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease. We updated the search of a previous review by searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (2007, Issue 4), MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL from 2001 to January 2008. We checked reference lists and sought advice from experts. No language restrictions were applied. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (e.g. hospital, gymnasium, sports centre) with home-based programmes, in adults with myocardial infarction, angina, heart failure or who had undergone revascularisation. Studies were selected independently by two reviewers, and data extracted by a single reviewer and checked by a second one. Authors were contacted where possible to obtain missing information. Twelve studies (1,938 participants) met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies recruited a lower risk patient following an acute myocardial infarction (MI) and revascularisation. There was no difference in outcomes of home- versus centre-based cardiac rehabilitation in mortality risk ratio (RR) was1.31 (95% confidence interval (C) 0.65 to 2.66), cardiac events, exercise capacity standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.11 (95% CI -0.35 to 0.13), as well as in modifiable risk factors (systolic blood pressure; diastolic blood pressure; total cholesterol

  7. Production of single top quark - results from the Tevatron and the LHC

    CERN Document Server

    Moon, Chang-Seong

    2014-01-01

    We present the most recent measurements of single top quark production cross section by the CDF and D0 experiments at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider and the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The data were collected at the Tevatron corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 9.7 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-antiproton ($p\\bar p$) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV and at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 4.9 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton ($pp$) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV in 2011 and up to 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV in 2012. The measurements of single top quark production in $s$-channel, $t$-channel and associated production of a top quark and a $W$-boson ($tW$ production) are presented separately and lower limits on the CKM matrix element $|V_{tb}|$ from the single top quark cross section are set.

  8. First-line single agent treatment with gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu Yong-Qian

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lung cancer is a malignant carcinoma which has the highest morbidity and mortality in Chinese population. Gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase (TK inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, displays anti-tumor activity. The present data regarding first-line treatment with single agent gefitinib against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC in Chinese population are not sufficient. Purpose To assess the efficacy and toxicity of gefitinib in Chinese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC, a study of single agent treatment with gefitinib in Chinese patients was conducted. Methods 45 patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with gefitinib (250 mg daily until the disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Results Among the 45 patients, 15 patients achieved partial response (PR, 17 patients experienced stable disease (SD, and 13 patients developed progression disease (PD. None of the patients achieved complete response (CR. The tumor response rate and disease control rate was 33% and 71.1%, respectively. Symptom remission rate was 72.5%, and median remission time was 8 days. Median overall survival and median progression-free survival was 15.3 months and 6.0 months, respectively. The main induced toxicities by gefitinib were skin rash and diarrhea (53.3% and 33.3%, respectively. The minor induced toxicities included dehydration and pruritus of skin (26.7% and 22.2%, respectively. In addition, hepatic toxicity and oral ulceration occurred in few patients (6.7% and 4.4%2, respectively. Conclusions Single agent treatment with gefitinib is effective and well tolerated in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.

  9. Les télécentres, centres de communications polyvalents | CRDI ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    12 juil. 2011 ... ... la raison de leur absence et beaucoup répondent qu'ils ont eu une ... fournisseur de service Internet du télécentre, qui se trouve à Maputo ... Le télécentre s'est révélé être un fournisseur de services utile et recherché par les ...

  10. Traditional chinese herbal medicine for perimenopausal depression of chinese women: A meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM in treatment of perimenopausal depression (PD in China. Methods: To identify randomized controlled trials, an electronic search has been conducted through databases as follows: PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Chinese Biological Medicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and WanFang Digital Periodicals Database. Methodological quality was evaluated by Cochrane Collaboration's tool which is able to assess the risk of bias in Review Manager Software. What's more, meta-analysis was performed by using Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.2 software, (Nordic Cochrane Centre, Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, and Denmark. Dichotomous data were analyzed by using relative risk (RR and 95% confidence interval (CI. Continuous variables were analyzed using weighted mean differences (WMDs and 95% CI. Subgroup analysis was performed by the type of medicine which was used in the experimental group. Results: This meta-analysis includes 11 randomized control trials with 818 patients. Compared to the control group (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: [1.03, 1.26], P = 0.009 and WMD: −2.09, 95% CI: [ −3.58, −0.18], the experimental group had a significant higher clinical efficacy rate and relatively lower Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D score. For clinical efficacy rate, the results varied depending on the detail treatment measures of the experimental group. In the experimental group with TCHM, no significant difference was observed (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: [0.97, 1.33], while in the experimental group combined with western medicine, a significant difference in the clinical efficacy rate between the experimental group and control group showed up (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: [1.01, 1.32], P = 0.04. For the HAM-D score, subgroup analyses revealed that the

  11. Association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Permanent Tooth Caries Susceptibility to Permanent Tooth Caries in Chinese Adolescent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miao Yu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Dental caries is a multifactorial infectious disease. In this study, we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in vitamin D receptor (VDR gene were associated with susceptibility to permanent tooth caries in Chinese adolescents. Method. A total of 200 dental caries patients and 200 healthy controls aged 12 years were genotyped for VDR gene polymorphisms using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP assay. All of them were examined for their oral and dental status with the WHO criteria, and clinical information such as the Decayed Missing Filled Teeth Index (DMFT was evaluated. Genomic DNA was extracted from the buccal epithelial cells. The four polymorphic SNPs (Bsm I, Taq I, Apa I, and Fok I in VDR were assessed for both genotypic and phenotypic susceptibilities. Results. Among the four examined VDR gene polymorphisms, the increased frequency of the CT and CC genotype of the Fok I VDR gene polymorphism was associated with dental caries in 12-year-old adolescent, compared with the controls (X2 = 17.813, p≤0.001. Moreover, Fok I polymorphic allele C frequency was significantly increased in the dental caries cases, compared to the controls (X2 = 14.144, p≤0.001, OR = 1.730, 95% CI = 1.299–2.303. However, the other three VDR gene polymorphisms (Bsm I, Taq I, and Apa I showed no statistically significant differences in the caries groups compared with the controls. Conclusion. VDR-Fok I gene polymorphisms may be associated with susceptibility to permanent tooth caries in Chinese adolescent.

  12. Chinese values, health and nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Y C

    2001-10-01

    To describe the roots of Chinese values, beliefs and the concept of health, and to illustrate how these ways have influenced the development of health care and nursing among Chinese in the Republic of China (ROC) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Scope. Based on the literature and direct observation in the PRC and ROC, this is an introduction to Chinese philosophies, religion, basic beliefs, and values with a special meaning for health and nursing. Chinese philosophies and religion include Confucian principles, Taoism, theory of "Yin" and "Yang", and Buddhism. Beliefs and values include the way of education, practice of acupuncture, herbal treatments and diet therapy. How people value traditional Chinese medicine in combination with western science, and the future direction of nursing and nursing inquiry are also briefly addressed. Chinese philosophies and religions strongly influence the Chinese way of living and thinking about health and health care. Nurses must combine information about culture with clinical assessment of the patient to provide cultural sensitive care. A better way may be to combine both western and Chinese values into the Chinese health care system by negotiating between the traditional values while at the same time, respecting an individual's choice. The foundation of China's philosophical and aesthetic tradition, in combination with western science is important to the future advancement of nursing research that will be beneficial to the Republics, Asia, and the world.

  13. Thinking Chinese Translation A Course in Translation Method; Chinese to English

    CERN Document Server

    Valerie, Pellatt

    2010-01-01

    Suitable for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students of Chinese. "Thinking Chinese Translation", this book explores the ways in which memory, general knowledge, and creativity (summed up as 'schema') contribute to the linguistic ability necessary to create a good translation

  14. Re: Factors Predicting Outcomes of Micropercutaneous Nephrolithotomy: Results from a Large Single-Centre Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yakup Bostancı

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The recently developed micropercutaneous nephrolithotomy (microperc is the miniaturized version of mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL and standard-PCNL that allows for safe access and stone disintegration under direct vision. In this single-centre study, the authors aimed to define the role of microperc in the management of renal calculi and analyse factors predicting outcomes. A total of 139 patients, who underwent microperc between June 2010 and November 2014, were enrolled in this study. Microperc was successful in 119 (91.53% patients, while in 11 patients (8.46% some residual fragments were seen on imaging. Of the total study group, conversion to mini- or standard PCNL was required in nine patients (6.47%. Overall complication rate of 11.53%, primarily minor complications comprising renal colic and urinary tract infection. On multivariate analysis, stone density (HU, stone number and stone volume were significantly associated with the dependent variable stone clearance. Multivariate analysis showed that intra-operative complications and stone number were significantly associated with conversion to mini- or standard PCNL. Stone volume threshold of 1.000 mm3 was a significant predictor of stone clearance in univariate and multivariate analyses, regardless of the stone location. Some limitations of this study, relatively small sample size and particularly the retrospective and non-comparative design, should be highlighted. EAU guidelines recommend shockwave lithotripsy (SWL or retrograde intrarenal surgery as the primary treatment modality for stones <10 mm in size. Although microperc is presently being used for small to moderate stones, the very indication that holds for SWL as well, it is notable that SWL is influenced by stone location and pelvicalyceal anatomy, and may require multiple sessions. Nevertheless, microperc has an inherent limitation in that the stone fragments cannot be retrieved for analysis. It has been noted that the

  15. Training centres - organization and management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovar, P.

    1986-01-01

    In the lecture 'Training centres - organization and management' some principles and requirements which influence the organization, management and activity pattern of nuclear training centres, are briefly introduced. It is demonstrated, step by step, how these general principles are implemented in the development of the Czechoslovak nuclear power programme, it means, how the training of the NPP personnel proceeds in Czechoslovak nuclear training centres. General principles which are selected: a connection between the capacity of the training centre and the scope and needs of the nuclear power programme, a position of the training center within the institutional set-up, a structure and organization of the training system which complies with the system of NPP construction, reflect the pattern and the activity of the nuclear training centre and nuclear power technical level, a research group of workers in the nuclear training centre, main tasks and technical facilities, management of the training process and a transfer of knowledge and research results into the training process. The lecture is supplemented by pictures and slides. (orig.)

  16. Incidence of complicated acute appendicitis: a single-centre retrospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aneta Piotrowska

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction : Abdominal pain has been one of the most common reasons patients seek medical care for centuries. Nowadays, together with laboratory diagnostics and imaging, we are able to make an early diagnosis. This leads to the introduction of early adequate treatment. Aim of the research : To analyse the incidence and causes of complicated acute appendicitis in one medical centre in between 2004 and 2016. Material and methods : A retrospective study covered the period from December 23, 2004 to November 07, 2016. It included 2048 cases of children between 0 and 18 years of age undergoing surgery for suspected acute appendicitis.
 Demographic and clinical characteristics as well as length of hospitalisation, antibiotics schemes, and intraoperative diagnosis were reviewed. Complicated acute appendicitis cases were distinguished and compared with the incidence in world literature. Results : The percentage of complicated acute appendicitis ranged from 39% to 60%. Complicated acute appendicitis occurs much more often in children under 5 years of age. Conclusions : The delay and failure in diagnosis of acute appendicitis results in higher incidence of complicated acute appendicitis; consequently, there are higher costs of treatment. Improving the awareness of parents and primary care physicians may allow faster diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis. It was noted that the reform of the National Emergency Medical Services in Poland contributed to a reduction in the incidence of complicated appendicitis.

  17. Novel mutations of CYP3A4 in Chinese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, K P; Lin, Y Y; Cheng, C L; Lai, M L; Lin, M S; Siest, J P; Huang, J D

    2001-03-01

    Human cytochrome P450 3A4 is a major P450 enzyme in the liver and gastrointestinal tract. It plays important roles in the metabolism of a wide variety of drugs, some endogenous steroids, and harmful environmental contaminants. CYP3A4 exhibits a remarkable interindividual activity variation as high as 20-fold. To investigate whether the interindividual variation in CYP3A4 levels can be partly explained by genetic polymorphism, we analyzed DNA samples from 102 Chinese subjects by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis for novel point mutation in the CYP3A4 coding sequence and promoter region. Using PCR and directed sequencing method to establish the complete intron sequence of CYP3A4 from leukocytes, the complete genomic sequence from exon 1 through 13 of CYP3A4 was determined and published in the GenBank database (accession no. AF209389). CYP3A4-specific primers were designed accordingly. After PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism and restriction fragment length polymorphism screening, we found three novel mutations; two are point mutations and one is insertion. The first variant allele (CYP3A4*4), an Ile118Val change, was found in 3 of 102 Chinese subjects. The next allele (CYP3A4*5), which causes a Pro218Arg amino acid change, was found in 2 of 102 subjects. We found an insertion in A(17776), designated as CYP3A4*6, which causes frame shift and an early stop codon in exon 9, in one heterozygous subject. We also investigated the CYP3A4 activity in these mutant subjects by measuring the morning spot urinary 6beta-hydroxycortisol to free cortisol ratio with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. When compared with healthy Chinese population data, the 6beta-hydroxycortisol to free cortisol ratio data suggested that these alleles (CYP3A4*4, CYP3A4*5, and CYP3A4*6) may decrease the CYP3A4 activity. Incidences of these mutations in Chinese subjects are rare. The prevalence of these point mutations in other ethnic

  18. [Key points of poverty alleviation of Chinese herbal medicine industry and classification of recommended Chinese herbal medicines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Lu-Qi; Su, Gang-Qiang; Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Sun, Xiao-Ming; Wu, Xiao-Jun; Guo, Lan-Ping; Li, Meng; Wang, Hui; Jing, Zhi-Xian

    2017-11-01

    To build a well-off society in an all-round way, eliminate poverty, improve people's livelihood and improve the level of social and economic development in poverty-stricken areas is the frontier issues of the government and science and technology workers at all levels. Chinese herbal medicine is the strategic resource of the people's livelihood, Chinese herbal medicine cultivation is an important part of China's rural poor population income. As most of the production of Chinese herbal medicine by the biological characteristics of their own and the interaction of natural ecological environment factors, showing a strong regional character.the Ministry of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the State Council Poverty Alleviation Office and other five departments jointly issued the "China Herbal Industry Poverty Alleviation Action Plan (2017-2020)", according to local conditions of guidance and planning of Chinese herbal medicine production practice, promote Chinese herbal medicine industry poverty alleviation related work In this paper, based on the relevant data of poverty-stricken areas, this paper divides the areas with priority to the poverty alleviation conditions of Chinese herbal medicine industry, and analyzes and catalogs the list of Chinese herbal medicines grown in poverty-stricken areas at the macro level. The results show that there are at least 10% of the poor counties in the counties where the poverty-stricken counties and the concentrated areas are concentrated in the poverty-stricken areas. There is already a good base of Chinese herbal medicine industry, which is the key priority area for poverty alleviation of Chinese herbal medicine industry. Poverty-stricken counties, with a certain degree of development of Chinese medicine industry poverty alleviation conditions, the need to strengthen the relevant work to expand the foundation and capacity of Chinese herbal medicine industry poverty alleviation; 37% of poor counties to develop Chinese medicine

  19. Frequency and pattern of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions for chronic hepatitis in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Fang-Pey; Kung, Yen-Ying; Chen, Yu-Chun; Jong, Maw-Shiou; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chen, Fun-Jou; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2008-04-17

    Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been commonly used in treating liver diseases in Asian countries. To conduct a large-scale pharmacoepidemiological study and evaluate the frequency and pattern of CHM prescriptions in treating chronic hepatitis. We obtained the database of traditional Chinese medicine outpatient claims from the national health insurance in Taiwan for the whole 2002. Patients with chronic hepatitis were identified by the corresponding diagnosis of International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files. Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and association rule were applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM in treating chronic hepatitis. Among the 91,080 subjects treated by CHM for chronic hepatitis, the peak age was in the 40 s, followed by 30 s and 50 s. Male/female ratio was 2.07:1. Long-dan-xie-gan-tang and Saliva miltiorrhiza (Dan-shen) were the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula and single herbal drug, respectively. The most common two-drug prescription was Jia-wei-xia-yao-san plus Saliva miltiorrhiza, and the most common three-drug prescription was Jia-wei-xia-yao-san plus Saliva miltiorrhiza and Artemisia capillaries (Yin-chen-hao). This study showed the utilization pattern of Chinese herbal drugs or formulae in treating chronic hepatitis. Further researches and clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these Chinese herbs or its ingredients in treating chronic hepatitis.

  20. [Design and implementation of data checking system for Chinese materia medica resources survey].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hui; Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Ge, Xiao-Guang; Jin, Yan; Jing, Zhi-Xian; Qi, Yuan-Hua; Wang, Ling; Zhao, Yu-Ping; Wang, Wei; Guo, Lan-Ping; Huang, Lu-Qi

    2017-11-01

    The Chinese material medica resources (CMMR) national survey information management system has collected a large amount of data. To help dealing with data recheck, reduce the work of inside, improve the recheck of survey data from provincial and county level, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medical has designed a data checking system for Chinese material medica resources survey based on J2EE technology, Java language, Oracle data base in accordance with the SOA framework. It includes single data check, check score, content manage, check the survey data census data with manual checking and automatic checking about census implementation plan, key research information, general survey information, cultivation of medicinal materials information, germplasm resources information the medicine information, market research information, traditional knowledge information, specimen information of this 9 aspects 20 class 175 indicators in two aspects of the quantity and quality. The established system assists in the completion of the data consistency and accuracy, pushes the county survey team timely to complete the data entry arrangement work, so as to improve the integrity, consistency and accuracy of the survey data, and ensure effective and available data, which lay a foundation for providing accurate data support for national survey of the Chinese material medica resources (CMMR) results summary, and displaying results and sharing. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  1. [Four properties law of nature data of Chinese materia medica in "Chinese herbal medicine (CHM)"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xue-Mei; Lin, Duan-Yi; Lai, Xin-Mei; Chen, Mei-Mei; Huang, Lu-Qi

    2013-05-01

    In order to provide theoretical clues and data support for the use of Chinese medicine clinical drug, experimental study of Chinese materia medica and development of new resources of Chinese materia medica, the four properties as the core, the relationships of property, flavor, channel tropism and toxicity in nature data of Chinese materia medica were analyzed. The spearman rank correlation method was employed to analyze 8 356 Chinese drugs with characteristic of four properties from " Chinese Herbal Medicine" based on data level coding. It was discovered that four properties showed significant positive correlations with tastes of "pungent and sweet" , channels of "spleen" , "stomach" , "kidney" and "toxicity" , but also showed significant negative correlations with tastes of "bitter" and "light" and six channels such as "large intestine" , "heart", "bladder" , "gallbladder" , "small intestine" and "lung" (in descending order of correlation ) (P <0. 01). It was indicated that the more hot the Chinese medicine nature, the more possible it contained "toxicity" , tastes of "pungent" and "sweet" , and the more possible it was belong to channels of "spleen" , "stomach" and "kidney". As well, the more cold the Chinese medicine nature, the more possible it contained tastes of "bitter" and "light", and the more possible it was belong to six channels such as "large intestine", etc.

  2. Provision of assisted reproductive technology for single women in China: a new challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ling Jing

    2004-01-01

    Following the enactment of the Jilin Regulation, single women, for the first time, are allowed to access assisted reproductive services in China. This paper is intended to analyze the arguments over whether single women are entitled to access assisted reproductive services, in relation to Chinese legal, ethical and social characteristics.

  3. Lexical-semantic Mapping between Chinese and English Controlled Vocabularies in the Domain of Chinese Art

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu-Jiun Chen

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study conducts a lexical-semantic mapping between the Chinese controlled vocabulary developed by the National Palace Museum (NPM-CV in Taiwan and an English controlled vocabulary, the Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT developed by the Getty Research Institute in the U.S. that is primarily based on Western art. The research question is: In mapping a Chinese controlled vocabulary in Chinese art to a Western-centered art thesaurus, what types of relationships can be identified and what are the issues in mapping? The study’s main findings reveal that only one-third of the NPM-CV terms can be mapped as “exact equivalence” to AAT terms and three-fifths of the NPMCV terms have hierarchical relationships (narrower to broader with some AAT terms. Clearly, using AAT alone to index Chinese art collections will lead to insufficient indexing specificity. The study then proposes solutions to improve Chinese-English semantic interoperability for multilingual knowledge organization systems in the domain of Chinese art. [Article content in Chinese

  4. A Family-Based Association Study of CYP11A1 and CYP11B1 Gene Polymorphisms With Autism in Chinese Trios.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Hong-Zhu; You, Cong; Xing, Yu; Chen, Kai-Yun; Zou, Xiao-Bing

    2016-05-01

    Autism spectrum disorder is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with the higher prevalence in males. Our previous studies have indicated lower progesterone levels in the children with autism spectrum disorder, suggesting involvement of the cytochrome P-450scc gene (CYP11A1) and cytochrome P-45011beta gene (CYP11B1) as candidate genes in autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the family-based genetic association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs2279357 in the CYP11A1 gene and rs4534 and rs4541 in the CYP11B1 gene and autism spectrum disorder in Chinese children, which were selected according to the location in the coding region and 5' and 3' regions and minor allele frequencies of greater than 0.05 in the Chinese populations. The transmission disequilibrium test and case-control association analyses were performed in 100 Chinese Han autism spectrum disorder family trios. The genotype and allele frequency of the 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms had no statistical difference between the children with autism spectrum disorder and their parents (P> .05). Transmission disequilibrium test analysis showed transmission disequilibrium of CYP11A1 gene rs2279357 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (χ(2)= 5.038,Pautism spectrum disorder exists within or near the CYP11A1 gene in the Han Chinese population. © The Author(s) 2015.

  5. Assessment of Problem Gambling in a Chinese Context: The Chinese G-MAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel T. L. Shek

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available There is a severe lack of instruments to assess problem gambling in Chinese people. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Maroondah Assessment Profile for Problem Gambling (Chinese G-MAP, based on the responses of eight problem gamblers and 125 pathological gamblers seeking help from a problem gambling treatment center. Reliability analyses showed that the G-MAP and its related domains and scales were generally internally consistent. There are also several lines of evidence suggesting that the Chinese G-MAP and the various domains are valid: (a the various G-MAP domain and scale measures were significantly correlated among themselves, (b the G-MAP measures were significantly correlated with pathological gambling behavior assessed by the 4th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, and (c the G-MAP total scale and domain measures were able to discriminate problem gamblers and pathological gamblers. The present study suggests that the Chinese G-MAP possesses acceptable psychometric properties that can be used in research and practice settings.

  6. Call Centre- Computer Telephone Integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dražen Kovačević

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Call centre largely came into being as a result of consumerneeds converging with enabling technology- and by the companiesrecognising the revenue opportunities generated by meetingthose needs thereby increasing customer satisfaction. Regardlessof the specific application or activity of a Call centre, customersatisfaction with the interaction is critical to the revenuegenerated or protected by the Call centre. Physical(v, Call centreset up is a place that includes computer, telephone and supervisorstation. Call centre can be available 24 hours a day - whenthe customer wants to make a purchase, needs information, orsimply wishes to register a complaint.

  7. Who is who? Interpretation of multiple occurrences of the Chinese reflexive: evidence from real-time sentence processing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lan Shuai

    Full Text Available Theoretical linguists claim that the notorious reflexive ziji 'self' in Mandarin Chinese, if occurring more than once in a single sentence, can take distinct antecedents. This study tackles possibly the most interesting puzzle in the linguistic literature, investigating how two occurrences of ziji in a single sentence are interpreted and whether or not there are mixed readings, i.e., these zijis are interpretively bound by distinct antecedents. Using 15 Chinese sentences each having two zijis, we conducted two sentence reading experiments based on a modified self-paced reading paradigm. The general interpretation patterns observed showed that the majority of participants associated both zijis with the same local antecedent, which was consistent with Principle A of the Standard Binding Theory and previous experimental findings involving a single ziji. In addition, mixed readings also occurred, but did not pattern as claimed in the theoretical linguistic literature (i.e., one ziji is bound by a long-distance antecedent and the other by a local antecedent. Based on these results, we argue that: (i mixed readings were due to manifold, interlocking and conflicting perspectives taken by the participants; and (ii cases of multiple occurrences of ziji taking distinct antecedents are illicit in Chinese syntax, since the speaker, when expressing a sentence, can select only one P(erspective-Center that referentially denotes the psychological perspective in which the sentence is situated.

  8. Addressing the challenges of patient-centred design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen LaBat

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Patient-centred design is a relatively new term, but a longstanding concept in clinical practice. This discussion looks at patient-centred design and explores the relationships of patient-centred design to universal design, user-centred design and the newer human-centred design. It also explores why interdisciplinary approaches are needed for patient-centred design and how interdisciplinary collaboration works to address the challenges of patient centred design. Successful patient-centred solutions can grow from collaborations which include shared visions, understanding of both the nature and degree of variation in the patient,materials, and the designed solution, clear regular communication among all parties with careful definition of terms, and respect for the inherent cultures of all disciplines involved.

  9. Chinese Companies in Switzerland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther Kessler

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, some of China’s leading firms have made headlines with their European expansion, by either opening new facilities or by acquiring or merging with significant enterprises in Europe. The goal of this paper is to contribute to the existing literature by examining Chinese enterprises expanding into Switzerland. The study also allows some conclusions for Chinese companies entering Central and Eastern Europe. We analyze via interviews the motivations of Chinese companies to expand into Switzerland as well as their behavior and the impediments in their internationalization process. Our findings show that Chinese companies fail to take advantage of certain benefits of western economies (such as open information and stable rule of law. To move forward efficiently, they should develop competence in dealing systematically with readily available market information, building professional networks that recognize a separation between business life and personal life, and managing their Chinese and foreign employees in the foreign cultural environment.

  10. RIRS versus mPCNL for single renal stone of 2-3 cm: clinical outcome and cost-effective analysis in Chinese medical setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Jiahua; Chen, Qi; Xue, Wei; Chen, Yonghui; Xia, Lei; Chen, Haige; Huang, Yiran

    2013-02-01

    The aim of the study was to compare the clinical outcome and the cost-effectiveness between retrograde intra renal surgery (RIRS) and mini-percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (mPCNL) for the management of single renal stone of 2-3 cm in Chinese medical setting. From May 2005 to February 2011, 115 patients with solitary renal calculi were treated either by RIRS or mPCNL. 56 patients were in RIRS group while 59 were in mPCNL group. Patients' demographics between the two groups, in terms of gender, age, BMI, history of ESWL as well as stone side, stone location and stone size were comparable. Peri-operative course, clinical outcome, complication rates and medical cost were compared. The effective quotient (EQ) of two groups was calculated. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, Chi-square test and Student's t test. EQ for RIRS and mPCNL were 0.52 and 0.90. The initial stone-free rate (SFR) of RIRS group and mPCNL group was 71.4 and 96.6 %, respectively (P = 0.000). The mean procedure number was 1.18 in RIRS group and 1.03 in mPCNL group, respectively (P = 0.035). The operative time for RIRS was longer (P = 0.000) while the mean hospital stay was shorter (P = 0.000). There was no statistical difference in peri-operative complications between the groups. The initial hospitalization cost, laboratory and radiology test cost of RIRS group were lower (P = 0.000). However, counting the retreatment cost in the two groups, the total medical expenditure including the overall hospitalization cost, overall laboratory and radiology test cost and post-operative out-patient department (OPD) visit cost was similar between two groups. In conclusion, with similar total medical cost, mPCNL achieved faster stone clearance and lower retreatment rate without major complications, which implied higher cost-effectiveness for the treatment of single renal stone of 2-3 cm in Chinese medical setting. RIRS is also a safe and reliable choice for patients having contraindications or

  11. The integration of Chinese and European renewable energy markets: The role of Chinese foreign direct investments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lv, Ping; Spigarelli, Francesca

    2015-01-01

    In the renewable energy (RE) sectors, foreign direct investments are becoming an important mean of regional integration between China and Europe, as a result of the combined effect of Europe–China dialog on energy issues; Chinese energy policy; and Chinese Go Global policy. Using a firm level data set from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, we perform an analysis on location choice by Chinese RE firms from 2004 to 2013, within Europe. We depict a map of “where to where” (home province vs. host country) and “who to where” (firm level characteristics vs. host country), to find out how characteristics of home and host regions affecting the integration of Chinese and European RE markets. Main results are the following. Investment pairs in RE sectors reflect a duality: firms tend to seek countries with similar institutional environment, compared with their origin regions. Countries with weak and immature institutions are attractive for immature and inexperienced Chinese firms. Main features of Chinese investors are the following: private, non-listed firms, entering through greenfield, focusing on sales. Market-seeking investors tend to enter countries with both well-developed institutional environment and industry development base. R&D-oriented investments are more likely to flow to countries with well-developed institutional environment. -- Highlights: •A map of Where to Where of Chinese investments in Europe is depicted. •Characteristics of home and host regions affect Chinese integration in Europe. •Investment pairs in renewable energy sectors reflect a duality. •Chinese firms localize in EU countries with similar institutional environment. •Through a Who to Where analysis, key features of Chinese investors are outlined

  12. The Chinese nuclear program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prenez, J.C.; Bettoun, G.

    2009-01-01

    This series of slides presents the organization of the Chinese nuclear industry and its perspectives for the 2 next decades. The presentation is divided into 5 parts. Part one: the energy sector in China. Due to the economic development of the country this sector is flourishing and reaches an average growth rate of 9% per year. More than fifty per cent of the power plants being built in the world, are located in China. The electricity production stems by far from fossil energies (>80%) but this part is expected to decrease to reach 70% in 2020. Part 2: the Chinese nuclear program. This program is dual: the massive deployment of chinese improved reactors of second generation (the construction of 6 CPR1000 reactors will be launched each year) and the import and assimilation of reactors of the third generation: 4 AP1000 and 2 EPR are being built. Part 3: the organization of the Chinese nuclear sector. The main actors are CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation), CGNPC (China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation), CPI (China Power Investment Corporation), SNPTC (State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation). The main 5 Chinese suppliers are also presented. Part 4: The role of EDF. Today's EDF role is multiple: to be active in the Chinese nuclear program, to go beyond technical assistance to reach partnership, to invest in Chinese power plants, to promote cooperation between French and Chinese actors of the nuclear industry. A lot of joint ventures have been created. Part 5: the Taishan project. Taishan is a coastal site near Macao in the Guangdong province in which 2 EPR are being built, the first concrete was cast in october 2009, 52 months of construction are scheduled and the first unit will be commissioned in end 2013 while the second commissioning is planned for end 2014. (A.C.)

  13. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry technology in the analysis of Chinese Medicine Formulas: A bibliometric analysis (1997-2015).

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xi-Ran; Li, Chun-Guang; Zhu, Xiao-Shu; Li, Yuan-Qing; Jarouche, Mariam; Bensoussan, Alan; Li, Ping-Ping

    2017-01-01

    There is a recognized challenge in analyzing traditional Chinese medicine formulas because of their complex chemical compositions. The application of modern analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry has improved the characterization of various compounds from traditional Chinese medicine formulas significantly. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to recognize the overall trend of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry approaches in the analysis of traditional Chinese medicine formulas, its significance and possible underlying interactions between individual herbs in these formulas. Electronic databases were searched systematically, and the identified studies were collected and analyzed using Microsoft Access 2010, Graph Pad 5.0 software and Ucinet software package. 338 publications between 1997 and 2015 were identified, and analyzed in terms of annual growth and accumulated publications, top journals, forms of traditional Chinese medicine preparations and highly studied formulas and single herbs, as well as social network analysis of single herbs. There is a significant increase trend in using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry related techniques in analysis of commonly used forms of traditional Chinese medicine formulas in the last 3 years. Stringent quality control is of great significance for the modernization and globalization of traditional Chinese medicine, and this bibliometric analysis provided the first and comprehensive summary within this field. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Cerebral activation during Chinese semantic associative task in Xinjiang' Uyghurs: a functional MRI study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Lixia; Jia Wenxiao; Tang Weijun; Wang Hong; Ding Shuang; Wang Hao

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To explore the cerebral activation in Xinjiang' Uyghurs when performing a Chinese word tasks by the functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI). Methods: Twenty-one healthy Xinjiang' Uyghurs and 11 healthy Hans were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a 1.5 T MRI scanner with a single run. Different Chinese words were displayed in each block to avoid any practice effect. SPM5.0 software was used for image data processing. To evaluate the inter subject consistency of brain activations associated with Chinese character and word reading, we created penetrance maps by combining binary individual functional maps. Results: For Uyghur-Chinese bilingual subjects, activations related to generated a word that was semantically related to each stimulus. The results indicated that reading Chinese is characterized by extensive activity of the neural systems. Peak activations occurred in the left middle frontal cortex at Brodmann Areas (BA9 and BA47). The left temporal (BA37) cortices were also strongly activated. Other important activated areas included bilateral visual systems (BA17-19) and cerebellum. The location of peak activation in the left frontal regions was similar in Native Uyghurs and Hans. But the active areas in Uyghurs are more extensive than that of Hans. Conclusions: The location of peak activation in the left frontal regions was similar in Native Uyghurs and Hans. More brain areas were needed for Xinjiang' Uyghur speakers during processing Chinese words. (authors)

  15. Correlation between the thermoluminescence and the F centre thermal stability in KBr, KI, NaCl and NaF irradiated at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mariani, D. F.

    1977-01-01

    Over the years several models have been proposed to explain the thermoluminescence in irradiated alkali halides. To verify these models, the thermoluminescence and the thermal stability of the F centres in KBr, K l, NaCl and NaF single crystals irradiated at room temperature with x or gamma rays have been studied. It has been concluded that both phenomena, the thermoluminescence and the F centre thermal stability are two different aspects of the same basic phenomenon, i.e. the recombination of mobile interstitials thermally released from traps with F centres (Ausin V. and Alvarez Rivas J.L. 1972). It has been found in some cases, that the H centres also play the role of recombination centres for interstitials. (Author) 42 refs

  16. Association of polycystic ovary syndrome susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphism rs2479106 and PCOS in Caucasian patients with PCOS or hirsutism as referral diagnosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Mette B; Brusgaard, Klaus; Andersen, Marianne

    2012-01-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disease among premenopausal women. A recent study found association between three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and PCOS in a cohort of Han Chinese women.......Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disease among premenopausal women. A recent study found association between three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and PCOS in a cohort of Han Chinese women....

  17. Chinese implicit leadership theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ling, W; Chia, R C; Fang, L

    2000-12-01

    In a 1st attempt to identify an implicit theory of leadership among Chinese people, the authors developed the Chinese Implicit Leadership Scale (CILS) in Study 1. In Study 2, they administered the CILS to 622 Chinese participants from 5 occupation groups, to explore differences in perceptions of leadership. Factor analysis yielded 4 factors of leadership: Personal Morality, Goal Efficiency, Interpersonal Competence, and Versatility. Social groups differing in age, gender, education level, and occupation rated these factors. Results showed no significant gender differences, and the underlying cause for social group differences was education level. All groups gave the highest ratings to Interpersonal Competence, reflecting the enormous importance of this factor, which is consistent with Chinese collectivist values.

  18. Developmental Eye Movement (DEM Test Norms for Mandarin Chinese-Speaking Chinese Children.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yachun Xie

    Full Text Available The Developmental Eye Movement (DEM test is commonly used as a clinical visual-verbal ocular motor assessment tool to screen and diagnose reading problems at the onset. No established norm exists for using the DEM test with Mandarin Chinese-speaking Chinese children. This study aims to establish the normative values of the DEM test for the Mandarin Chinese-speaking population in China; it also aims to compare the values with three other published norms for English-, Spanish-, and Cantonese-speaking Chinese children. A random stratified sampling method was used to recruit children from eight kindergartens and eight primary schools in the main urban and suburban areas of Nanjing. A total of 1,425 Mandarin Chinese-speaking children aged 5 to 12 years took the DEM test in Mandarin Chinese. A digital recorder was used to record the process. All of the subjects completed a symptomatology survey, and their DEM scores were determined by a trained tester. The scores were computed using the formula in the DEM manual, except that the "vertical scores" were adjusted by taking the vertical errors into consideration. The results were compared with the three other published norms. In our subjects, a general decrease with age was observed for the four eye movement indexes: vertical score, adjusted horizontal score, ratio, and total error. For both the vertical and adjusted horizontal scores, the Mandarin Chinese-speaking children completed the tests much more quickly than the norms for English- and Spanish-speaking children. However, the same group completed the test slightly more slowly than the norms for Cantonese-speaking children. The differences in the means were significant (P0.05; compared with Spanish-speaking children, the scores were statistically significant (P0.05. DEM norms may be affected by differences in language, cultural, and educational systems among various ethnicities. The norms of the DEM test are proposed for use with Mandarin Chinese

  19. Danish-accented Chinese

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Lei; Sloos, Marjoleine 莱娜; Zhang, Chun

    In search for a linguistic basis for the education of Chinese as a foreign language CFL in Denmark, we set up a new line of investigation into CFL. This research focuses on the phonetics and phonology of Mandarin Chinese as compared to Danish. Considering the sound systems of both languages, we......-ba /pha pa/ ta-da /tha ta/ ka-ga / kha-ka/ For L2 acquisition it is held that same and new phonemes are (relatively) easy acquired, whereas similar but not identical sounds are difficult to learn. New sounds are initially mapped onto the L1 phoneme inventory (Kuhl 1991). For Danish, this would predict...... instruction, which pitch contours do the Danish learners of Chinese use on neutral tones and to what extent does their production match that of native speakers? Future research may include Norwegian and Swedish-accented Chinese and a comparison between the different Germanic accents of CFL. Reference Kuhl, P...

  20. Social Anxiety among Chinese People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Qianqian; Chang, Weining C

    2015-01-01

    The experience of social anxiety has largely been investigated among Western populations; much less is known about social anxiety in other cultures. Unlike the Western culture, the Chinese emphasize interdependence and harmony with social others. In addition, it is unclear if Western constructed instruments adequately capture culturally conditioned conceptualizations and manifestations of social anxiety that might be specific to the Chinese. The present study employed a sequence of qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the assessment of social anxiety among the Chinese people. Interviews and focus group discussions with Chinese participants revealed that some items containing the experience of social anxiety among the Chinese are not present in existing Western measures. Factor analysis was employed to examine the factor structure of the more comprehensive scale. This approach revealed an "other concerned anxiety" factor that appears to be specific to the Chinese. Subsequent analysis found that the new factor-other concerned anxiety-functioned the same as other social anxiety factors in their association with risk factors of social anxiety, such as attachment, parenting, behavioral inhibition/activation, and attitude toward group. The implications of these findings for a more culturally sensitive assessment tool of social anxiety among the Chinese were discussed.

  1. Neighbourhood Centres – Organisation, Management and Finance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Jacob Norvig

    to identify different financial models and analyse economic sustainability. As regards organisational and management models data were collected through documentary sources and by means of personal interviews and field visits to ten centres. Even within the analysed limited population of centres economic...... public subsidy. Some of the centres have high number of users on a daily basis, whereas others are only rarely used. It is explored how organisation, management and financial set-up differs among the centres. Quantitative data on financial issues and annual accounts of fifteen centres were analysed...... and institutional sustainability varies significantly. In organisational terms centres range from fully-integrated in the municipal administration to independent voluntary managed centres. In terms of financial, or economic, models variation is less pronounced as all centres to some degree are dependent on current...

  2. The Chinese in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mérove Gijsberts; Willem Huijnk; Ria Vogels

    2011-01-01

    Original title: Chinese Nederlanders This report presents the first national picture of the position of the Chinese community in the Netherlands. A large-scale survey was conducted among persons of Chinese origin living in the Netherlands, with the aim of answering questions on a wide range of

  3. Host material induced hyperfine structure of F{sup +} centres EPR spectra in CaS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seeman, Viktor, E-mail: viktor.seeman@ut.ee; Dolgov, Sergei; Maaroos, Aarne

    2017-05-15

    The hyperfine structure (HFS) of F{sup +} centres in CaS single crystals due to the interaction with {sup 33}S and {sup 43}Ca nuclei was observed in EPR spectra for the first time. Angular variations of the HFS were measured for rotation of magnetic field in {100} and {110} crystallographic planes. Using measured orientation-dependent EPR spectra and the EPR NMR program, the parameters of the spin Hamiltonian were determined. In case of {sup 33}S nucleus there is a strong dependence of the F{sup +} centre EPR spectrum on the quadrupole term whereas for {sup 43}Ca nucleus this dependence is insignificant.

  4. Chinese Function Manager of 2006 Partenariat Comments on the Selection Principle for Chinese Enterprises

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    @@ Fang Lei, EU-China Partenariat 2006Function Manager for Chinese Host Companies, worked together with Mr. Richard Morgan, EU Project Expert,Mr. Han Meiqing, Chinese Project Expert in the primary selection of Chinese enterprises.In reply to the strong request of the relevant governmental institutions, CCPIT and enterprises, he gave the following introductions about the details of selection.

  5. The Sarawak lupus cohort: clinical features and disease patterns of 633 SLE patients in a single tertiary centre from East Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teh, C L; Ling, G R; Aishah, Wan Sharifah

    2015-01-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been well studied in West Malaysian populations but lacking in East Malaysian populations. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical features and disease patterns of patients with SLE in a multiethnic East Malaysian population in Sarawak. All SLE patients who were treated in Sarawak General Hospital were reviewed in a retrospective longitudinal study using a standard protocol from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2013. There were a total of 633 patients in our study with the female to male ratio of 12:1. Our study patients were of multiethnic origins with predominant Chinese ethnic group. They had a mean age of 36.9 ± 13.2 years and a mean duration of illness of 7.2 ± 6.0 years. The main involvements were haematological (74.2 %), malar rash (64.0 %) and renal (58.6 %). Chinese patients were less likely to have discoid lupus, pleuritis and pericarditis, while Malay patients were more likely to have arthritis. Bidayuh patients were more likely to have oral ulcer. Secondary antiphospholipid syndrome was more common in Chinese. The majority of patients were in clinical remission with low SDI. There were 58 deaths (9.2 %) during 2006-2013 with the main causes of death being flare of disease and infection.

  6. Non-smoker assertive behaviour against smoke exposure: Chinese and Korean American non-smokers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saw, Anne; Tang, Hao; Tsoh, Janice Y; Chen, Moon S; Tong, Elisa K

    2017-11-01

    Non-smokers' assertive behaviour towards smokers by asking them not to smoke is important in promoting smoke-free environments. Korean and Chinese Americans come from countries where most women are non-smokers and assertive behaviour may not be prevalent but may increase after migration because of social-ecological factors. This study assessed the extent to which Korean and Chinese American non-smokers ask someone not to smoke and associated factors. The 2003 California Chinese American and Korean American Tobacco Use Surveys were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses examined factors related to non-smoker self-reports that they asked someone not to smoke within the past year. About 40% reported past-year assertive behaviour against smoking, with higher rates among Koreans than Chinese (60.4% vs. 34.5%), those living with smokers (63.5%), ever exposed with a smoke-free home rule (62.3%), recently exposed at work without a smoke-free work policy (67.6%) and regularly exposed at other locations (52.3%). In combined multivariate analyses of both ethnic groups, assertive behaviour was associated with individual factors (single vs. married; tobacco exposure knowledge), family factors (living with smokers, exposed at home despite a smoke-free rule), community factors (exposed at work with no smoke-free policy, exposed at other locations) and cultural factors (Korean vs. Chinese ethnicity; lower acculturation). Chinese and Korean American non-smokers report assertive behaviour against smoking, which is associated with social-ecological factors. Results help identify target groups and strategies for future intervention, including the need to implement or enforce smoke-free environments and promote empowerment. [Saw A, Tang H, Tsoh JY, Chen MS Jr, Tong EK. Non-smoker assertive behaviour against smoke exposure: Chinese and Korean American non-smokers. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  7. Complementary and alternative medicine for cancer patients: results of the EPAAC survey on integrative oncology centres in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Elio; Vita, Alessandra; Baccetti, Sonia; Di Stefano, Mariella; Voller, Fabio; Zanobini, Alberto

    2015-06-01

    The Region of Tuscany Health Department was included as an associated member in WP7 "Healthcare" of the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC), initiated by the EU Commission in 2009. The principal aim was to map centres across Europe prioritizing those that provide public health services and operating within the national health system in integrative oncology (IO). A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used to collect data. A questionnaire was elaborated concerning integrative oncology therapies to be administered to all the national health system oncology centres or hospitals in each European country. These institutes were identified by convenience sampling, searching on oncology websites and forums. The official websites of these structures were analysed to obtain more information about their activities and contacts. Information was received from 123 (52.1 %) out of the 236 centres contacted until 31 December 2013. Forty-seven out of 99 responding centres meeting inclusion criteria (47.5 %) provided integrative oncology treatments, 24 from Italy and 23 from other European countries. The number of patients seen per year was on average 301.2 ± 337. Among the centres providing these kinds of therapies, 33 (70.2 %) use fixed protocols and 35 (74.5 %) use systems for the evaluation of results. Thirty-two centres (68.1 %) had research in progress or carried out until the deadline of the survey. The complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) more frequently provided to cancer patients were acupuncture 26 (55.3 %), homeopathy 19 (40.4 %), herbal medicine 18 (38.3 %) and traditional Chinese medicine 17 (36.2 %); anthroposophic medicine 10 (21.3 %); homotoxicology 6 (12.8 %); and other therapies 30 (63.8 %). Treatments are mainly directed to reduce adverse reactions to chemo-radiotherapy (23.9 %), in particular nausea and vomiting (13.4 %) and leucopenia (5 %). The CAMs were also used to reduce pain and fatigue (10.9

  8. RTEMS CENTRE- Support and Maintenance CENTRE to RTEMS Operating System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, H.; Constantino, A.; Coutunho, M.; Freitas, D.; Faustino, S.; Mota, M.; Colaço, P.; Zulianello, M.

    2008-08-01

    RTEMS stands for Real-Time Operating System for Multiprocessor Systems. It is a full featured Real Time Operating System that supports a variety of open APIs and interface standards. It provides a high performance environment for embedded applications, including a fixed-priority preemptive/non-preemptive scheduler, a comprehensive set of multitasking operations and a large range of supported architectures. Support and maintenance CENTRE to RTEMS operating system (RTEMS CENTRE) is a joint initiative of ESA-Portugal Task force, aiming to build a strong technical competence in the space flight (on- board) software, to offer support, maintenance and improvements to RTEMS. This paper provides a high level description of the current and future activities of the RTEMS CENTRE. It presents a brief description of the RTEMS operating system, a description of the tools developed and distributed to the community [1] and the improvements to be made to the operating system, including facilitation for the qualification of RTEMS (4.8.0) [2] for the space missions.

  9. Chinese-American foods : Geography, culture and tourism

    OpenAIRE

    Lew, Alan A.

    2016-01-01

    Food is a major way that Chinese, and other ethnic groups, engage with their cultural heritage. Behavioral perspectives from tourism studies give insight into the range of food neophyllics (love of new foods) and food neophobics (fear of new foods), as well as the role of authenticity in food experiences. Three general types of Chinese food are identified in the US: Chinese American (restaurant) Food, Real Chinese (restaurant) Food, and American Born Chinese (home) Food. Traditional Chinese A...

  10. Synthesis, characterisation, luminescence and defect centres in solution combustion synthesised CaZrO3:Tb3+ phosphor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Vijay; Watanabe, S.; Gundu Rao, T.K.; Al-Shamery, Katharina; Haase, Markus; Jho, Young-Dahl

    2012-01-01

    Tb 3+ doped CaZrO 3 has been prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. The combustion derived powder was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. A room temperature photoluminescence study showed that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by 251 nm light with a weak emission in the blue and orange region and a strong emission in green light region. CaZrO 3 :Tb 3+ exhibits three thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks at 126 °C, 200 °C and 480 °C. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to study the defect centres induced in the phosphor by gamma irradiation and also to identify the centres responsible for the TL peaks. The room temperature ESR spectrum of irradiated phosphor appears to be a superposition of two distinct centres. One of the centres (centre I) with principal g-value 2.0233 is identified as an O − ion. Centre II with an axial symmetric g-tensor with principal values g ⊥ =1.9986 and g ⊥ =2.0023 is assigned to an F + centre (singly ionised oxygen vacancy). An additional defect centre is observed during thermal annealing experiments and this centre (assigned to F + centre) seems to originate from an F centre (oxygen vacancy with two electrons). The F centre and also the F + centre appear to correlate with the observed high temperature TL peak in CaZrO 3 :Tb 3+ phosphor. - Highlights: ► Powder phosphor of CaZrO 3 :Tb 3+ was prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. ► The phosphor exhibits a bright green emission at 545 nm ( 5 D 4 → 7 F 5 ) of the Tb 3+ ion. ► Electron Spin Resonance studies have been carried out to identify the defect centres responsible for the observed thermoluminescence peaks.

  11. Concepts of Chinese Folk Happiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ip, Po Keung

    2011-01-01

    Discourses on Chinese folk happiness are often based on anecdotal narratives or qualitative analysis. Two traditional concepts of happiness popular in Chinese culture are introduced. The paper constructs a concept of Chinese folk happiness on basis of the findings of a scientific survey on the Taiwanese people regarding their concepts of…

  12. The meaning of life and health experience for the Chinese elderly with chronic illness: a qualitative study from positive health philosophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Heng; Shan, WeiYing; Jiang, AnLi

    2014-10-01

    Ageing and the concurrent prevalence of chronic disease in older adults produce a great burden and challenge for family, society and individuals. There is a definite need to build the science about caring for older Chinese adults from their perspective to inform health-care professionals. The aim of the study was to investigate the meaning of life and health experience of Chinese elderly with chronic illness and identify health potential from a positive perspective. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken to interview 11 older adults ages 64-92 in a day centre. In 2011, the data were collected and analysed by thematic analysis. Four interrelated themes indicated a rich meaning of life and health experience from the older adults: (i) happiness lies in contentment; (ii) sense of responsibility; (iii) letting nature take its course; (iv) and proactive self-balance. These interrelated themes with partial conflict presented a dialectic meaning of life and were interpreted from traditional Chinese culture and compared with positive health philosophy. The significance of finding will encourage nursing practice work with clients and identify the potential and self-help strength of the elderly. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  13. Motivation, Motivation Intensity, Use of Chinese and Self-Rated Chinese Competence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Meihua

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports on the results of an investigation of the relationships between motivation, motivation intensity, use of Chinese outside of class and self-rated competence in Chinese. Analyses of 162 questionnaires and 17 semi-structured interviews revealed the following findings: (1) the participants reported having high integrative…

  14. Epileptic seizures in patients with glioma: A single centrebased ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To elucidate the outcomes of treatment and epidemiology of epilepsy related to glioma in a single center in Chinese patients. Methods: Prescription medicines usage and clinical data were collected from medical records of 119 patients with gliomas between August 2009 and September 2015. Fisher's exact and ...

  15. Chinese Function Manager of 2006 Partenariat Comments on the Selection Principle for Chinese Enterprises

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

      Fang Lei, EU-China Partenariat 2006Function Manager for Chinese Host Companies, worked together with Mr. Richard Morgan, EU Project Expert,Mr. Han Meiqing, Chinese Project Expert in the primary selection of Chinese enterprises.In reply to the strong request of the relevant governmental institutions, CCPIT and enterprises, he gave the following introductions about the details of selection.……

  16. ECSPECT prospective multicentre registry for single-port laparoscopic colorectal procedures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weiss, Helmut; Zorron, R; Vestweber, K-H

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The international multicentre registry ECSPECT (European Consensus of Single Port Expertise in Colorectal Treatment) was established to evaluate the general feasibility and safety of single-port colorectal surgery with regard to preoperative risk assessment. METHODS: Consecutive...... patients undergoing single-port colorectal surgery were enrolled from 11 European centres between March 2010 and March 2014. Data were analysed to assess patient-, technique- and procedure-dependent parameters. A validated sex-adjusted risk chart was developed for prediction of single-port colorectal...

  17. Social Anxiety among Chinese People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qianqian Fan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The experience of social anxiety has largely been investigated among Western populations; much less is known about social anxiety in other cultures. Unlike the Western culture, the Chinese emphasize interdependence and harmony with social others. In addition, it is unclear if Western constructed instruments adequately capture culturally conditioned conceptualizations and manifestations of social anxiety that might be specific to the Chinese. The present study employed a sequence of qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the assessment of social anxiety among the Chinese people. Interviews and focus group discussions with Chinese participants revealed that some items containing the experience of social anxiety among the Chinese are not present in existing Western measures. Factor analysis was employed to examine the factor structure of the more comprehensive scale. This approach revealed an “other concerned anxiety” factor that appears to be specific to the Chinese. Subsequent analysis found that the new factor—other concerned anxiety—functioned the same as other social anxiety factors in their association with risk factors of social anxiety, such as attachment, parenting, behavioral inhibition/activation, and attitude toward group. The implications of these findings for a more culturally sensitive assessment tool of social anxiety among the Chinese were discussed.

  18. Social Anxiety among Chinese People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Qianqian; Chang, Weining C.

    2015-01-01

    The experience of social anxiety has largely been investigated among Western populations; much less is known about social anxiety in other cultures. Unlike the Western culture, the Chinese emphasize interdependence and harmony with social others. In addition, it is unclear if Western constructed instruments adequately capture culturally conditioned conceptualizations and manifestations of social anxiety that might be specific to the Chinese. The present study employed a sequence of qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the assessment of social anxiety among the Chinese people. Interviews and focus group discussions with Chinese participants revealed that some items containing the experience of social anxiety among the Chinese are not present in existing Western measures. Factor analysis was employed to examine the factor structure of the more comprehensive scale. This approach revealed an “other concerned anxiety” factor that appears to be specific to the Chinese. Subsequent analysis found that the new factor—other concerned anxiety—functioned the same as other social anxiety factors in their association with risk factors of social anxiety, such as attachment, parenting, behavioral inhibition/activation, and attitude toward group. The implications of these findings for a more culturally sensitive assessment tool of social anxiety among the Chinese were discussed. PMID:26380367

  19. Traditional Chinese Masks Reveal Customs

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    1996-01-01

    CHINESE masks are undoubtedly an important component in the worldwide mask culture. Minority nationality masks are a major component of China’s mask culture. Traditional Chinese masks, or nuo, represent a cultural component which originated from religious rites in prehistoric times. Various types of nuo are highly valuable for studies of Chinese customs.

  20. Perceptions and attitudes towards exercise among Chinese elders – the implications of culturally based self‐management strategies for effective health‐related help seeking and person‐centred care

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Zhenmi; Speed, Shaun; Beaver, Kinta

    2012-01-01

    Background: Encouraging the uptake of physical activity among a culturally diverse elderly population presents a challenge for health-care providers across the world. Little is known about the health-care needs of these populations, for example the increasingly ageing group of Chinese elders in many parts of the world who are now facing later life and increasing challenges to their health. Objective: This study aimed to explore behaviours and attitudes towards exercise among older Chinese imm...

  1. A Survey of Chinese Medicinal Herbal Treatment for Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gesa Meyer-Hamme

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Oral mucositis is one of the common side effects of chemotherapy treatment with potentially severe implications. Despite several treatment approaches by conventional and complementary western medicine, the therapeutic outcome is often not satisfactory. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM offers empirical herbal formulas for the treatment of oral ulceration which are used in adaptation to chemotherapy-induced mucositis. While standard concepts for TCM treatment do not exist and acceptance by conventional oncologists is still low, we conducted a review to examine the evidence of Chinese herbal treatment in oral mucositis. Eighteen relevant studies on 4 single herbs, 2 combinations of 2 herbs, and 11 multiherbal prescriptions involving 3 or more compounds were included. Corresponding molecular mechanisms were investigated. The knowledge about detailed herbal mechanisms, especially in multi-herbal prescriptions is still limited. The quality of clinical trials needs further improvement. Meta-analysis on the existent database is not possible but molecular findings on Chinese medicinal herbs indicate that further research is still promising for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis.

  2. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese Comfort, Afford, Respect, and Expect scale of caring nurse-patient interaction competence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Hui-Chun; Hsieh, Tsung-Cheng; Chen, Yueh-Chih; Chang, Shu-Chuan; Hsu, Wen-Lin

    2017-11-29

    To investigate the construct validity and reliability of the Chinese Comfort, Afford, Respect, and Expect scale, which can be used to determine clinical nurses' competence. The results can also serve to promote nursing competence and improve patient satisfaction. Nurse-patient interaction is critical for improving nursing care quality. However, to date, no relevant validated instrument has been proposed for assessing caring nurse-patient interaction competence in clinical practice. This study adapted and validated the Chinese version of the caring nurse-patient interaction scale. A cross-cultural adaptation and validation study. A psychometric analysis of the four major constructs of the Chinese Comfort, Afford, Respect, and Expect scale was conducted on a sample of 356 nurses from a medical centre in China. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were adopted to extract the main components, both the internal consistency and correlation coefficients were used to examine reliability and a confirmatory factor analysis was adopted to verify the construct validity. The goodness-of-fit results of the model were strong. The standardised factor loadings of the Chinese Comfort, Afford, Respect, and Expect scale ranged from 0.73-0.95, indicating that the validity and reliability of this instrument were favourable. Moreover, the 12 extracted items explained 95.9% of the measured content of the Chinese Comfort, Afford, Respect, and Expect scale. The results serve as empirical evidence regarding the validity and reliability of the Chinese Comfort, Afford, Respect, and Expect scale. Hospital nurses increasingly demand help from patients and their family members in identifying health problems and assisting with medical decision-making. Therefore, enhancing nurses' competence in nurse-patient interactions is crucial for nursing and hospital managers to improve nursing care quality. The Chinese caring nurse-patient interaction scale can serve as an effective tool for nursing

  3. [Common household traditional Chinese medicines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shu-Yuan; Li, Mei; Fu, Dan; Liu, Yang; Wang, Hui; Tan, Wei

    2016-02-01

    With the enhancement in the awareness of self-diagnosis among residents, it's very common for each family to prepare common medicines for unexpected needs. Meanwhile, with the popularization of the traditional Chinese medicine knowledge, the proportion of common traditional Chinese medicines prepared at residents' families is increasingly higher than western medicines year by year. To make it clear, both pre-research and closed questionnaire research were adopted for residents in Chaoyang District, Beijing, excluding residents with a medical background. Based on the results of data, a analysis was made to define the role and influence on the quality of life of residents and give suggestions for relevant departments to improve the traditional Chinese medicine popularization and promote the traditional Chinese medicine market. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  4. Clinical characteristics of bladder cancer in patients with spinal cord injury: the experience from a single centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böthig, Ralf; Kurze, Ines; Fiebag, Kai; Kaufmann, Albert; Schöps, Wolfgang; Kadhum, Thura; Zellner, Michael; Golka, Klaus

    2017-06-01

    Life expectancy for people with spinal cord injury has shown a marked increase due to modern advances in treatment methods and in neuro-urology. However, since life expectancy of people with paralysis increases, the risk of developing of urinary bladder cancer is gaining importance. Single-centre retrospective evaluation of patient data with spinal cord injuries and proven urinary bladder cancer and summary of the literature. Between 1998 and 2014, 24 (3 female, 21 male) out of a total of 6599 patients with spinal cord injury were diagnosed with bladder cancer. The average age at bladder cancer diagnosis was 57.67 years, which is well below the average for bladder cancer cases in the general population (male: 73, female: 77). All but one patient had a latency period between the onset of the spinal paralysis and tumour diagnosis of more than 10 years. The median latency was 29.83 years. The median survival for these patients was 11.5 months. Of the 24 patients, 19 (79%) had muscle invasive bladder cancer at ≥T2 at the time of diagnosis. The type of neurogenic bladder (neurogenic detrusor overactivity or acontractility) and the form of bladder drainage do not appear to influence the risk. Long-term indwelling catheter drainage played only a minor role in the investigated patients. The significantly younger age at onset and the frequency of invasive tumours at diagnosis indicate that spinal cord injury influences bladder cancer risk and prognosis as well. Early detection of bladder cancer in patients with spinal cord injury remains a challenge.

  5. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of 19 patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome from a single South Australian centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whyte, A F; Smith, W B; Sinkar, S N; Kette, F E; Hissaria, P

    2013-07-01

    Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare, idiopathic systemic vasculitis. There is emerging evidence of an association between the presence or absence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and clinical phenotype. Thromboembolism is an increasingly recognised complication of the disease. Given the paucity of Australian data, the aim of this study was to examine the clinical and laboratory features of CSS in a single Australian centre. We performed a retrospective review of all patients who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for CSS managed at the Department of Immunology, Royal Adelaide Hospital between 2002 and 2008. Nineteen patients were included. All patients had asthma and most had upper airway involvement. Peripheral nerve, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and cutaneous involvement was common. Renal and cardiac involvement was uncommon in this series. Histological confirmation was obtained in 15 patients (78.9%). Ten patients (52.6%) were ANCA+, and these were more likely to have musculoskeletal involvement, such as arthralgia or myalgia (odds ratio 57, P = 0.005). Thrombosis was a feature at diagnosis in six patients (31.6%); two of these recurred with relapse. Sixteen patients (84.2%) were followed up; five died, and mean survival was 8.9 years. This is the first Australian study to focus on CSS. Our results demonstrate similar presentation and prognosis of CSS to previous descriptions; however, we noted that musculoskeletal involvement was more common in ANCA+ patients. In our series, thrombosis was a significant complication and we suggest that thromboprophylaxis may be warranted. © 2013 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2013 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  6. Effect of Disproportional Voting Rights on Firm’s Market Performance: Evidence from Chinese Firms Cross-Listed on U.S. Exchanges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Dual-class firms face great criticism as it is believed that firms choose this structure to expropriate minority shareholders’ wealth. We compare market performance of Chinese dual-class firms with their single-class counterparts by constructing a list of Chinese firms cross-listed on U.S. exchanges. We find, contrary to the literature, that Chinese dual-class firms are outperforming in terms of market performance measured by Tobin’s Q, P/E ratio, and abnormal return in both subsequent years after the initial public offering (IPO. The reason for contrary results is that Chinese dual-class firms bond themselves to high U.S. standards from low local Chinese standards, and it is evident from the literature that when a firm bonds itself to high standards it shows a credible commitment towards minority shareholders’ rights, as well as focus on upright performance rather than investing in value-destroying projects and competes to survive in the market that imposes the high standards.

  7. Frequency and pattern of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions for urticaria in Taiwan during 2009: analysis of the national health insurance database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Pei-Shan; Tseng, Yu-Fang; Hsu, Yao-Chin; Lai, Yu-Kai; Weng, Shih-Feng

    2013-08-15

    Large-scale pharmaco-epidemiological studies of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for treatment of urticaria are few, even though clinical trials showed some CHM are effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the frequencies and patterns of CHM prescriptions for urticaria by analysing the population-based CHM database in Taiwan. This study was linked to and processed through the complete traditional CHM database of the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan during 2009. We calculated the frequencies and patterns of CHM prescriptions used for treatment of urticaria, of which the diagnosis was defined as the single ICD-9 Code of 708. Frequent itemset mining, as applied to data mining, was used to analyse co-prescription of CHM for patients with urticaria. There were 37,386 subjects who visited traditional Chinese Medicine clinics for urticaria in Taiwan during 2009 and received a total of 95,765 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 18 and 35 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (32.76%). In addition, women used CHM for urticaria more frequently than men (female:male = 1.94:1). There was an average of 5.54 items prescribed in the form of either individual Chinese herbs or a formula in a single CHM prescription for urticaria. Bai-Xian-Pi (Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz) was the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herb while Xiao-Feng San was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula. The most commonly prescribed CHM drug combination was Xiao-Feng San plus Bai-Xian-Pi while the most commonly prescribed triple drug combination was Xiao-Feng San, Bai-Xian-Pi, and Di-Fu Zi (Kochia scoparia). In view of the popularity of CHM such as Xiao-Feng San prescribed for the wind-heat pattern of urticaria in this study, a large-scale, randomized clinical trial is warranted to research their efficacy and safety.

  8. On Chinese Culture Curriculum Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Catherine

    2006-01-01

    The importance of cultural elements in foreign language teaching has been widely accepted in recent years. This applies particularly to the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL) to non-native Chinese speakers at tertiary level in mainland China. However, there is no commonly accepted blueprint that defines the parts of Chinese culture…

  9. Increasing imputation and prediction accuracy for Chinese Holsteins using joint Chinese-Nordic reference population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Peipei; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Ding, X

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of including Nordic Holsteins in the reference population on the imputation accuracy and prediction accuracy for Chinese Holsteins. The data used in this study include 85 Chinese Holstein bulls genotyped with both 54K chip and 777K (HD) chip, 2862 Chinese cows...... was improved slightly when using the marker data imputed based on the combined HD reference data, compared with using the marker data imputed based on the Chinese HD reference data only. On the other hand, when using the combined reference population including 4398 Nordic Holstein bulls, the accuracy...... to increase reference population rather than increasing marker density...

  10. The politics of patient-centred care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreindler, Sara A

    2015-10-01

    Despite widespread belief in the importance of patient-centred care, it remains difficult to create a system in which all groups work together for the good of the patient. Part of the problem may be that the issue of patient-centred care itself can be used to prosecute intergroup conflict. This qualitative study of texts examined the presence and nature of intergroup language within the discourse on patient-centred care. A systematic SCOPUS and Google search identified 85 peer-reviewed and grey literature reports that engaged with the concept of patient-centred care. Discourse analysis, informed by the social identity approach, examined how writers defined and portrayed various groups. Managers, physicians and nurses all used the discourse of patient-centred care to imply that their own group was patient centred while other group(s) were not. Patient organizations tended to downplay or even deny the role of managers and providers in promoting patient centredness, and some used the concept to advocate for controversial health policies. Intergroup themes were even more obvious in the rhetoric of political groups across the ideological spectrum. In contrast to accounts that juxtaposed in-groups and out-groups, those from reportedly patient-centred organizations defined a 'mosaic' in-group that encompassed managers, providers and patients. The seemingly benign concept of patient-centred care can easily become a weapon on an intergroup battlefield. Understanding this dimension may help organizations resolve the intergroup tensions that prevent collective achievement of a patient-centred system. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Communications strategy for the Chernobyl Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurilchik, Mykola; Green, Len

    2000-01-01

    This Communications Strategy was developed for the International Chernobyl Centre (ICC) as part of a joint UK/Ukraine project, sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry and NNC Limited. The Plan was developed during four weeks of workshop discussions in the UK between staff from the centre and experienced PR Professionals from NNC Limited. The requirements for a sustained communications activity at the ICC go much further than simply enhancing or promoting the Centre's scientific and technical activities. Raising sufficient awareness of the Centre among potential funding agents and commercial partners is critical to its future development as a major centre for international co-operation and research. It is only through establishing and developing effective communications that the Centre will become well enough known and understood both within the Ukraine, and internationally, to secure its long term future. However, as the workshop programme unfolded, it also became clear that communications was in itself a legitimate and necessary function of the Centre, and part of the foundations of its existence. The Centre has a fundamental role as an 'information exchange', collecting and communicating information from within the Ukraine to the rest of the world, and interpreting world interest and attitudes to the Ukraine Government and nuclear industry. As such compliments the efforts of individual power plant and corporate PR functions within the Ukraine nuclear energy sector

  12. The Roles of Pinyin Skill in English-Chinese Biliteracy Learning: Evidence from Chinese Immersion Learners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lü, Chan

    2017-01-01

    Pinyin is a sound-annotating system for Chinese characters using Roman letters. Teaching and learning Pinyin has been an important educational practice in Mainland China for native Chinese children, and it is also typically taught to beginning learners of Chinese as a foreign/second language in tertiary-level classrooms. However, whether it should…

  13. Discussion on 'Centres of excellence' in Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riad, S.

    1999-01-01

    In Africa, Centres of Excellence should be oriented to build up scientific and technological capacity in the four topics of international Monitoring System related technologies, namely, seismic monitoring, hydro acoustic monitoring, infrasound monitoring and radionuclides monitoring. Training programs on these topics should be a major objective. A network of such centres should be established in a number of African countries. Centres should be equipped with means and materials for on-line course dispatch to interested training centres or research institutions. African centres should develop strong relationship among themselves through information and data exchange and sharing, harmonization of training programs. National data centres may be established as a component of the African Centre of Excellence. States Signatories may authorize the establishment of a specific fund to support the activities of the African center

  14. The Perennial Problem: The Chinese Minority in Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1986-06-28

    peranakan , ethnic Chinese, local Chinese, foreign-born Chinese, Indonesian Chinese, alien Chinese, citizen Chinese, and so forth.) For the purposes of this...study, only four terms are im- -" portant: pribumi, peranakan , totok, and cina. ’Pribumi’ is * an Indonesian term which literally means ’indigenous...pribumi population consists of hundreds of different ethnic and linguistic groups. ’ Peranakan ’ is the term used to refer to the Indonesia-born Chinese

  15. Association between single-nucleotide polymorphism in CISH gene and susceptibility to tuberculosis in Chinese Han population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lan; Chu, Haiqing; Xu, Xiaogang; Yue, Jun; Li, Huiping; Wang, Minggui

    2014-04-01

    The cytokine-inducible SRC homology 2 domain (CISH) gene is up-regulated by IL-2 in response to infection, and inhibits microbial infection. The objective of the present study was to examine whether genetic variants of CISH (SNPs) are associated with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) in individuals of Chinese Han ethnicity. We sequenced five previously identified SNPs of CISH in patients with TB or healthy controls. Three of the SNPs, rs148685070 [position -639; C/C], rs414171 [position -292; A/T], and rs6768300 [position -163; C/G]) are located in the promoter region, while the fourth (rs2239751 [position +1320; A/C]) near the translation start site, and the fifth (rs622502 [position +3415; C/G]) in the third intron. The AA genotypes of the SNPs rs2239751 and rs414171 were significantly associated with TB. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that subjects with the rs414171 AA genotype were more likely to have TB than those with the AT genotype. By contrast, we did not observe genetic variants of the rs148685070 SNP. In conclusion, two genetic variants in CISH gene appear to increase susceptibility to TB in Chinese Han population.

  16. A pharmacogenetics-based warfarin maintenance dosing algorithm from Northern Chinese patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinxing Chen

    Full Text Available Inconsistent associations with warfarin dose were observed in genetic variants except VKORC1 haplotype and CYP2C9*3 in Chinese people, and few studies on warfarin dose algorithm was performed in a large Chinese Han population lived in Northern China. Of 787 consenting patients with heart-valve replacements who were receiving long-term warfarin maintenance therapy, 20 related Single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped. Only VKORC1 and CYP2C9 SNPs were observed to be significantly associated with warfarin dose. In the derivation cohort (n = 551, warfarin dose variability was influenced, in decreasing order, by VKORC1 rs7294 (27.3%, CYP2C9*3(7.0%, body surface area(4.2%, age(2.7%, target INR(1.4%, CYP4F2 rs2108622 (0.7%, amiodarone use(0.6%, diabetes mellitus(0.6%, and digoxin use(0.5%, which account for 45.1% of the warfarin dose variability. In the validation cohort (n = 236, the actual maintenance dose was significantly correlated with predicted dose (r = 0.609, P<0.001. Our algorithm could improve the personalized management of warfarin use in Northern Chinese patients.

  17. A Pharmacogenetics-Based Warfarin Maintenance Dosing Algorithm from Northern Chinese Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Fang; Wang, Jin'e; Shi, Yi; Tan, Yu; Chen, Qianlong; Zhang, Yu; Hui, Rutai; Wang, Yibo

    2014-01-01

    Inconsistent associations with warfarin dose were observed in genetic variants except VKORC1 haplotype and CYP2C9*3 in Chinese people, and few studies on warfarin dose algorithm was performed in a large Chinese Han population lived in Northern China. Of 787 consenting patients with heart-valve replacements who were receiving long-term warfarin maintenance therapy, 20 related Single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped. Only VKORC1 and CYP2C9 SNPs were observed to be significantly associated with warfarin dose. In the derivation cohort (n = 551), warfarin dose variability was influenced, in decreasing order, by VKORC1 rs7294 (27.3%), CYP2C9*3(7.0%), body surface area(4.2%), age(2.7%), target INR(1.4%), CYP4F2 rs2108622 (0.7%), amiodarone use(0.6%), diabetes mellitus(0.6%), and digoxin use(0.5%), which account for 45.1% of the warfarin dose variability. In the validation cohort (n = 236), the actual maintenance dose was significantly correlated with predicted dose (r = 0.609, Pwarfarin use in Northern Chinese patients. PMID:25126975

  18. [Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms of susceptibility genes of type 2 diabetes mellitus with liability to gout among ethnic Han Chinese males from coastal region of Shandong].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Lin; Xin, Ruosai; Sun, Jian; Hou, Feng; Li, Changgui; Hu, Xinlin; Liu, Zhen; Wang, Yao; Li, Xinde; Ren, Wei; Wang, Xuefeng; Jia, Zhaotong

    2015-10-01

    OBJECTIVE To assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of susceptibility genes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with liability to gout among ethnic Han Chinese males from coastal region of Shandong province. METHODS Seven SNPs within the susceptibility genes of T2DM, including rs10773971(G/C) and rs4766398(G/C) of WNT5B gene, rs10225163(G/C) of JAZF1 gene, rs2069590(T/A) of BDKRB2 gene, rs5745709(G/A) of HGF gene, rs1991914(C/A) of OTOP1 gene and rs2236479(G/A) of COL18A1 gene, were typed with a custom-made Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping assay in 480 male patients with gout and 480 male controls. Potential association was assessed with the chi-square test. RESULTS No significant difference was detected for the 7 selected SNPs in terms of genotypic and allelic frequencies (P > 0.05). When age and body mass index (BMI) were adjusted, the 7 genetic variants still showed no significant association with gout. CONCLUSION The genotypes of the 7 selected SNPs are not associated with gout in ethnic Han Chinese male patients from the coastal region of Shandong province. However, the results need to be replicated in larger sets of patients collected from other regions and populations.

  19. Learning across Borders--Chinese Migrant Literature and Intercultural Chinese Language Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yongyang

    2014-01-01

    Chinese migrants have been a rich source of influential international literature, represented by key works such as "Eat a Bowl of Tea" by Louis Chu in 1961 and "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan in 1989. Cultural differences and conflicts, stereotypes and other complex issues regarding the diasporic lives of the Chinese sojourners…

  20. The Aube centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-07-01

    This educational booklet is devoted to a general presentation of the Aube radioactive wastes storage centre. After a short presentation of the Andra, the French national agency for the management of radioactive wastes, it gives some general information about radioactive wastes (origin, classification), containers (quality assurance and different types), wastes transportation (planning, safety), and about the Aube centre itself: description, treatment and conditioning of drums (compacting and injection), storage facilities, geological situation of the site, and environmental controls. (J.S.)

  1. Chinese culture and fertility decline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, C; Jia, S

    1992-01-01

    Coale has suggested that cultural factors exert a significant influence on fertility reduction; countries in the "Chinese cultural circle" would be the first to show fertility decline. In China, the view was that traditional Chinese culture contributed to increased population. This paper examines the nature of the relationship between Chinese culture and fertility. Attention was directed to a comparison of fertility rates of developing countries with strong Chinese cultural influence and of fertility within different regions of China. Discussion was followed by an explanation of the theoretical impact of Chinese culture on fertility and direct and indirect beliefs and practices that might either enhance or hinder fertility decline. Emigration to neighboring countries occurred after the Qing dynasty. Fertility after the 1950s declined markedly in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China: all countries within the Chinese cultural circle. Other countries within the Chinese circle which have higher fertility, yet lower fertility than other non-Chinese cultural countries, are Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Within China, regions with similar fertility patterns are identified as coastal regions, central plains, and mountainous and plateau regions. The Han ethnic group has lower fertility than that of ethnic minorities; regions with large Han populations have lower fertility. Overseas Chinese in East Asian countries also tend to have lower fertility than their host populations. Chinese culture consisted of the assimilation of other cultures over 5000 years. Fertility decline was dependent on the population's desire to limit reproduction, favorable social mechanisms, and availability of contraception: all factors related to economic development. Chinese culture affects fertility reduction by affecting reproductive views and social mechanisms directly, and indirectly through economics. Confucianism emphasizes collectivism, self

  2. Evaluation of candidate genes associated with hepatitis A and E virus infection in Chinese Han population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Maolin; Qiu, Jing; Guo, Daoxia; Xu, Yunfang; Liu, Xingxiang; Shen, Chong; Dong, Chen

    2018-03-20

    Recent GWAS-associated studies reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ABCB1, TGFβ1, XRCC1 genes were associated with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, and variants of APOA4 and APOE genes were associated with and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in US population. However, the associations of these loci with HAV or HEV infection in Chinese Han population remain unclear. A total of 3082 Chinese Han persons were included in this study. Anti-HAV IgG and anti-HEV IgG were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Genotypes in ABCB1, TGFβ1, XRCC1, APOA4 and APOE SNPs were determined by TaqMan MGB technology. In Chinese Han population, rs1045642 C to T variation in ABCB1 was significantly associated with the decreased risk of HAV infection (P infection in our samples (P C to T variation in APOE was significantly associated with lower risk of HEV infection in males (adjusted OR infection. Additionally, Chinese Han males with rs7412 C to T variation in APOE gene are less prone to be infected by HEV.

  3. Components of implicit stigma against mental illness among Chinese students.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaogang Wang

    Full Text Available Although some research has examined negative automatic aspects of attitudes toward mental illness via relatively indirect measures among Western samples, it is unclear whether negative attitudes can be automatically activated in individuals from non-Western countries. This study attempted to validate results from Western samples with Chinese college students. We first examined the three-component model of implicit stigma (negative cognition, negative affect, and discriminatory tendencies toward mental illness with the Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT. We also explored the relationship between explicit and implicit stigma among 56 Chinese university college students. In the three separate SC-IATs and the combined SC-IAT, automatic associations between mental illness and negative descriptors were stronger relative to those with positive descriptors and the implicit effect of cognitive and affective SC-IATs were significant. Explicit and implicit measures of stigma toward mental illness were unrelated. In our sample, women's overall attitudes toward mental illness were more negative than men's were, but no gender differences were found for explicit measures. These findings suggested that implicit stigma toward mental illness exists in Chinese students, and provide some support for the three-component model of implicit stigma toward mental illness. Future studies that focus on automatic components of stigmatization and stigma-reduction in China are warranted.

  4. Single-centre experience of retroperitoneoscopic approach in urology with tips to overcome the steep learning curve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aneesh Srivastava

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: The retroperitoneoscopic or retroperitoneal (RP surgical approach has not become as popular as the transperitoneal (TP one due to the steeper learning curve. Aims: Our single-institution experience focuses on the feasibility, advantages and complications of retroperitoneoscopic surgeries (RS performed over the past 10 years. Tips and tricks have been discussed to overcome the steep learning curve and these are emphasised. Settings and Design: This study made a retrospective analysis of computerised hospital data of patients who underwent RP urological procedures from 2003 to 2013 at a tertiary care centre. Patients and Methods: Between 2003 and 2013, 314 cases of RS were performed for various urological procedures. We analysed the operative time, peri-operative complications, time to return of bowel sound, length of hospital stay, and advantages and difficulties involved. Post-operative complications were stratified into five grades using modified Clavien classification (MCC. Results: RS were successfully completed in 95.5% of patients, with 4% of the procedures electively performed by the combined approach (both RP and TP; 3.2% required open conversion and 1.3% were converted to the TP approach. The most common cause for conversion was bleeding. Mean hospital stay was 3.2 ± 1.2 days and the mean time for returning of bowel sounds was 16.5 ± 5.4 h. Of the patients, 1.4% required peri-operative blood transfusion. A total of 16 patients (5% had post-operative complications and the majority were grades I and II as per MCC. The rates of intra-operative and post-operative complications depended on the difficulty of the procedure, but the complications diminished over the years with the increasing experience of surgeons. Conclusion: Retroperitoneoscopy has proven an excellent approach, with certain advantages. The tips and tricks that have been provided and emphasised should definitely help to minimise the steep learning curve.

  5. Single-centre experience of stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for prolactinomas with the linear accelerator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Peter J; Williams, Janet Rosemary; Smee, Robert Ian

    2015-06-01

    Primary management of prolactinomas is usually medical, with surgery a secondary option where necessary. This study is a review of a single centre's experience with focused radiotherapy where benefit was not gained by medical or surgical approaches. Radiotherapy as an alternative and adjuvant treatment for prolactinomas has been performed at our institution with the linear accelerator since 1990. We present a retrospective review of 13 patients managed with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and 5 managed with fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT), as well as 5 managed with conventional radiotherapy, at the Prince of Wales Hospital. Patients with a histopathologically diagnosed prolactinoma were eligible. Those patients who had a confirmed pathological diagnosis of prolactinoma following surgical intervention, a prolactin level elevated above 500 μg/L, or a prolactin level persistently elevated above 200 μg/L with exclusion of other causes were represented in this review. At the end of documented follow-up (SRS median 6 years, FSRT median 2 years), no SRS patients showed an increase in tumour volume. After FSRT, 1 patient showed an increase in size, 2 showed a decrease in size and 2 patients showed no change. Prolactin levels trended towards improvement after SRS and FSRT, but no patients achieved the remission level of <20 μg/L. Seven of 13 patients in the SRS group achieved a level of <500 μg/L, whereas no patients reached this target after FSRT. A reduction in prolactin level is frequent after SRS and FSRT for prolactinomas; however, true biochemical remission is uncommon. Tumour volume control in this series was excellent, but this may be related to the natural history of the disease. Morbidity and mortality after stereotactic radiation were very low in this series. © 2014 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

  6. Chinese Debates on the Democratization Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peer Møller Christensen

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The new economic importance of the Chinese economy has created Chinese expectations that the country will be able to regain a political and cultural position in the world in accordance with this economic status. But for China to become a respected member of world society, one of the most severe obstacles is its, from a western perspective, undemocratic political system. The article describes the lively debate going on among Chinese intellectuals of diverse political-ideological convictions about what kind of democracy should be the model for China’s future political system. The liberally oriented intellectuals want a political system very much like American liberal constitutional democracy, while intellectuals on the left side of the political spectrum want a democracy with a clear socialist basis. Although Chinese intellectuals form a minority in society, these intellectual debates are sure to have influence on both public opinion and opinions and attitudes among political decision makers inside the Chinese Communist Party. Further investigations will have to establish to what degree the perceptions of China's political future and democratization are reflected in the political attitudes among the Chinese in general, and how they are perceived inside the confines of political decision making in the Chinese Communist Party. Only then will it be possible to answer the questions: "What kind of democracy do the Chinese want?" and "What kind of democracy are the Chinese going to get?"

  7. Testing initiatives increase rates of HIV diagnosis in primary care and community settings: an observational single-centre cohort study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prini Mahendran

    Full Text Available The primary objective was to examine trends in new HIV diagnoses in a UK area of high HIV prevalence between 2000 and 2012 with respect to site of diagnosis and stage of HIV infection.Single-centre observational cohort study.An outpatient HIV department in a secondary care UK hospital.1359 HIV-infected adults.Demographic information (age, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, site of initial HIV diagnosis (Routine settings such as HIV/GUM clinics versus Non-Routine settings such as primary care and community venues, stage of HIV infection, CD4 count and seroconversion symptoms were collated for each participant.There was a significant increase in the proportion of new HIV diagnoses made in Non-Routine settings (from 27.0% in 2000 to 58.8% in 2012; p<0.001. Overall there was a decrease in the rate of late diagnosis from 50.7% to 32.9% (p=0.001. Diagnosis of recent infection increased from 23.0% to 47.1% (p=0.001. Of those with recent infection, significantly more patients were likely to report symptoms consistent with a seroconversion illness over the 13 years (17.6% to 65.0%; p<0.001.This is the first study, we believe, to demonstrate significant improvements in HIV diagnosis and a shift in diagnosis of HIV from HIV/GUM settings to primary practice and community settings due to multiple initiatives.

  8. Chinese outward foreign direct investments to Europe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blomkvist, Katarina; Drogendijk, Rian

    This paper addresses Chinese outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) in Europe. We aim to provide more knowledge on the ongoing research discussion about Chinese OFDI, more specifically, we answer questions about what is driving Chinese firms to invest in Europe, and whether Chinese investment

  9. Utilisation patterns and cost of hospital care for people living with HIV in Ireland in 2012: a single-centre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Aline; Horgan, Mary; Jackson, Arthur; Browne, John P; Bergin, Colm J

    2017-03-01

    Data on the pattern and cost of health service use by HIV patients are required for evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of new drugs and technologies as well as being essential for service planning. The aim of this study was to identify the utilisation patterns and cost of hospital care for HIV patients in a single centre in Ireland in 2012. Data on the frequency and non-drug costs of all hospital resources used by HIV patients were extracted from a hospital activity-based costing system. Cost data were analysed using a generalised linear model. A total of 328 patients, 3672 patient months, were included in this study. Patients had a mean of 4.4 scheduled infectious disease outpatient appointments per patient year; 37% of patients also used another outpatient service, 15% in-patient services, 4% day-case service and 18% emergency department services in 2012. Patients with very advanced HIV disease continue to incur a disproportionate amount of the total cost of providing care. This study provides baseline utilisation and cost data for use of both infectious-disease and non-infectious disease hospital services and will be useful for service planning in light of the likely increases in resource demands.

  10. The Ties That Bind. The Chinese American Family in Transnational Chinese Cinema

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Han, Q.

    2014-01-01

    The primary research question raised in the thesis is how have films been able to construct the identity of ethnic Chinese in the United States? This question is addressed through three sub-questions. First, why is the family narrative so characteristic of films about Chinese Americans in

  11. Four new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of toll-like ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In order to reveal the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genotypes and allelic frequencies of each mutation site of TLR7 gene in Chinese native duck breeds, SNPs of duck TLR7 gene were detected by DNA sequencing. The genotypes of 465 native ducks from eight key protected duck breeds were determined by ...

  12. Clinical Utility of Amlodipine/Valsartan Fixed-Dose Combination in the Management of Hypertension in Chinese Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenbo He, MD

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Amlodipine/valsartan (Aml/Val single-pill combination (SPC therapy has been widely used and studied in clinical practice in recent years. This article reviews the Chinese and English literature on the clinical use of Aml/Val SPC therapy in Chinese hypertensive patients. According to five studies concerning the efficacy and safety of this treatment, Aml/Val SPC therapy was more efficacious than monotherapy with valsartan, amlodipine, or the nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system. This treatment showed greater blood pressure-lowering effects, a higher blood pressure control rate, and a higher response rate. Aml/Val SPC treatment was well tolerated, with adverse event rates similar to those of monotherapy with valsartan or amlodipine and significantly rarer adverse events compared with the nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system. Aml/Val SPC is a highly efficacious and well-tolerated antihypertensive treatment in Chinese hypertensive patients.

  13. Use of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with hyperlipidemia: A population-based study in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Shih-Meng; Shih, Wei-Tai; Yang, Yao-Hsu; Chen, Pau-Chung; Chu, Yen-Hua

    2015-06-20

    Chinese herbal products (CHPs) are commonly used in patients with hyperlipidemia in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Because hyperlipidemia and related disease are common issues worldwide, this study analyzed the prescription patterns and frequencies of CHPs for treating patients with hyperlipidemia in Taiwan. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become popular as a therapy for controlling symptoms in patients with hyperlipidemia. This study aimed to analyze the prescription patterns of TCM for patients with hyperlipidemia in Taiwan. The study population was recruited from a random-sampled cohort of 1,000,000 people from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 2003 and 2009. We identified 30,784 outpatient visits related with hyperlipidemia diagnosis and collected these medical records. Association rules of data mining were conducted to explore the co-prescription patterns for Chinese herbal products (CHPs). The most commonly prescribed herbal formula for hyperlipidemia treatment was Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang (16.1%), and Shan Zha (Crataegi fructus; 25.0%) was the most commonly prescribed single herb. The most commonly prescribed combination of an herbal formula and a single herb was Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang and Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), and the most commonly prescribed combination of couplet herbs was Dan Shen and Shan Zha. Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang is the most frequently prescribed formula and is typically prescribed with Shan Zha, Dan Shen, and He Shou Wu for patients with hyperlipidemia. Clinical trials are warranted in future research to investigate the effects of the CHPs in terms of safety and efficacy and in particular to evaluate potential interactions with conventional treatments. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  14. Chinese investments in the EU

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haico EBBERS

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available China’s investments in the European Union are much lower than what you may expect given the economic size of both entities. These relatively low investments in Europe are a combination of priority and obstacles. The priority for investments is clearly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. This regional pattern is heavily influenced by the need to solve the resource shortage in the medium and long term. The investments in Europe and the United States are mostly market seeking investments. Research specifically focused on Chinese M&A abroad comes to the same conclusion. The success rate of Chinese M&A abroad is much lower than what we see with respect to American or European investments abroad. In this paper, we examine why Chinese firms are facing more difficulties in the European Union than in other regions. The paper focuses on Chinese M&A as proxy for total foreign direct investments abroad. By looking at the factors that have been documented as influencing the level of M&A abroad, it becomes clear that Chinese firms in Europe are hindered by many factors. For example, the trade between China and the EU is relatively low, the institutional quality is lower compared to the United States, there is less experience with respect to Europe and relatively many deals relate to State Owned Enterprises (SOE which makes the deal sensitive. So it is logical that Chinese investments are not very high in Europe. However, the research makes clear that the obstacles for Chinese investments in Europe are disappearing step by step. In that sense, we expect a strong increase of Chinese investments in Europe in the future.

  15. Influence of complex impurity centres on radiation damage in wide-gap metal oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lushchik, A., E-mail: aleksandr.lushchik@ut.ee [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); Lushchik, Ch. [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); Popov, A.I. [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga 8, Riga LV-1063 (Latvia); Schwartz, K. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (GSI), Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Shablonin, E.; Vasil’chenko, E. [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia)

    2016-05-01

    Different mechanisms of radiation damage of wide-gap metal oxides as well as a dual influence of impurity ions on the efficiency of radiation damage have been considered on the example of binary ionic MgO and complex ionic–covalent Lu{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} single crystals. Particular emphasis has been placed on irradiation with ∼2 GeV heavy ions ({sup 197}Au, {sup 209}Bi, {sup 238}U, fluence of 10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2}) providing extremely high density of electronic excitations within ion tracks. Besides knock-out mechanism for Frenkel pair formation, the additional mechanism through the collapse of mobile discrete breathers at certain lattice places (e.g., complex impurity centres) leads to the creation of complex defects that involve a large number of host atoms. The experimental manifestations of the radiation creation of intrinsic and impurity antisite defects (Lu|{sub Al} or Ce|{sub Al} – a heavy ion in a wrong cation site) have been detected in LuAG and LuAG:Ce{sup 3+} single crystals. Light doping of LuAG causes a small enhancement of radiation resistance, while pair impurity centres (for instance, Ce|{sub Lu}–Ce|{sub Al} or Cr{sup 3+}–Cr{sup 3+} in MgO) are formed with a rise of impurity concentration. These complex impurity centres as well as radiation-induced intrinsic antisite defects (Lu|{sub Al} strongly interacting with Lu in a regular site) tentatively serve as the places for breathers collapse, thus decreasing the material resistance against dense irradiation.

  16. PRODt;CTION OF SINGLE CELL PROTEIN FROM BREWERY ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    BSN

    origin is unicellular or simple multicellular organism such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, ... Pilot plant produe1io11 of single cell proteins now take place in several centre.ii in ... animal feed but little or no information has been documented as per its ...

  17. Two centre problems in relativistic atomic physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McConnell, Sean R.

    2013-01-09

    The work contained within this thesis is concerned with the explanation and usage of a set of theoretical procedures for the study of static and dynamic two-centre problems in the relativistic framework of Dirac's equation. Two distinctly different theories for handling time-dependent atomic interactions are reviewed, namely semi-classical perturbation theory and a non-perturbative numerical technique based on the coupled channel equation to directly solve the time-dependent, two-centre Dirac equation. The non-perturbative numerical technique has been developed independently and the calculations performed with it are entirely new. Calculations for ionisation cross sections and state occupancies are conducted for both these methods. The non-perturbative technique for relativistic two-centre problems is extensively explained and, given its novelty, a probity test is conducted between this technique and that of the well established perturbation theory in calculating K-and L-shell ionisation cross sections for the alpha decay of initially Hydrogen-like Polonium. To that end, an in depth outline of the perturbative technique is also made for both collision and decay processes. As well as the comparison test mentioned, this technique is also applied to the analysis of cross sections of the promotion of a single electron into the positive continuum from either a K- or L-shell due to the alpha decay of heavy, neutral nuclei (Gadolinium, Polonium and Thorium). Dirac-Coulomb eigenfunctions centred on the parent nucleus of the decay pair are taken as the basis for use in the cross section calculations utilising first order, semi-classical pertubation theory. The excellent congruence between both techniques justifies the usage of the non-perturbative algorithms in the subsequent analysis of collisions between very heavy, highly charged ions. As such, a set of calculations are performed examining the bound and continuum state occupancy of the electronic levels during a

  18. Extracardiac findings at cardiac MR imaging: a single-centre retrospective study over 14 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokolowski, Felix C; Karius, Philipp; Rodríguez, Alejandra; Lembcke, Alexander; Wagner, Moritz; Hamm, Bernd; Dewey, Marc

    2018-04-30

    To determine the prevalence and significance of extracardiac findings (ECF) in a large set of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations. The institutional review board (IRB) of the Charité approved this retrospective, single-centre study. A total of 4376 cardiac MR imaging reports of 3553 patients (age 37.4 ± 20 years, 60.8 % male) examined from 2000 to 2014 were included. Findings with a recommendation for follow-up were considered "major ECF". To analyse the association of indication, age and gender with ECF, Poisson regression and computed incidence rate ratios (IRR) were evaluated. The overall prevalence of ECF was 34% (95% confidence interval [CI] 32.5-35.6%). Major ECF were present in 3.4% (95% CI 2.9-4.1%) while findings that changed patient management were found in 0.9% (95% CI 0.7-1.3%). In the cases of congenital heart disease, ECF prevalence was higher compared to myocarditis (IRR, 6.0; 95% CI 5.1-7.1%; p < 0.001), while the prevalence of major ECF was lower (IRR, 0.2; 95% CI 0.02-0.51%; p < 0.05). Older patient age was associated with more nonvascular ECF (p < 0.001). Female patients had the same probability of having an ECF as male patients (IRR, 1.04; 95% CI 0.95-1.1%; p = 0.43). ECF in cardiac MR imaging are present in about every third patient while relevant ECF that change patient management can be found in about one out of 100 patients. Our data suggest that it is important to involve well-trained radiologists in reading cardiac MR images, which often reveal ECF if congenital heart disease is the clinical indication. • Extracardiac findings are present in about every third patient. • Relevant ECF changing patient management are found in one out of 100 findings. • Chance of ECF is high in patients with CHD and vascular indications.

  19. Centre for urban ecotechnology in ``Oeksnehallen``

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-03-01

    The Lord Mayor`s Department of the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark, has with support from this project made a proposal for the establishment of the Centre for Urban Ecotechnology in ``Oeksnehallen``, located in the Vesterbro area of the city. The centre should contribute to the dissemination of knowledge on ecological techniques (regarding passive solar energy etc.) to the inhabitants of Vesterbro and other citizens of Copenhagen, and also serve as a centre in an European context. The ecological demonstration centre will cover an area of two thousand square meters and will also include a cafe, a room for showing coloured slides, facilities for exhibitions created by the center and interested firms etc. The centre should play an important role as part of the ecological concept of urban renewal in Vesterbro. (author).

  20. Netherlands Reactor Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1976-01-01

    Briefly reviews the last year's work of the twenty year old Netherlands Reactor Centre (RCN) in the fields of reactor safety, fissile material, nuclear fission, non-nuclear energy systems and overseas co-operation. The annual report thus summarised is the last one to appear under the name of RCN. The terms of reference of the organisation having been broadened to include research into energy supply in general, it is to be known in future as the Netherlands Energy Research Centre (ECN). (D.J.B.)

  1. Chinese – Dutch cooperation on the Chinese Solar Greenhouse experiment in Shouguang

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwart, de H.F.

    2016-01-01

    The Chinese Solar Greenhouse is simple but has a low productivity. To improve this, the inner greenhouse climate will have to become more controllable. To contribute to this, but keeping the passive character of the greenhouse, meaning that it doesn’t need additional heating, the Chinese Academy of

  2. [Special impact of supramolecular chemistry on Chinese medicine theories].

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Fu-Yuan; Zhou, Yi-Qun; Deng, Kai-Wen; Deng, Jun-Lin; Shi, Ji-Lian; Liu, Wen-Long; Yang, Yan-Tao; Tang, Yu; Liu, Zhi-Gang

    2014-04-01

    The paper aimed to elucidate the specific impact of supramolecular chemistry on the Chinese medicine theories (CMT) in their modernization, after had summarized up the research status of supramolecular chemistry and analyzed the possible supramolecular forms of Chinese medicine (CM), as well as considered the problems in modernization of CM theories. On comparison of the classical chemistry that delt with chemical bonds among atoms, the supramolecular chemistry was rather concerned with varietes of weak noncovalent bonds intermolecules, and reflected the macro-apparent chemical properties of each molecules, and was the most appropriate chemical theories to explain the CMT and microcosmic materials. The molecules in the human body and Chinese material medica (CMM) formed supramolecules by way of self-assembly, self-organization, self-recognition and self-replication, with themselves or with complexation, composition, chelation, inclusion, neutralization etc. Meridian and Zang-fu viscera in CMT might be a space channel structure continuously consisted of unique molecules cavity that was imprinted with the supramolecularly template inside and outside of cells, through which the molecules in CMM interacted with the meridian and Zang-fu viscera. When small molecules in human body imprinted with macromolecules in meridian and Zang-fu viscera, in other words, they migrated along within imprinting channels of meridian and Zang-fu viscera on behavior of "Qi chromatography" impulsed by the heart beat, finally showed up on macroscopic the anisotropy of tissue and organ, as described namely as visceral manifestation in Chinese medical science. When small molecules in CMM interacted with imprinting channel on meridian and Zang-fu viscera, the natural properties and efficacy regularities of CMM was reflected on macroscopic. Therefore, the special representation forms of basic CMT is based on the macroscopic expression of "Qi chromatography" abided by imprinting effect

  3. The care-planning conference: Exploring aspects of person-centred interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jobe, Ingela; Lindberg, Birgitta; Nordmark, Sofi; Engström, Åsa

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the care-planning conference from the participants' and researchers' perspectives, focusing on exploring aspects of person-centred interactions. A single-instrumental, qualitative case study design was used describing a care-planning conference taking place in the home of an older woman and her daughter. Data collection consisted of observation and digital recording of the care-planning conference and individual interviews with all the participants before and after the conference. Data were analysed in several phases: first, a narrative description followed by a general description and, thereafter, qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that the care-planning conference conducted had no clear purpose and did not fulfil all parts of the planning process. Three themes emerged related to aspects of person-centred interactions. The theme "expectations meet reality" showed different expectations, and participants could not really connect during the conference. The theme "navigate without a map" revealed health professionals' lack of knowledge about the care-planning process. The theme "lose the forest for the trees" described that the conference was conducted only as part of the health professionals' duties. Management and healthcare professionals cannot automatically assume that they are delivering person-centred care. Healthcare professionals need to be sensitive to the context, use the knowledge and tools available and continuously evaluate and reassess the work carried out.

  4. Students’ oral involvement in the Chinese university classroom: A comparison between classes of Chinese and international students

    OpenAIRE

    Muhammad Abid Malik; Guoyuan Sang

    2017-01-01

    The current research investigates the notion that Chinese students are orally less involved in the classroom as compared to international students. Most of the previous research on this topic focuses on the Chinese students in English language classes or those studying in other countries where the language barrier and foreign culture might influence such behaviour. Using observations, this research compares two Chinese and two international classes in a Chinese university to investigate this ...

  5. Oily skin: specific features in Chinese women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouveau-Richard, S; Zhu, W; Li, Y H; Zhang, Y Z; Yang, F Z; Yang, Z L; Lian, S; Qian, B Y; Ran, Y P; Bouillon, C; Chen, H D; de Lacharrière, O

    2007-02-01

    Inconsistent data are available on the various types of skin, their prevalence and characterization, particularly regarding Asian skins. This observation prompted to conduct a large study in China to assess the prevalence of oily skin and identify the specific factors related to that type of skin. The multicentre trial involved 1787 Chinese women in Shenyang, Harbin, Beijing, Chengdu and Suzhou, between 18 and 65 years of age. Data on history of acne, the presence of environmental factors and a detailed self-evaluation of the skin were collected using a standardized questionnaire. A clinical evaluation of facial skin oiliness was carried-out by a dermatologist at each centre. Sebum secretion was measured on the forehead using Sebumeter SM810. Statistical analysis (multiple correspondence analysis) of typology was conducted based on self-evaluation data. According to self-evaluation data, oily skin prevalence in the overall Chinese population of the study was 25.6%. Self-evaluation results were quite consistent with sebum measurements and with clinical assessment by dermatologist. Parameters associated with oily skin were (i) shiny skin and a past history of acne, (ii) irregular menstruation, and (iii) highly reactive or sensitive skin. Moreover, a clear and significant link was noted between oily skin and the ingestion of spicy or sweet food. Lastly, sebum levels were found to be twice as high in Beijing as in the other cities and were correlated to higher oily skin prevalence. The study demonstrated the capacity of women for proper self-evaluation of their skin type. It also suggests a potential link between nutritional factors such as spicy and/or sweet diets and oily skin as well as between sensitive and oily skin in this population.

  6. Contribution of Myostatin gene polymorphisms to normal variation in lean mass, fat mass and peak BMD in Chinese male offspring

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hua YUE; Miao LI; Yu-juan LIU; Song-hua WU; Zhen-lin ZHANG; Jin-wei HE; Hao ZHANG; Chun WANG; Wei-wei HU; Jie-mei GU; Yao-hua KE; Wen-zhen FU; Yun-qiu HU

    2012-01-01

    Myostatin gene is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family that negatively regulates skeletal muscle growth.Genetic polymorphisms in Myostatin were found to be associated with the peak bone mineral density (BMD) in Chinese women.The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Myostatin played a role in the normal variation in peak BMD,lean mass (LM),and fat mass (FM) of Chinese men.Methods:Four hundred male-offspring nuclear families of Chinese Han ethnic group were recruited.Anthropometric measurements,includingthe peak BMD,body LM and FM were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) studied were tag-SNPs selected by sequencing.Both rs2293284 and +2278G>A were genotyped using TaqMan assay,and rs3791783 was genotyped with PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.The associations of the SNPs with anthropometfic variations were analyzed using the quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT).Results:Using QTDT to detect within-family associations,neither single SNP nor haplotype was found to be associated with peak BMD at any bone site.However,rs3791783 was found to be significantly associated with fat mass of the trunk (P<0.001).Moreover,for within-family associations,haplotypes AGG,AAA,and TGG were found to be significantly associated with the trunk fat mass (all P<0.001).Conclusion:Our results suggest that genetic variation within Myostatin may play a role in regulating the variation in fat mass in Chinese males.Additionally,the Myostatin gene may be a candidate that determines body fat mass in Chinese men.

  7. Northern Chinese dental ages estimated from southern Chinese reference datasets closely correlate with chronological age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai Ming Wong

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available While northern and southern Chinese are genetically correlated, there exists notable environmental differences in their living conditions. This study aimed to evaluate validity of the southern Chinese reference dataset for dental age estimation applied to northern Chinese. Dental panoramic tomographs of 437 northern Chinese aged 3 to 21 years were analysed. All the left maxillary and mandibular permanent teeth plus the 2 third molars on the right side were scored based on Demirjian’s classification of tooth development stages. Mean and standard error of dental age were obtained for each tooth development stage, followed by random effect meta-analysis for mean dental age estimation. Validity of the method was examined through measures of agreement (95% limits of agreement, standard error of measurement, and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient and measure of reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient. On average, the estimated dental age overestimated chronological age by only around 1 month in both females and males. The Intraclass correlation coefficient values were 0.99 for both sexes, suggesting excellent reliability of the method. Reference dataset for dental age estimation developed on the basis of southern Chinese was applicable for use among the northern Chinese.

  8. Chinese climate policy - Institutions and intent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsay, William C.; Lesourne, Jacques

    2011-06-01

    Until the late 1990's, the balance of Chinese energy production and consumption was treated by the rest of the world as a net figure. No one knew what was going on inside the Chinese economy - it was a black box. As far as anyone was concerned, the Chinese would not soon be a major factor in world energy markets. Energy policy-makers realized how totally blind they were in 2004 when Chinese electricity production could not keep up with internal demand and the world experienced a surge in liquids demand as Chinese entrepreneurs fired up generator sets across the economy. No country has confronted the need to collect data and formulate coherent policy for nearly a billion and a half consumers. A number of institutional arrangements have succeeded each other until now, when stronger energy policy and administrative functions of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) are gaining traction. NDRC vice-chairman Zhang Guobao has maintained a steady hand on Chinese energy-policy evolution for several years - overseeing the increasing coherence of Chinese domestic and international energy policy - but the tension with powerful state enterprises and other vested interests still effectively defies efforts to truly centralize Chinese national-level energy policy and program authority. This study identifies the nature of the forces that drive or constrain change within China's energy sector, and explores the Chinese approach to climate change. Contents: 1. The Institutions of Energy Governance in china. 2. China's Foreign Energy Policy. 3. China's position and policy on climate change

  9. Fuel cycle centres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagen, M.

    1977-01-01

    The concept of co-locating and integrating fuel cycle facilities at one site is discussed. This concept offers considerable advantages, especially in minimizing the amount of radioactive material to be transported on public roads. Safeguards and physical protection as relating to such an integrated system of facilities are analysed in detail, also industrial and commercial questions. An overall risk-benefit evaluation turns out to be in favour of fuel cycle centres. These centres seem to be specifically attractive with regard to the back end of the fuel cycle, including on-site disposal of radioactive wastes. The respective German approach is presented as an example. Special emphasis is given to the site selection procedures in this case. Time scale and cost for the implementation of this concept are important factors to be looked at. Since participation of governmental institutions in these centres seems to be indispensable their respective roles as compared to industry must be clearly defined. The idea of adjusting fuel cycle centres to regional rather than national use might be an attractive option, depending on the specific parameters in the region, though results of existing multinational ventures are inconclusive in this respect. Major difficulties might be expected e.g. because of different national safety regulations and standards as well as commercial conditions among partner countries. Public acceptance in the host country seems to be another stumbling block for the realization of this type of multinational facilities

  10. The role of lexical variables in the visual recognition of Chinese characters: A megastudy analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sze, Wei Ping; Yap, Melvin J; Rickard Liow, Susan J

    2015-01-01

    Logographic Chinese orthography partially represents both phonology and semantics. By capturing the online processing of a large pool of Chinese characters, we were able to examine the relative salience of specific lexical variables when this nonalphabetic script is read. Using a sample of native mainland Chinese speakers (N = 35), lexical decision latencies for 1560 single characters were collated into a database, before the effects of a comprehensive range of variables were explored. Hierarchical regression analyses determined the unique item-level variance explained by orthographic (frequency, stroke count), semantic (age of learning, imageability, number of meanings), and phonological (consistency, phonological frequency) factors. Orthographic and semantic variables, respectively, accounted for more collective variance than the phonological variables. Significant main effects were further observed for the individual orthographic and semantic predictors. These results are consistent with the idea that skilled readers tend to rely on orthographic and semantic information when processing visually presented characters. This megastudy approach marks an important extension to existing work on Chinese character recognition, which hitherto has relied on factorial designs. Collectively, the findings reported here represent a useful set of empirical constraints for future computational models of character recognition.

  11. [Association between CISH polymorphisms and susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B in Chinese Han population].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin; Sun, Xuehua; Zhou, Zhenhua; Li, Man; Gao, Yueqiu

    2014-04-01

    To investigate the association between rs414171 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of cytokine- inducible src homology 2 domain protein (CISH) and the susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B. A total of 233 Chinese Han patients with chronic hepatitis B and 148 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. The SNP rs414171 was genotyped by Sequenom MassArray-IPLEX to analyze the relationship between rs414171 and chronic hepatitis B. The distribution of SNP rs414171 allele and genotype frequencies showed no significant difference between the patients and healthy controls (P>0.05). CISH rs414171 is not significantly associated with the susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B in Chinese Han population.

  12. Development of a Dietary Index to Assess Overall Diet Quality for Chinese School-Aged Children: The Chinese Children Dietary Index.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Guo; Duan, Ruonan; Kranz, Sibylle; Libuda, Lars; Zhang, Lishi

    2016-04-01

    A composite measure of diet quality is preferable to an index of nutrients, food groups, or health-promoting behaviors in dietary assessment. However, to date, such a tool for Chinese children is lacking. Based on the current Chinese Dietary Guidelines and Dietary Reference Intakes, a dietary index for Chinese school-aged children, the Chinese Children Dietary Index was developed to assess overall diet quality among children in South China. Dietary data were recorded using 24-hour recalls among 1,719 children aged 7 to 15 years between March and June 2013. Inactivity data and sociodemographic information were also collected. The Chinese Children Dietary Index included 16 components, which incorporated nutrients, foods/food groups, and health-promoting behaviors. The range of possible Chinese Children Dietary Index scores was 0 to 160, with a higher score indicating better diet quality. Pearson/Spearman correlation was used to assess relative validity using correlations between total Chinese Children Dietary Index score and age, body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)), inactivity, whole-grain intake, frequency of fried-foods intake, nutrient adequacy ratios for energy intake and 12 nutrients not included in the Chinese Children Dietary Index, and the mean adequacy ratio. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to indicate the factors correlated with Chinese Children Dietary Index. Mean Chinese Children Dietary Index score of this sample was 88.1 points (range=34.2 to 137.8), the Chinese Children Dietary Index score of girls was higher than that of boys and decreased with higher age. Children with higher Chinese Children Dietary Index had lower body mass index and spent less time being inactive. Positive associations were observed between Chinese Children Dietary Index and the majority of nutrient adequacy ratios and the mean adequacy ratio. Age, paternal educational level, and family size were correlated with Chinese Children Dietary

  13. An Analysis of the Impact of Traditional Chinese Culture on Chinese Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mingyuan, Gu

    2006-01-01

    The educational tradition of China has developed from traditional Chinese culture. Without an understanding of the cultural impact on traditional education, it is impossible to comprehend the educational tradition of China and to change its traditional educational ideas. There are fine traditions and feudal remains in Chinese culture which ought…

  14. Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon: a single centre experience.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Ryan, Clodagh

    2012-01-31

    OBJECTIVE: Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) can lead to life-threatening bleeding, and its optimum treatment has not been established. We review the experience of managing KMP in a single institution. METHODS: A retrospective chart review on all children with KMP treated at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, over an 18 yr period was carried out. RESULTS: All 15 patients had profound thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia at presentation, half had bleeding symptoms, and three had cardiac failure. All patients received corticosteroids. Five responded to steroids alone, given for an average of 13 wk, increasing platelets to >20 x 10(9)\\/L at a mean of 6.2 d and fibrinogen >1 g\\/dL at 25.6 d. Ten patients received at least one other therapeutic modality in addition to steroids, including vincristine, interferon, anti-platelet agents and pentoxifylline. Five patients received vincristine, for a mean of 6 wk, with two patients responding. Eight patients received interferon, for a mean of 4 months, with two patients responding. Overall, the mean time to increasing platelets >20 x 10(9)\\/L was 56 d, to >150 x 10(9)\\/L was 88 d and fibrinogen >1 g\\/dL 49 d. Ten patients showed a partial response to embolisation, with a mean of 2.8 procedures performed. Thrombotic complications occurred in 7%. Twelve patients remain alive, with relapse in six patients, all treated successfully. One patient died, and two patients have been lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: KMP is a rare condition, with significant morbidity and mortality. The therapeutic approach should include a multidisciplinary team and consensus on guidelines.

  15. Performing "Chinese-ness" in Singkawang

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ong, C.E.; Ormond, M.E.; Sulianti, Dian

    2017-01-01

    Through an examination of two festivals – Qing Ming and Cap Go Meh – in the town of Singkawang in Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan), we show how Singkawang-bound Chinese Indonesian tourists and their Singkawang-based relatives produce a diasporic heritage network through ‘moorings’ generated by both

  16. Preparation of emergency care centre exercises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnadt, H.; Miska, H.

    2011-01-01

    Setup and operation of emergency care centres (sometimes also addressed as emergency reception centres) are part of emergency response in the environs of nuclear power plants. The preparation of an exercise scenario for such a centre is very demanding on the responsible agency. Therefore, a computer code has been developed which helps to translate the exercise objectives into instructions for figurants which simulate the affected population. These instructions are intended to steer a determined flow of people through the emergency care centre by providing fictitious radiological readings and by injecting the demand for additional actions of response personnel by statements and questions. (orig.)

  17. Single cell elemental analysis using nuclear microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren, M.Q.; Thong, P.S.P.; Kara, U.; Watt, F.

    1999-01-01

    The use of Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM) to provide quantitative elemental analysis of single cells is an area which has high potential, particularly when the trace elements such as Ca, Fe, Zn and Cu can be monitored. We describe the methodology of sample preparation for two cell types, the procedures of cell imaging using STIM, and the quantitative elemental analysis of single cells using RBS and PIXE. Recent work on single cells at the Nuclear Microscopy Research Centre,National University of Singapore has centred around two research areas: (a) Apoptosis (programmed cell death), which has been recently implicated in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cancer, Parkinson's disease etc, and (b) Malaria (infection of red blood cells by the malaria parasite). Firstly we present results on the elemental analysis of human Chang liver cells (ATTCC CCL 13) where vanadium ions were used to trigger apoptosis, and demonstrate that nuclear microscopy has the capability of monitoring vanadium loading within individual cells. Secondly we present the results of elemental changes taking place in individual mouse red blood cells which have been infected with the malaria parasite and treated with the anti-malaria drug Qinghaosu (QHS)

  18. Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Leaf Decomposition of Single-Species and Litter Mixture in Pinus tabulaeformis Forests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinsong Wang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The litter decomposition process is closely correlated with nutrient cycling and the maintenance of soil fertility in the forest ecosystem. In particular, the intense environmental concern about atmospheric nitrogen (N deposition requires a better understanding of its influence on the litter decomposition process. This study examines the responses of single-species litter and litter mixture decomposition processes to N addition in Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. ecosystems. Chinese pine litter, Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb. litter, and a pine–oak mixture were selected from a plantation and a natural forest of Chinese pine. Four N addition treatments, i.e., control (N0: 0 kg N ha−1·year−1, low-N (N1: 5 kg N ha−1·year−1, medium-N (N2: 10 kg N ha−1·year−1, and high-N (N3: 15 kg N ha−1·year−1, were applied starting May 2010. In the plantation, N addition significantly stimulated the decomposition of the Chinese pine litter. In the natural forest, N addition had variable effects on the decomposition of single-species litter and the litter mixture. A stimulatory effect of the high-N treatment on the Chinese pine litter decomposition could be attributed to a decrease in the substrate C:N ratio. However, an opposite effect was found for the Mongolian oak litter decomposition. The stimulating effect of N addition on the Chinese pine litter may offset the suppressive effect on the Mongolian oak litter, resulting in a neutral effect on the litter mixture. These results suggest that the different responses in decomposition of single-species litter and the litter mixture to N addition are mainly attributed to litter chemical composition. Further investigations are required to characterize the effect of long-term high-level N addition on the litter decomposition as N deposition is likely to increase rapidly in the region where this study was conducted.

  19. Chinese Climate Policy - Institutions and Intent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramsay, William C.; Lesourne, Jacques [Institut Francais des Relations Internationales - Ifri, 27 rue de la Procession, 75740 Paris Cedex 15 (France); Andrews-Speed, Philip [Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, Scotland (United Kingdom); Yishan, Xia; Dezhao, Chen [China Institute of International Studies (China)

    2011-06-15

    Until the late 1990's, the balance of Chinese energy production and consumption was treated by the rest of the world as a net figure. No-one knew what was going on inside the Chinese economy - it was a black box. As far as anyone was concerned, the Chinese would not soon be a major factor in world energy markets. Energy policy makers realized how totally blind they were in 2004 when Chinese electricity production could not keep up with internal demand and the world experienced a surge in liquids demand as Chinese entrepreneurs fired up generator sets across the economy. The incremental Chinese demand was a factor in the price surge that year that had been building since the OPEC accord in 1999. It was probably the catalyst for the spike but we didn't have the data to know. Times are certainly changing, but it is still only twilight in that black box. No country has confronted the need to collect data and formulate coherent policy for nearly a billion and a half consumers. State enterprises were set up to manage key energy sector activities, but coordinating among them proved difficult. A number of institutional arrangements have succeeded each other until now, when stronger energy policy and administrative functions of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) are gaining traction. NDRC vice-chairman Zhang Guobao has maintained a steady hand on Chinese energy-policy evolution for several years - overseeing the increasing coherence of Chinese domestic and international energy policy - but the tension with powerful state enterprises and other vested interests still effectively defies efforts to truly centralize and co-ordinate Chinese national-level energy policy and program authority. The first of the three studies looks back into the nature of Chinese institutions and governance for insights into how they function and to identify some of their limits, so as to pinpoint the nature of the forces that drive or constrain change within China

  20. Chinese Climate Policy - Institutions and Intent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsay, William C.; Lesourne, Jacques; Andrews-Speed, Philip; Yishan, Xia; Dezhao, Chen

    2011-06-01

    Until the late 1990's, the balance of Chinese energy production and consumption was treated by the rest of the world as a net figure. No-one knew what was going on inside the Chinese economy - it was a black box. As far as anyone was concerned, the Chinese would not soon be a major factor in world energy markets. Energy policy makers realized how totally blind they were in 2004 when Chinese electricity production could not keep up with internal demand and the world experienced a surge in liquids demand as Chinese entrepreneurs fired up generator sets across the economy. The incremental Chinese demand was a factor in the price surge that year that had been building since the OPEC accord in 1999. It was probably the catalyst for the spike but we didn't have the data to know. Times are certainly changing, but it is still only twilight in that black box. No country has confronted the need to collect data and formulate coherent policy for nearly a billion and a half consumers. State enterprises were set up to manage key energy sector activities, but coordinating among them proved difficult. A number of institutional arrangements have succeeded each other until now, when stronger energy policy and administrative functions of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) are gaining traction. NDRC vice-chairman Zhang Guobao has maintained a steady hand on Chinese energy-policy evolution for several years - overseeing the increasing coherence of Chinese domestic and international energy policy - but the tension with powerful state enterprises and other vested interests still effectively defies efforts to truly centralize and co-ordinate Chinese national-level energy policy and program authority. The first of the three studies looks back into the nature of Chinese institutions and governance for insights into how they function and to identify some of their limits, so as to pinpoint the nature of the forces that drive or constrain change within China's energy sector

  1. Understanding "Tiger Parenting" Through the Perceptions of Chinese Immigrant Mothers: Can Chinese and U.S. Parenting Coexist?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheah, Charissa S L; Leung, Christy Y Y; Zhou, Nan

    2013-03-01

    How Chinese immigrant mothers perceive "Chinese" and "U.S." parenting and changes in their parenting postmigration remains unclear, despite recent interest in Chinese parenting particularly in response to A. Chua's (2011) controversial book on "Tiger Mothers". The present study addressed this issue by examining the parenting beliefs and practices of Chinese immigrant mothers through qualitative interviews. Participants included 50 first-generation Chinese immigrant mothers (mean age = 38.39 years; SD = 5.19) with a 3- to 6-year-old child. Mothers had been in the U.S. for an average of 10.20 years and were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the contrasts between typical Chinese and U.S. parenting, the strengths of Chinese and U.S. parenting, and what changes (if any) occurred in their own parenting after they migrated to the U.S. Mothers identified key differences between the parenting in the 2 cultures across 4 themes. Importantly, mothers endorsed different aspects of parenting from both cultures and attempted to achieve a balance between supporting their child's development of autonomy and individuality versus maintaining a sense of relatedness and familism in their parenting, contrary to Chua's (2011) portrayal of rigid "Chinese parenting." With regard to their parenting acculturation, mothers discussed having to be flexible across different areas of their parenting in order to accommodate the cultural values of the larger societal context and promote their child's development in the U.S. These complex dynamics highlighted the challenges that Chinese immigrant mothers face as they adapt and adjust to the new cultural context, and how their parenting beliefs and practices acculturate.

  2. Nanodiamond-based nanostructures for coupling nitrogen-vacancy centres to metal nanoparticles and semiconductor quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Jianxiao; Steinsultz, Nat; Ouyang, Min

    2016-06-08

    The ability to control the interaction between nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond and photonic and/or broadband plasmonic nanostructures is crucial for the development of solid-state quantum devices with optimum performance. However, existing methods typically employ top-down fabrication, which restrict scalable and feasible manipulation of nitrogen-vacancy centres. Here, we develop a general bottom-up approach to fabricate an emerging class of freestanding nanodiamond-based hybrid nanostructures with external functional units of either plasmonic nanoparticles or excitonic quantum dots. Precise control of the structural parameters (including size, composition, coverage and spacing of the external functional units) is achieved, representing a pre-requisite for exploring the underlying physics. Fine tuning of the emission characteristics through structural regulation is demonstrated by performing single-particle optical studies. This study opens a rich toolbox to tailor properties of quantum emitters, which can facilitate design guidelines for devices based on nitrogen-vacancy centres that use these freestanding hybrid nanostructures as building blocks.

  3. Feasibility study on a complete system of production, transportation and utilization of about 7 MTa of CWS from Shenmu area and Yellow Sea (China). Results of a Beijing symposium on the subject in Beijing (April 1994) and creation of a World Laboratory research centre ad hoc in Beijing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Novelli, G.; Wang Zuna [ICSC World Lab., Lausanne (Switzerland). Project NET-1

    1996-12-31

    The authors had occasion at a coal-water slurry conference in Clearwater to present a preliminary part of a feasibility study, in cooperation with an Italian and a Chinese team, for a complete integrated project of mining, slurryfication, transportation via pipeline, and utilization of 7 millions tons/year of coal. This study started in 1987 and was presented to the Chinese authority on April 1994 in a specific symposium in Beijing with a participation of 60 scientists from Italy and P.R. China. During this long period of cooperation and exchange between the parties, it was possible to organize a complete and advanced Centre of Research in Beijing supplied with modern equipment that is now in full operation and is producing work of very good quality. The goal of this paper is to summarize the above mentioned experience and describe the new Centre, the present status and the future developments. The study and the equipment of the Centre was sponsored by the World Laboratory an International Institution established in Lausanne under the presidency of Prof. A. Zichichi. This organization supported particularly by the Italian government is responsible for several programs of cooperation between N-S-E-W countries in all the critical areas of planetary importance (health, energy, agriculture, food, environment).

  4. Genetic variants associated with myocardial infarction and the risk factors in Chinese population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongqin Wang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Recent genome-wide association (GWA studies in Caucasians identified multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs associated with coronary artery disease (CAD. The associations of those SNPs with myocardial infarction (MI have not been replicated in Asian populations. Among those previously identified SNPs, we selected nine (rs10953541, rs1122608, rs12190287, rs12413409, rs1412444, rs1746048, rs3798220, rs4977574, rs579459, in or near genes 7q22, LDLR, TCF21, CYP17A1, LIPA, CXCL12, LPA, CDKN2A, ABO, respectively because of the relatively high minor allele frequencies in Chinese individuals and tested the associations of the SNPs with MI and MI related risk factors in Chinese population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a case-control association study on a cohort of 2365 MI patients and 2678 unrelated controls from the Chinese population. Genotyping of 9 SNPs were performed by the TaqMan Real Time PCR method. After age, sex, and BMI adjustment, we observed the SNPs rs12190287, rs12413409, rs1412444, rs1746048 and rs4977574, were significantly associated with MI in additive models and rs12190287, rs12413409, rs4977574 were significantly associated with phenotypes of MI at the same time. We also found three SNPs rs1122608, rs3798220 and rs579459 were significantly associated with risk factors of MI, although they had no association with MI in Chinese population. CONCLUSION: Results of this study indicate that 5 SNPs were associated with MI and 3 SNPs were associated with associated with lipoprotein levels but not with MI in a Chinese population. The present study supports some CAD-related genes in Caucasian as important genes for MI in a Chinese population.

  5. Traditional Chinese food technology and cuisine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jian-rong; Hsieh, Yun-Hwa P

    2004-01-01

    From ancient wisdom to modern science and technology, Chinese cuisine has been established from a long history of the country and gained a global reputation of its sophistication. Traditional Chinese foods and cuisine that exhibit Chinese culture, art and reality play an essential role in Chinese people's everyday lives. Recently, traditional Chinese foods have drawn a great degree of attention from food scientists and technologists, the food industry, and health promotion institutions worldwide due to the extensive values they offer beyond being merely another ethnic food. These traditional foods comprise a wide variety of products, such as pickled vegetables, salted fish and jellyfish, tofu and tofu derived products, rice and rice snack foods, fermented sauces, fish balls and thousand-year-old eggs. An overview of selected popular traditional Chinese foods and their processing techniques are included in this paper. Further development of the traditional techniques for formulation and production of these foods is expected to produce economic, social and health benefits.

  6. Laparoscopic surgery for complicated diverticular disease: a single-centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royds, J; O'Riordan, J M; Eguare, E; O'Riordan, D; Neary, P C

    2012-10-01

    The role of laparoscopic surgery in the management of patients with diverticular disease is still not universally accepted. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of laparoscopic surgery for diverticular disease in a centre with a specialist interest in minimally invasive surgery. All diverticular resections carried out between 2006 and 2010 were reviewed. Data recorded included baseline demographics, indication for surgery, operative details, length of hospital stay and complications. Complicated diverticular disease was defined as diverticulitis with associated abscess, phlegmon, fistula, stricture, obstruction, bleeding or perforation. One hundred and two patients (58 men) who had surgery for diverticular disease were identified (median age 59 years, range 49-70 years). Sixty-four patients (64%) had surgery for complicated diverticular disease. The indications were recurrent acute diverticulitis (37%), colovesical fistula (21%), stricture formation (17%) and colonic perforation (16%). Sixty-nine cases (88%) were completed by elective laparoscopy. Postoperative mortality was 0%. For elective cases there was no difference in morbidity rates between patients with complicated and uncomplicated diverticular disease. The overall anastomotic leakage rate was 1% and the wound infection rate 7%. There was a nonsignificant trend to higher conversion to open surgery in the elective group in complicated (11.4%) compared with uncomplicated patients (5.2%) (P=0.67). Electively, the rate of stoma formation was higher in the complicated (31.6%) than the uncomplicated group (5.2%) (Pdiverticular disease is associated with low rates of postoperative morbidity and relatively low conversion rates. Laparoscopic surgery is now the standard of care for complicated and uncomplicated diverticular disease in our institution. © 2011 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2011 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  7. Single molecule experiments challenge the strict wave-particle dualism of light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greulich, Karl Otto

    2010-01-21

    Single molecule techniques improve our understanding of the photon and light. If the single photon double slit experiment is performed at the "single photon limit" of a multi-atom light source, faint light pulses with more than one photon hamper the interpretation. Single molecules, quantum dots or defect centres in crystals should be used as light source. "Single photon detectors" do not meet their promise-only "photon number resolving single photon detectors" do so. Particularly, the accumulation time argument, the only safe basis for the postulate of a strictly particle like photon, has so far not yet been verified.

  8. Safety and efficacy of dual-lead thalamic deep brain stimulation for patients with treatment-refractory multiple sclerosis tremor: a single-centre, randomised, single-blind, pilot trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveria, Seth F; Rodriguez, Ramon L; Bowers, Dawn; Kantor, Daniel; Hilliard, Justin D; Monari, Erin H; Scott, Bonnie M; Okun, Michael S; Foote, Kelly D

    2017-09-01

    Efficacy in previous studies of surgical treatments of refractory multiple sclerosis tremor using lesioning or deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been variable. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of dual-lead thalamic DBS (one targeting the ventralis intermedius-ventralis oralis posterior nucleus border [the VIM lead] and one targeting the ventralis oralis anterior-ventralis oralis posterior border [the VO lead]) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis tremor. We did a single centre, single-blind, prospective, randomised pilot trial at the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration clinic (Gainesville, FL, USA). We recruited adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of multiple sclerosis tremor refractory to previous medical therapy. Before surgery to implant both leads, we randomly assigned patients (1:1) to receive 3 months of optimised single-lead DBS-either VIM or VO. We did the randomisation with a computer-generated sequence, using three blocks of four patients, and independent members of the Center did the assignment. Patients and all clinicians other than the DBS programming nurse were masked to the choice of lead. Patients underwent surgery 1 month after their baseline visit for implantation of the dual lead DBS system. A pulse generator and two extension cables were implanted in a second surgery 3-4 weeks later. Patients then received an initial 3-month period of continuous stimulation of either the VIM or VO lead followed by blinded safety assessment of their tremor with the Tolosa-Fahn-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (TRS) during optimised VIM or VO lead stimulation at the end of the 3 months. After this visit, both leads were activated in all patients for an additional 3 months, and optimally programmed during serial visits as dictated by a prespecified programming algorithm. At the 6-month follow-up visit, TRS score was measured, and mood and psychological batteries were administered under four

  9. The Influence of Chinese Character Handwriting Diagnosis and Remedial Instruction System on Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Hsien-Sheng; Chang, Cheng-Sian; Chen, Chiao-Jia; Wu, Chia-Hou; Lin, Chien-Yu

    2015-01-01

    This study designed and developed a Chinese character handwriting diagnosis and remedial instruction (CHDRI) system to improve Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners' ability to write Chinese characters. The CFL learners were given two tests based on the CHDRI system. One test focused on Chinese character handwriting to diagnose the CFL…

  10. Comparison of Genetic Variants in Cancer-Related Genes between Chinese Hui and Han Populations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaoyong Tian

    Full Text Available The Chinese Hui population, as the second largest minority ethnic group in China, may have a different genetic background from Han people because of its unique demographic history. In this study, we aimed to identify genetic differences between Han and Hui Chinese from the Ningxia region of China by comparing eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms in cancer-related genes.DNA samples were collected from 99 Hui and 145 Han people from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China, and SNPs were detected using an improved multiplex ligase detection reaction method. Genotyping data from six 1000 Genomes Project population samples (99 Utah residents with northern and western European ancestry (CEU, 107 Toscani in Italy (TSI, 108 Yoruba in Ibadan (YRI, 61 of African ancestry in the southwestern US (ASW, 103 Han Chinese in Beijing (CHB, and 104 Japanese in Tokyo (JPT were also included in this study. Differences in the distribution of alleles among the populations were assessed using χ2 tests, and FST was used to measure the degree of population differentiation.We found that the genetic diversity of many SNPs in cancer-related genes in the Hui Chinese in Ningxia was different from that in the Han Chinese in Ningxia. For example, the allele frequencies of four SNPs (rs13361707, rs2274223, rs465498, and rs753955 showed different genetic distributions (p0.000 between the Hui and Han populations.These results suggest that some SNPs associated with cancer-related genes vary among different Chinese ethnic groups. We suggest that population differences should be carefully considered in evaluating cancer risk and prognosis as well as the efficacy of cancer therapy.

  11. Council celebrates CERN Control Centre

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    With the unveiling of its new sign, the CERN Control Centre was officially inaugurated on Thursday 16 March. To celebrate its startup, CERN Council members visited the sleek centre, a futuristic-looking room filled with a multitude of monitoring screens.

  12. Chinese Learners of English See Chinese Words When Reading English Words.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Fengyang; Ai, Haiyang

    2018-06-01

    The present study examines when second language (L2) learners read words in the L2, whether the orthography and/or phonology of the translation words in the first language (L1) is activated and whether the patterns would be modulated by the proficiency in the L2. In two experiments, two groups of Chinese learners of English immersed in the L1 environment, one less proficient and the other more proficient in English, performed a translation recognition task. In this task, participants judged whether pairs of words, with an L2 word preceding an L1 word, were translation words or not. The critical conditions compared the performance of learners to reject distractors that were related to the translation word (e.g., , pronounced as /bei 1/) of an L2 word (e.g., cup) in orthography (e.g., , bad in Chinese, pronounced as /huai 4/) or phonology (e.g., , sad in Chinese, pronounced as /bei 1/). Results of Experiment 1 showed less proficient learners were slower and less accurate to reject translation orthography distractors, as compared to unrelated controls, demonstrating a robust translation orthography interference effect. In contrast, their performance was not significantly different when rejecting translation phonology distractors, relative to unrelated controls, showing no translation phonology interference. The same patterns were observed in more proficient learners in Experiment 2. Together, these results suggest that when Chinese learners of English read English words, the orthographic information, but not the phonological information of the Chinese translation words is activated. In addition, this activation is not modulated by L2 proficiency.

  13. Association of DNA repair gene XRCC1 and lung cancer susceptibility among nonsmoking Chinese women

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yin, J.; Vogel, Ulla Birgitte; Ma, Y.

    2009-01-01

    predisposition to cancer risk. To address this question in more detail, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study consisting of 55 lung cancer cases and 74 cancer-free controls matched on age and ethnicity among nonsmoking Chinese women. We analyzed five coding single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the XRCC1...

  14. Ethnic Chinese Remigration from Southeast Asian Countries since 1960s: A Case Study of Malaysian Chinese Outflows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kang Xiaoli

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Total outflows of Chinese from Southeast Asian countries since the Second World War reached around 3 million. They headed to the developed countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, France and Singapore. As for the case of Malaysia, large number of Malaysian Chinese remigrated to Singapore, United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia for new residence since the end of the Second World War. They left Malaysia because of political discrimination, economic restrictions, and unequal educational and cultural treatment. According to Malaysia census data and natural population growth rate, this paper made estimation that by 201 0 a total of 1.13 million ethnic Chinese had migrated out of Malaysia. After deducting the number of ethnic Chinese moving to Malaysia, the Malaysian Chinese migrating abroad reached 1.05 million. Malaysian Chinese left Malaysia in the manner of permanent residents and short-term migrants. Permanent residents include those in the skill stream, family stream and those with special eligibility. Short-term migrants refer to visiting scholars, foreign students, guest labor, business expatriates and expatriate professionals. As a matter of fact, there has been a serious brain drain through Chinese remigration from Malaysia.

  15. Steroid-free immunosuppression after renal transplantation-long-term experience from a single centre

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    El-Faramawi, Mohamad; Rohr, Nils; Jespersen, Bente

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: A steroid-free immunosuppressive protocol may improve the general well-being of patients, but long-term renal graft survival has been a concern. METHODS: In a retrospective clinical study, 329 consecutive transplantations with renal grafts at our centre during the period 1995-2004, were......, for instance because of primary kidney disease or when calcineurin inhibitor toxicity was suspected. RESULTS: About 71% of the patients did not take steroids at all. Nevertheless, graft survival rates at 1, 5 and 7 years were 95, 77 and 72% for all grafts, including 27% living donor transplants and 27% second...... or subsequent grafts. Ten patients (3.2%) died with functioning grafts. Within the first year of transplantation there were 69 acute rejections in 63 patients (19%). Four cases (1.3%) of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) occurred with one graft loss and no deaths. Owing to a high PTLD rate...

  16. The Australian centre for RF bioeffects research (ACRBR) - an NHMRC centre of research excellence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, A.; Croft, R.; Abramson, M.; Anderson, V.; Cosic, I.; Finnie, J.; McKenzie, R.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: The Australian Centre for Radiofrequency Bioeffects Research (ACRBR) is a newly established multi-institutional research centre which seeks to research questions pertaining to possible health effects of exposure to radiofrequency devices, such as mobile phones and which is funded under the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centres of Research Excellence funding program. The Centre of Research Excellence in Electromagnetic Energy is combining the efforts of engineers, epidemiologists, physicists, psychophysiologists and veterinary pathologists from RMIT University, the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science in South Australia (IMVS), Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology and Telstra Research Laboratories (TRL). The centre is funded at $2.5 M over five years and will undertake a program of research to address the issue of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) devices and health. It will also train new scientists, keep the community informed of ongoing developments and help the development of government policies in this area of considerable public concern. The 5-year program has the following components: Neurobiology: One important area where there is a perceived research gap is in the area of potential neurological effects, which will hence be a major focus of this Centre. The proposed studies range from in vitro and in vivo research studies of RF effects on neuron and neural system functioning in rodents, to that of RF effects on simple neural function, cognition and subjective report in humans. The latter series of studies have been developed to account for the consensus view that more emphasis needs to be placed on possible differences in RF population sensitivity (e.g. youth versus aged, and ' electromagnetic hypersensitives'). Epidemiological studies are an important tool in studying the impact on public health from exposure of whole populations to modern radio technologies. Cancer outcomes in this area of

  17. The development of hand-centred visual representations in the primate brain: a computer modelling study using natural visual scenes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Manuel Galeazzi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Neurons that respond to visual targets in a hand-centred frame of reference have been found within various areas of the primate brain. We investigate how hand-centred visual representations may develop in a neural network model of the primate visual system called VisNet, when the model is trained on images of the hand seen against natural visual scenes. The simulations show how such neurons may develop through a biologically plausible process of unsupervised competitive learning and self-organisation. In an advance on our previous work, the visual scenes consisted of multiple targets presented simultaneously with respect to the hand. Three experiments are presented. First, VisNet was trained with computerized images consisting of a realistic image of a hand and and a variety of natural objects, presented in different textured backgrounds during training. The network was then tested with just one textured object near the hand in order to verify if the output cells were capable of building hand-centered representations with a single localised receptive field. We explain the underlying principles of the statistical decoupling that allows the output cells of the network to develop single localised receptive fields even when the network is trained with multiple objects. In a second simulation we examined how some of the cells with hand-centred receptive fields decreased their shape selectivity and started responding to a localised region of hand-centred space as the number of objects presented in overlapping locations during training increases. Lastly, we explored the same learning principles training the network with natural visual scenes collected by volunteers. These results provide an important step in showing how single, localised, hand-centered receptive fields could emerge under more ecologically realistic visual training conditions.

  18. Workplace Influences on Chinese TEFL Academics' Development as Researchers: A Study of Two Chinese Higher Education Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Li; Millwater, Jan; Hudson, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Workplace influences on Chinese Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) academics' development as researchers were examined in two Chinese higher education institutions in this qualitative collective case study. Data sources included research documentation and interviews with 12 Chinese TEFL academics. Both institutions were keen on research…

  19. Family care: an exploratory study of experience and expectations among older Chinese immigrants in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Meihan; Russell, Cherry

    2007-01-01

    Family caregiving in East Asian cultures is traditionally based on the Confucian ethic of filial piety that mandates total, holistic care for elders. While research suggests changes in 'family care' are occurring in Asian countries themselves, remarkably little is known about immigrant Asian families in Australia. The study aimed to explore the experience of 'family care' among Chinese-speaking older people who have migrated to Australia in later life. In-depth interviews were conducted in Cantonese with a convenience sample of five cases, including six older Chinese and analysed inductively for dominant themes. Although no single model of 'family care' emerged, findings reveal significant departures from the norms of filial piety and an overall 'westernisation' of care practices, both in relation to what families actually do for their parents and what the older people themselves expect. Transformation of filial culture has implications for policy, service planning and professional practice. It cannot be assumed that elderly Chinese immigrants' needs are being met through traditional family structures.

  20. A Comparison of Child-Rearing Practices among Chinese, Immigrant Chinese, and Caucasian-American Parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chin-Yau Cindy; Fu, Victoria R.

    1990-01-01

    Investigated differences and similarities in child-rearing practices among three groups of parents. Chinese and immigrant Chinese parents rated higher than Caucasian-American parents on parental control, encouragement of independence, and emphasis on achievement. (PCB)

  1. Training centres in Latin America

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1959-01-01

    Early 1958 the Brazilian representative on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency - supported by the Governors from Argentina and Guatemala -proposed that a study should be made of the possibility of setting up one or more atomic energy training centres in Latin America. On the Board's recommendation, the Director General of the Agency appointed a fact-finding team to make anon-the-spot study. In drafting this report the team was invited to consider the following points: (a) The need for establishing one or more regional training centres; (b) Existing facilities that are being or could be used for training, together with technical data concerning them; (c) The general scientific technological and industrial conditions of the countries visited insofar as they have a bearing on their training needs and capabilities. The authors of the report conclude that 'a training centre in radio-botany should provide vitally needed knowledge and vitally needed specialists to all the agricultural installations in Latin America. A training centre like this might provide an excellent model upon which to base training centres in other areas'. The report recommends that: 1. The Agency should meet the requests of Latin American universities by, for example, supplying equipment and sending experts; 2. At least one specialized training centre should be established as soon as possible. Taking as an example the field of radio-botany, such a centre would provide trained specialists in radio-botany to agricultural institutions throughout Latin America and also provide basic research results vital to agriculture. The cost of new facilities might be of the order of $7 500 000, with an annual budget of approximately $650 000. Staff required: 40 scientists and 175 employees; 3. Whenever it appears feasible to gather necessary staff of high creative ability and established productivity and when funds can be made available for facilities, equipment and operating costs, at

  2. Training centres in Latin America

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-04-15

    Early 1958 the Brazilian representative on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency - supported by the Governors from Argentina and Guatemala -proposed that a study should be made of the possibility of setting up one or more atomic energy training centres in Latin America. On the Board's recommendation, the Director General of the Agency appointed a fact-finding team to make anon-the-spot study. In drafting this report the team was invited to consider the following points: (a) The need for establishing one or more regional training centres; (b) Existing facilities that are being or could be used for training, together with technical data concerning them; (c) The general scientific technological and industrial conditions of the countries visited insofar as they have a bearing on their training needs and capabilities. The authors of the report conclude that 'a training centre in radio-botany should provide vitally needed knowledge and vitally needed specialists to all the agricultural installations in Latin America. A training centre like this might provide an excellent model upon which to base training centres in other areas'. The report recommends that: 1. The Agency should meet the requests of Latin American universities by, for example, supplying equipment and sending experts; 2. At least one specialized training centre should be established as soon as possible. Taking as an example the field of radio-botany, such a centre would provide trained specialists in radio-botany to agricultural institutions throughout Latin America and also provide basic research results vital to agriculture. The cost of new facilities might be of the order of $7 500 000, with an annual budget of approximately $650 000. Staff required: 40 scientists and 175 employees; 3. Whenever it appears feasible to gather necessary staff of high creative ability and established productivity and when funds can be made available for facilities, equipment and operating costs, at

  3. Prevalence of Polyherbacy in Ambulatory Visits to Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinics in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Ming-Hwai; Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Tu, Chun-Yi; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2015-01-01

    Patients with a polyherbal prescription are more likely to receive duplicate medications and thus suffer from adverse drug reactions. We conducted a population-based retrospective study to examine the items of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) per prescription in the ambulatory care of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Taiwan. We retrieved complete TCM ambulatory visit datasets for 2010 from the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. A total of 59,790 patients who received 313,482 CHM prescriptions were analyzed. Drug prescriptions containing more than five drugs were classified as polyherbal prescriptions; 41.6% of patients were given a polyherbal prescription. There were on average 5.2 ± 2.5 CHMs: 2.3 ± 1.1 compound herbal formula items, and 3.0 ± 2.5 single Chinese herb items in a single prescription. Approximately 4.6% of patients were prescribed 10 CHMs or more. Men had a lower odds ratio (OR) among polyherbal prescriptions (OR = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–0.99), and middle-aged patients (35–49 years) had the highest frequency of polyherbal prescription (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.13–1.26). Patients with neoplasm, skin and subcutaneous tissue disease, or genitourinary system disease were more likely to have a polyherbal prescription; OR = 2.20 (1.81–2.67), 1.65 (1.50–1.80), and 1.52 (1.40–1.64), respectively. Polyherbal prescription is widespread in TCM in Taiwan. Potential herb interactions and iatrogenic risks associated with polyherbal prescriptions should be monitored. PMID:26287228

  4. Validation of the Chinese version of the Modified Caregivers Strain Index among Hong Kong caregivers: an initiative of medical social workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Wallace Chi Ho; Chan, Christopher L F; Suen, Margaret

    2013-11-01

    Family caregivers may often experience caregiving stress and burden. To systematically assess this issue, medical social workers may need to use a brief and valid measurement in their practice. In the Hong Kong Chinese context, one additional challenge is to examine whether a measurement developed in the West is valid for Hong Kong Chinese caregivers. Thus, medical social workers in Hong Kong initiated this research study to validate the Chinese version of the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (C-M-CSI). A total of 223 Chinese caregivers of patients with various chronic illnesses were recruited for this validation study. C-M-CSI demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = .91), concurrent validity with the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory, and discriminant validity with the Chinese version of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Factor analysis yielded a single factor as the original M-CSI, which explained 49 percent of variance. Construct validity was shown by differentiating spousal and nonspousal caregivers, as well as caregivers of patients with and without behavioral problems. C-M-CSI is recommended as a brief and valid measurement that can be used by medical social workers in assessing the caregiving strain of Chinese caregivers of patients in Hong Kong.

  5. New colour centres in KCl:(Tl+ + Ca2+) and KCl:(Tl+ + Sr2+) crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ioan, A.; Topa, V.; Giurgea, M.

    1978-01-01

    Electrolytic colouring under unusual conditions (low temperature and high voltage) gives rise to the appearance of three new absorption bands peaking at 3.2, 2.5, and 1.7 eV and at 2.8, 2.1, and 1.5 eV in KCl:(Tl + + Ca 2+ ) and in KCl:(Tl + + Sr 2+ ) single crystals, respectively. The modifications of the absorption spectra of the coloured crystals induced by the application of a reversed electric field at the colouring temperature or by heat treatment are investigated. It is likely that the colour centre responsible for the new absorption bands is an aggregate centre which, besides an Tl - -complex, contains also at least an Ca(Sr) ion, a trapped electron, and an anionic vacancy. (author)

  6. Saving Chinese-Language Education in Singapore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Cher Leng

    2012-01-01

    Three-quarters of Singapore's population consists of ethnic Chinese, and yet, learning Chinese (Mandarin) has been a headache for many Singapore students. Recently, many scholars have argued that the rhetoric of language planning for Mandarin Chinese should be shifted from emphasizing its cultural value to stressing its economic value since…

  7. Critical Discourse Analysis on Chinese Racial Pride Underlying the Malaysian National Identity in "Proud to Be Born a Chinese"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cyn, Khoo Wei; Ganapathy, Malini

    2016-01-01

    The ideology of Chinese racial pride in an online essay "Proud to be born a Chinese" by Dr. Chan-Lui Lee is described and analysed by using the sociocognitive approach to critical discourse analysis (CDA). The research design is based on the notion that Chinese racial pride is a tool to persuade Chinese Malaysians to prioritise their…

  8. Synthesis, characterisation, luminescence and defect centres in solution combustion synthesised CaZrO{sub 3}:Tb{sup 3+} phosphor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Vijay, E-mail: vijayjiin2006@yahoo.com [School of Information and Communications, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Watanabe, S.; Gundu Rao, T.K. [Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, 05508-090 Sao Paulo/SP (Brazil); Al-Shamery, Katharina [Physical Chemistry, Institute for Pure and Applied Chemistry and Center of Interface Science University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg (Germany); Haase, Markus [Department of Inorganic Chemistry I-Materials Research, Institute of Chemistry, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastrabe 7, 49069 Osnabrueck (Germany); Jho, Young-Dahl, E-mail: jho@gist.ac.kr [School of Information and Communications, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-08-15

    Tb{sup 3+} doped CaZrO{sub 3} has been prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. The combustion derived powder was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. A room temperature photoluminescence study showed that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by 251 nm light with a weak emission in the blue and orange region and a strong emission in green light region. CaZrO{sub 3}:Tb{sup 3+} exhibits three thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks at 126 Degree-Sign C, 200 Degree-Sign C and 480 Degree-Sign C. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to study the defect centres induced in the phosphor by gamma irradiation and also to identify the centres responsible for the TL peaks. The room temperature ESR spectrum of irradiated phosphor appears to be a superposition of two distinct centres. One of the centres (centre I) with principal g-value 2.0233 is identified as an O{sup -} ion. Centre II with an axial symmetric g-tensor with principal values g{sub Up-Tack }=1.9986 and g{sub Up-Tack }=2.0023 is assigned to an F{sup +} centre (singly ionised oxygen vacancy). An additional defect centre is observed during thermal annealing experiments and this centre (assigned to F{sup +} centre) seems to originate from an F centre (oxygen vacancy with two electrons). The F centre and also the F{sup +} centre appear to correlate with the observed high temperature TL peak in CaZrO{sub 3}:Tb{sup 3+} phosphor. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Powder phosphor of CaZrO{sub 3}:Tb{sup 3+} was prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The phosphor exhibits a bright green emission at 545 nm ({sup 5}D{sub 4}{yields}{sup 7}F{sub 5}) of the Tb{sup 3+} ion. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron Spin Resonance studies have been carried out to identify the defect centres responsible for the observed thermoluminescence peaks.

  9. Improvement of the Energy Stability of the Single Ion Microbeam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhan Furu; Qi Xuehong; Xu Mingliang; Chen Lianyun; Yu Zengliang

    2008-01-01

    Energy instability strongly affects the state and the beam size of the single ion microbeam. A facility based on the Generating Voltmeter was developed to improve the energy stability of the CAS-LIBB (Chinese Academy of Sciences, key laboratory of ion beam bioengineering) single ion microbeam. This paper presents the analysis of the energy instability of the single ion microbeam. A simplified theoretical model is set up to calculate the relationship between the energy instability and the beam spot size. By using this technique, the energy instability is adjusted to about 1%. Stable run-time is over 6 hours. The radius of the single ion beam is reduced by 10% compared to the previous one.

  10. Standardized programming to reduce the burden of inappropriate therapies in implantable cardioverter defibrillators - Single centre follow up results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U. Boles

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Current algorithms and device morphology templates have been proposed in current Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICDs to minimize inappropriate therapies (ITS, but this has not been completely successful. Aim: Assess the impact of a deliberate strategy of using an atrial lead implant with standardized parameters; based on all current ICD discriminators and technologies, on the burden of ITS. Method: A retrospective single-centre analysis of 250 patients with either dual chamber (DR ICDs or biventricular ICDs (CRTDs over a (41.9 ± 27.3 month period was performed. The incidence of ITS on all ICD and CRTD patients was chronicled after the implementation of standardized programming. Results: 39 events of anti-tachycardial pacing (ATP and/or shocks were identified in 20 patients (8% incidence rate among patients. The total number of individual therapies was 120, of which 34% were inappropriate ATP, and 36% were inappropriate shocks. 11 patients of the 250 patients received ITS (4.4%. Of the 20 patients, four had ICDs for primary prevention and 16 for a secondary prevention. All the episodes in the primary indication group were inappropriate, while seven patients (43% of the secondary indication group experienced inappropriate therapies. Conclusions: The burden of ITS in the population of patients receiving ICDs was 4.4% in the presence of atrial leads. The proposed rationalized programming criteria seems an effective strategy to minimize the burden of inappropriate therapies and will require further validation. Keywords: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICDs, Inappropriate therapies, Standardized programming

  11. Looking Chinese and Learning Chinese as a Heritage Language: The Role of Habitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Guanglun Michael

    2016-01-01

    The identity-language link has been widely recognised. In Heritage Language research, the complex entanglement between Chinese ethnic identity and Chinese Heritage Language has gained increasing attention in recent decades. Both social psychological and poststructural schools have offered meaningful insights into this field, but have also received…

  12. Characteristics and prescription patterns of traditional Chinese medicine in atopic dermatitis patients: ten-year experiences at a medical center in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jing-Fan; Liu, Pi-Hua; Huang, Tzu-Ping; Lien, Angela Shin-Yu; Ou, Liang-Shiou; Yu, Chin-Hui; Yang, Shu-Ling; Chang, Hen-Hong; Yen, Hung-Rong

    2014-02-01

    Complementary and alternative therapies in treating atopic dermatitis are not uncommon. However, substantial evidence and consensus on treating atopic dermatitis is lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics and utilization of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with atopic dermatitis. We retrospectively collected patients with atopic dermatitis at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan between 2002 and 2011. Patients' demographic data, duration and frequency of treatment, serum total immunoglobulin E levels, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment principles and prescription were analyzed. There were 4145 patients (8.8%) received traditional Chinese medicine therapy between 2002 and 2011. Among them, 2841 (68.54%) chose TCM only and 1304 (31.46%) chose to combine TCM and WM therapies. Those who chose combination therapy were younger, and needed more times of visit and longer duration of treatment. The most frequent comorbid conditions accompany atopic dermatitis were allergic rhinitis (46.06%) and asthma (21.46%). Among the 87,573 prescriptions written for Chinese medicine, the most frequently prescribed herbal formula and single herb were Xiao-Feng-San (Eliminate Wind Powder) (16.98%) and Bai-Xian-Pi (Cortex Dictamni) (12.68%), respectively. The most commonly used therapeutic principles of herbal formulas and single herbs were releasing exterior (20.23%) and clearing heat (41.93%), respectively. Our hospital-based study characterized the utilization patterns of traditional Chinese medicine in atopic dermatitis patients. This information could be used as references for clinical application and provide valuable information for future clinical trials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Precedent Names of Chinese National Culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Валентина Алексеевна Ленинцева

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article presents an analysis of precedent names as symbols of precedent phenomena in the material and spiritual culture of the Chinese. An evaluation of daily events and the attitude of the Chinese towards the world are reflected in the vocabulary of their language. The symbols of precedent phenomena can be proper names (anthroponomy, names of places, the date, as well as figurative and expressive means of language (idioms, sayings. Precedent names as symbols of precedent phenomena vividly and accurately capture the above-mentioned points, and encompass almost all spheres of life, history and spiritual development. The subject of our study are national precedent phenomena that define the ethno-cultural specificity, reflecting the history and culture of the Chinese people and their national character. Representatives of different cultures have different perceptions of the same precedent phenomena. Inadequate understanding of national invariants of precedent phenomena is often the source of communication failures. The aim of this paper is to highlight precedent names as a symbol of precedent phenomena in the discourse of the Chinese linguocultural community. For this purpose a classification of precedent names in Chinese was carried out. Precedent names which play an important role in shaping the Chinese national consciousness were taken from the Chinese-Russian Dictionary.

  14. The centre of mass of a triangular plate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sluesarenko, Viktor; Rojas, Roberto; Fuster, Gonzalo

    2008-01-01

    We present a derivation for the coordinates of the centre of mass-or centre of gravity-of a homogeneous triangular plate by using scaling and symmetry. We scale the triangular plate by a factor of 2 and divide its area into four plates identical to the original. By symmetry, we assert that the centre of mass of two identical masses lies at the midpoint of the line joining their centres of mass. By relating the centres of mass of the original to those of the scaled plates, we find the coordinates of the centre of mass as the solution of an algebraic equation

  15. [Research and development on efficacy of Chinese herbal compound].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jian-Xun; Ren, Jian-Xun; Lin, Cheng-Ren

    2016-03-01

    The efficacy not only is summarized by clinical effect of Chinese herbal compound on theory of traditional Chinese medicine, but also is manifested to clinical effect by interaction of many intricate chemical substances. The efficacy of Chinese herbal compound is current research focus in field of traditional Chinese medicine. By currently knowing in different aspects which included the progression in efficacy of Chinese herbal compound, symptomatic efficacy of Chinese herbal compound, the relationship between the efficacy and pharmacologic effect of Chinese herbal compound, the efficacy related pharmacodynamic substance and the evaluation of efficacy, it had been summarized mainly problems and methods in research and development process of the efficacy of Chinese herbal compound in this paper. Paper also elucidated problems that need to pay attention in research of efficacy in order to provide references for clinical and experimental studies of efficacy in Chinese herbal compound, boost research and development level of new traditional Chinese drug and facilitate modernization of traditional Chinese medicines. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  16. Understanding “Tiger Parenting” Through the Perceptions of Chinese Immigrant Mothers: Can Chinese and U.S. Parenting Coexist?

    OpenAIRE

    Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Leung, Christy Y. Y.; Zhou, Nan

    2013-01-01

    How Chinese immigrant mothers perceive “Chinese” and “U.S.” parenting and changes in their parenting postmigration remains unclear, despite recent interest in Chinese parenting particularly in response to A. Chua's (2011) controversial book on “Tiger Mothers”. The present study addressed this issue by examining the parenting beliefs and practices of Chinese immigrant mothers through qualitative interviews. Participants included 50 first-generation Chinese immigrant mothers (mean age = 38.39 y...

  17. The Canadian RMB Trading Centre: A Small Step in the Long Road of China’s Peaceful Rise in International Financial Markets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John M. Curtis

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available China is on the road to becoming a powerful force in global financial markets; statistics suggest that already some 20 per cent of the world’s trade finance is currently conducted in the country’s currency — the yuan, or renminbi (RMB. That is a twentyfold increase in just five years. Canada has shrewdly connected its own financial system to that of China’s, well before many other countries, in securing permission from China to host one of the world’s few renminbi trading hubs. The creation of these trading hubs is an important milestone for China in the long process of the internationalization of its currency. Hosting such a hub is an important milestone for Canada, in that it can help further the increase in bilateral trade and investment, the expanding exchange of businesspeople and students, and the official presence on the ground on the part of both countries’ governments. A key benefit of the creation of an RMB trading centre in Canada is that it will enable Canadian financial institutions to develop a capacity to trade, and an expertise in trading, Chinese currency for non-Chinese financial instruments (such as stocks, bonds, etc., and converting Canadian currency into Chinese investments. While this may seem straightforward, given the fact that so many different currencies are exchanged freely on global markets each day, the renminbi is unique in the fact that it has been a highly controlled, largely inaccessible currency. That has historically hampered its liquidity and added much more risk than is the case with other major currencies. Canada’s RMB trading hub will reduce those difficulties and risks. Just as significant, however, is the symbolism of Canada’s new hub (which, really, is just a virtual hub, comprised of computer systems, rather than a physical office or trading floor. The designation of Canada as host to an RMB centre — one of just nine in the world, and the only one in North America — was the

  18. Parental Beliefs on Children's Play: Comparison among Mainland Chinese, Chinese Immigrants in the USA, and European-Americans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Shan; Han, Myae

    2016-01-01

    The current study surveyed parental play beliefs among the three groups of parents: the mainland Chinese, Chinese immigrants in the USA, and European-Americans. Limited comparison studies on parental play beliefs were previously reported for these three populations in the literature. Two measures, the Chinese child-rearing ideology and parental…

  19. Production of Single W Bosons at LEP and Measurement of $WW\\gamma$ Gauge Coupling Parameters

    CERN Document Server

    Achard, P; Aguilar-Benítez, M; Alcaraz, J; Alemanni, G; Allaby, James V; Aloisio, A; Alviggi, M G; Anderhub, H; Andreev, V P; Anselmo, F; Arefev, A; Azemoon, T; Aziz, T; Bagnaia, P; Bajo, A; Baksay, G; Baksay, L; Baldew, S V; Banerjee, S; Banerjee, Sw; Barczyk, A; Barillère, R; Bartalini, P; Basile, M; Batalova, N; Battiston, R; Bay, A; Becattini, F; Becker, U; Behner, F; Bellucci, L; Berbeco, R; Berdugo, J; Berges, P; Bertucci, B; Betev, B L; Biasini, M; Biglietti, M; Biland, A; Blaising, J J; Blyth, S C; Bobbink, Gerjan J; Böhm, A; Boldizsar, L; Borgia, B; Bottai, S; Bourilkov, D; Bourquin, Maurice; Braccini, S; Branson, J G; Brochu, F; Burger, J D; Burger, W J; Cai, X D; Capell, M; Cara Romeo, G; Carlino, G; Cartacci, A M; Casaus, J; Cavallari, F; Cavallo, N; Cecchi, C; Cerrada, M; Chamizo-Llatas, M; Chang, Y H; Chemarin, M; Chen, A; Chen, G; Chen, G M; Chen, H F; Chen, H S; Chiefari, G; Cifarelli, Luisa; Cindolo, F; Clare, I; Clare, R; Coignet, G; Colino, N; Costantini, S; de la Cruz, B; Cucciarelli, S; van Dalen, J A; De Asmundis, R; Déglon, P L; Debreczeni, J; Degré, A; Dehmelt, K; Deiters, K; Della Volpe, D; Delmeire, E; Denes, P; De Notaristefani, F; De Salvo, A; Diemoz, M; Dierckxsens, M; Dionisi, C; Dittmar, Michael; Doria, A; Dova, M T; Duchesneau, D; Echenard, B; Eline, A; El-Mamouni, H; Engler, A; Eppling, F J; Ewers, A; Extermann, Pierre; Falagán, M A; Falciano, S; Favara, A; Fay, J; Fedin, O; Felcini, Marta; Ferguson, T; Fesefeldt, H S; Fiandrini, E; Field, J H; Filthaut, Frank; Fisher, P H; Fisher, W; Fisk, I; Forconi, G; Freudenreich, Klaus; Furetta, C; Galaktionov, Yu; Ganguli, S N; García-Abia, P; Gataullin, M; Gentile, S; Giagu, S; Gong, Z F; Grenier, G; Grimm, O; Grünewald, M W; Guida, M; van Gulik, R; Gupta, V K; Gurtu, A; Gutay, L J; Haas, D; Hakobyan, R S; Hatzifotiadou, D; Hebbeker, T; Hervé, A; Hirschfelder, J; Hofer, H; Hohlmann, M; Holzner, G; Hou, S R; Hu, Y; Jin, B N; Jones, L W; de Jong, P; Josa-Mutuberria, I; Käfer, D; Kaur, M; Kienzle-Focacci, M N; Kim, J K; Kirkby, Jasper; Kittel, E W; Klimentov, A; König, A C; Kopal, M; Koutsenko, V F; Kräber, M H; Krämer, R W; Krenz, W; Krüger, A; Kunin, A; Ladrón de Guevara, P; Laktineh, I; Landi, G; Lebeau, M; Lebedev, A; Lebrun, P; Lecomte, P; Lecoq, P; Le Coultre, P; Le Goff, J M; Leiste, R; Levtchenko, M; Levchenko, P M; Li, C; Likhoded, S A; Lin, C H; Lin, W T; Linde, Frank L; Lista, L; Liu, Z A; Lohmann, W; Longo, E; Lü, Y S; Lübelsmeyer, K; Luci, C; Luminari, L; Lustermann, W; Ma Wen Gan; Malgeri, L; Malinin, A; Maña, C; Mangeol, D J J; Mans, J; Martin, J P; Marzano, F; Mazumdar, K; McNeil, R R; Mele, S; Merola, L; Meschini, M; Metzger, W J; Mihul, A; Milcent, H; Mirabelli, G; Mnich, J; Mohanty, G B; Muanza, G S; Muijs, A J M; Musicar, B; Musy, M; Nagy, S; Natale, S; Napolitano, M; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Newman, H; Niessen, T; Nisati, A; Nowak, H; Ofierzynski, R A; Organtini, G; Palomares, C; Pandoulas, D; Paolucci, P; Paramatti, R; Passaleva, G; Patricelli, S; Paul, T; Pauluzzi, M; Paus, C; Pauss, Felicitas; Pedace, M; Pensotti, S; Perret-Gallix, D; Petersen, B; Piccolo, D; Pierella, F; Pioppi, M; Piroué, P A; Pistolesi, E; Plyaskin, V; Pohl, M; Pozhidaev, V; Pothier, J; Prokofiev, D O; Prokofev, D; Quartieri, J; Rahal-Callot, G; Rahaman, M A; Raics, P; Raja, N; Ramelli, R; Rancoita, P G; Ranieri, R; Raspereza, A V; Razis, P A; Ren, D; Rescigno, M; Reucroft, S; Riemann, S; Riles, K; Roe, B P; Romero, L; Rosca, A; Rosier-Lees, S; Roth, S; Rosenbleck, C; Roux, B; Rubio, Juan Antonio; Ruggiero, G; Rykaczewski, H; Sakharov, A; Saremi, S; Sarkar, S; Salicio, J; Sánchez, E; Sanders, M P; Schäfer, C; Shchegelskii, V; Schmidt-Kärst, S; Schmitz, D; Schopper, Herwig Franz; Schotanus, D J; Schwering, G; Sciacca, C; Servoli, L; Shevchenko, S; Shivarov, N; Shoutko, V; Shumilov, E; Shvorob, A V; Siedenburg, T; Son, D; Souga, C; Spillantini, P; Steuer, M; Stickland, D P; Stoyanov, B; Strässner, A; Sudhakar, K; Sultanov, G G; Sun, L Z; Sushkov, S V; Suter, H; Swain, J D; Szillási, Z; Tang, X W; Tarjan, P; Tauscher, Ludwig; Taylor, L; Tellili, B; Teyssier, D; Timmermans, C; Ting, Samuel C C; Ting, S M; Tonwar, S C; Tóth, J; Tully, C; Tung, K L; Ulbricht, J; Valente, E; Van de Walle, R T; Vásquez, R P; Veszpremi, V; Vesztergombi, G; Vetlitskii, I; Vicinanza, D; Viertel, Gert M; Villa, S; Vivargent, M; Vlachos, S; Vodopyanov, I; Vogel, H; Vogt, H; Vorobev, I; Vorobyov, A A; Wadhwa, M; Wallraff, W; Wang, X L; Wang, Z M; Weber, M; Wienemann, P; Wilkens, H; Wynhoff, S; Xia, L; Xu, Z Z; Yamamoto, J; Yang, B Z; Yang, C G; Yang, H J; Yang, M; Yeh, S C; Zalite, A; Zalite, Yu; Zhang, Z P; Zhao, J; Zhu, G Y; Zhu, R Y; Zhuang, H L; Zichichi, A; Zimmermann, B; Zöller, M

    2002-01-01

    \\documentclass[12pt,a4paper,dvips]{article} \\begin{document} \\begin{center} {Production of Single W Bosons at LEP and \\\\ Measurement of \\boldmath$\\rm W W \\gamma$ Gauge Coupling Parameters} \\end{center} \\begin{abstract} Single W boson production in electron-positron collisions is studied with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between $192\\mathrm{\\ Ge\\kern -0.1em V}$ and $209\\mathrm{\\ Ge\\kern -0.1em V}$. Events with two acoplanar hadronic jets or a single energetic lepton are selected, and the single W cross section is measured. Combining the results with measurements at lower centre-of-mass energies, the ratio of the measured cross section to the Standard Model expectation is found to be $1.12^{+0.11}_{-0.10}\\pm0.03$. From all single W data, the WW$\\gamma$ gauge coupling parameter $\\kappa_\\gamma$ is measured to be $1.116^{+0.082}_{-0.086}\\pm0.068$. \\end{abstract} \\end{document}

  20. The Bruce Energy Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, R.I.

    1982-06-01

    The Bruce Energy Centre Development Corporation is a joint venture of the Ontario Energy Corporation and 6 private companies formed to market surplus steam from the Bruce Nuclear Power Development. The corporation will also sell or lease land near Bruce NPD. The Bruce Energy Centre has an energy output of 900 BTU per day per dollar invested. Potential customers include greenhouse operators, aquaculturalists, food and beverage manufacturers, and traditional manufacturers

  1. Assessing shyness in Chinese older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Kee-Lee

    2005-09-01

    The Shyness Scale (SS) is a brief instrument for assessing shyness as a personality trait. The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the SS were investigated in a random sample of 192 Macau Chinese older adults. The Chinese version of the SS possesses high internal consistency and exhibited satisfactory short-term test-retest reliability. The Chinese version of the SS exhibited acceptable convergent validity with other negative measures of psychological well-being including negative emotional states (assessed by the Negative Affect Scale), loneliness (assessed by the UCLA Loneliness Scale), and state anxiety and trait anxiety (assessed by STAI). The divergent validity of the Chinese version of the SS was demonstrated by the negative but significant association between the SS and self esteem (assessed by Rosenberg Self Esteem Inventory).

  2. Chinese Foods; Teacher's Handbook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Joe, Ed.

    Different styles of Chinese cooking, traditional food items, cooking utensils, serving techniques, and the nutritional value of Chinese cooking are described in this teaching guide. Lesson plans for the preparation of simple dishes are presented. Recipes, a shopping guide to San Francisco's Chinatown, a guide to sources of supplies, and a…

  3. Colorectal cancer patients in a tertiary referral centre in Malaysia: a five year follow-up review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Mohd Radzniwan A; Aziz, Aznida Firzah Abdul; Ahmad, Saharuddin; Shah, Shamsul Azhar; Sagap, Ismail

    2009-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major malignancies in the world. In Malaysia, CRC is fast becoming the commonest cause of cancer death. Its etiology is complex, involving both environmental and genetic factors. This study looked at the profile and outcome of five-year follow-up of patients with CRC. Retrospective case review study done on CRC patients at University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Patientsandapos; socio-demographic characteristics, modalities of treatment, cancer characteristics and outcome at 5-year follow up were extracted from the case records. A total of 107 case records of patients were analyzed. Peak age of CRC presentation was 40-69 years (71.1%). Male to female ratio was 1.2:1 with Chinese predominance (52.3%). Anaemia and its related symptoms including per rectal bleeding was the commonest clinical presentation. The median duration of clinical presentation was 13 weeks (IQR 21.8). More than two-thirds presented as non-emergency cases (69.2%). Most patients presented with Dukes C stage (40.2%). The overall 5-year survival rate was 40% with local recurrence rate of 19.6%. Metastasis after curative-intend treatment (surgery with adjuvant therapy) developed in 26% of patients. Lower recurrence (p = 0.016, OR = 0.205) and metastatic disease (p = 0.02, OR = 0.24) found among the Chinese patients. Almost half of the patients defaulted follow up care (43%), most often within the first year of treatment (22.4%) and the Chinese were the least likely to default (p= 0.04, OR = 0.45). Socio-demographic profile of CRC patients in UKMMC is comparable to Asia pacific region. Apparent delay in seeking treatment gives rise to poor overall survival and local recurrence rates.

  4. Visits to Tier-1 Computing Centres

    CERN Multimedia

    Dario Barberis

    At the beginning of 2007 it became clear that an enhanced level of communication is needed between the ATLAS computing organisation and the Tier-1 centres. Most usual meetings are ATLAS-centric and cannot address the issues of each Tier-1; therefore we decided to organise a series of visits to the Tier-1 centres and focus on site issues. For us, ATLAS computing management, it is most useful to realize how each Tier-1 centre is organised, and its relation to the associated Tier-2s; indeed their presence at these visits is also very useful. We hope it is also useful for sites... at least, we are told so! The usual participation includes, from the ATLAS side: computing management, operations, data placement, resources, accounting and database deployment coordinators; and from the Tier-1 side: computer centre management, system managers, Grid infrastructure people, network, storage and database experts, local ATLAS liaison people and representatives of the associated Tier-2s. Visiting Tier-1 centres (1-4). ...

  5. Chinese Typography Transfer

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Jie; Gu, Yujun

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a new network architecture for Chinese typography transformation based on deep learning. The architecture consists of two sub-networks: (1)a fully convolutional network(FCN) aiming at transferring specified typography style to another in condition of preserving structure information; (2)an adversarial network aiming at generating more realistic strokes in some details. Unlike models proposed before 2012 relying on the complex segmentation of Chinese components or str...

  6. Safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combination therapy in Chinese population with advanced non-squamous NSCLC: data of subgroup analyses from MO19390 (SAiL) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, C C; Bai, C X; Guan, Z Z; Jiang, G L; Shi, Y K; Wang, M Z; Wu, Y L; Zhang, Y P; Zhu, Y Z

    2014-05-01

    Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody with high antitumor activity against malignant diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combination therapy in advanced, non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC). SAiL (MO19390), an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in clinical practice. This report presents the results of a subgroup analysis of Chinese patients enrolled in SAiL. Chemo-naive Chinese patients with locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC were randomized to receive Bev 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks plus carboplatin + paclitaxel for maximum of six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included time to progression and overall survival. The Chinese intent-to-treat (ITT) population consists of 198 Chinese patients, among whom 107 (54 %) were non-smokers and 90 (45.5 %) were female. The median cycle of bevacizumab administration was 10 and median duration of bevacizumab treatment was 29.5 weeks. Only eight cases of severe adverse events were observed in the study, which were deemed to be related to bevacizumab. The incidence of AEs over grade 3 in Chinese ITT patients was generally low (SAiL study. No new safety signals were reported.

  7. Patient-centred outcomes research: perspectives of patient stakeholders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhatre, Sumedha; Gallo, Joseph J; Wittink, Marsha; Schwartz, J Sanford; Jayadevappa, Ravishankar

    2017-11-01

    To elicit patient stakeholders' experience and perspectives about patient-centred care. Qualitative. A large urban healthcare system. Four patient stakeholders who are prostate cancer survivors. Experience and perspectives of patient stakeholders regarding patient-centred care and treatment decisions. Our patient stakeholders represented a diverse socio-demographic group. The patient stakeholders identified engagement and dialogue with physicians as crucial elements of patient-centred care model. The degree of patient-centred care was observed to be dependent on the situations. High severity conditions warranted a higher level of patient involvement, compared to mild conditions. They agreed that patient-centred care should not mean that patients can demand inappropriate treatments. An important attribute of patient-centred outcomes research model is the involvement of stakeholders. However, we have limited knowledge about the experience of patient stakeholders in patient-centred outcomes research. Our study indicates that patient stakeholders offer a unique perspective as researchers and policy-makers aim to precisely define patient-centred research and care.

  8. Smart work centres in rural areas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lorentzen, Anne Birte

    This paper discusses the establishment of telework centres as an element in local development strategies in rural areas, with a particular view to two new telework centres in region North Denmark. The paper argues that telework centres do not represent an easy solution to problems of local...... development and environmental sustainability, and further, that technology may not even be the most important feature needed to make them function as such....

  9. Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Indonesia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gammeltoft, Peter; Tarmidi, Lepi T.

    China‟s increasing integration with the world economy is met with much anticipation and much anxiety in the Southeast Asian region. In Indonesia, there is intense interest in Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI), not only among academics but also among policy makers, industrialists and the gen......China‟s increasing integration with the world economy is met with much anticipation and much anxiety in the Southeast Asian region. In Indonesia, there is intense interest in Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI), not only among academics but also among policy makers, industrialists...... conducted in 2008 among Chinese invested enterprises supplemented with available official statistics and secondary data, the study finds that Chinese FDI in Indonesia is performed by mixed entities: some are owned by central government, some by regional government and some are private firms. In the case...... of joint ventures, their local partners are mostly local Chinese, except in the infrastructure, mining and energy sector where their local partners are Indonesian state-owned enterprises. Where the local developmental effects are concerned, a picture emerges where Chinese investments, at this early period...

  10. How Chinese learn mathematics perspectives from insiders

    CERN Document Server

    Ngai-Ying, Wong; Lianghuo, Fan; Shiqi, Li

    2004-01-01

    The book has been written by an international group of very active researchers and scholars who have a passion for the study of Chinese mathematics education. It aims to provide readers with a comprehensive and updated picture of the teaching and learning of mathematics involving Chinese students from various perspectives, including the ways in which Chinese students learn mathematics in classrooms, schools and homes, the influence of the cultural and social environment on Chinese students' mathematics learning, and the strengths and weaknesses of the ways in which Chinese learn mathematics. Furthermore, based on the relevant research findings, the book explores the implications for mathematics education and offers sound suggestions for reform and improvement. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the teaching and learning of mathematics concerning Chinese learners.

  11. An examination of the wording effect in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale among culturally Chinese people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chia-Huei

    2008-10-01

    Previous psychometric studies of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; 1965) have shown that items with positive and negative words tend to form 2 factors instead of a single factor for global self-esteem. Recent studies using confirmatory factor analysis have indicated that there is an additional method effect behind negatively worded items. However, researchers conducted these studies using Western participants. Because J. L. Farh and B. S. Cheng (1997) suggested that culturally Chinese people tend to exhibit a modesty bias in self-evaluation, especially on positively worded items, researchers may infer that a wording effect of positively worded items would be evident for culturally Chinese people. The author examined the wording effect in the RSES for culturally Chinese people by comparing different confirmatory factor models. The author analyzed data from 2 independent samples of students at the National Taiwan University (ns = 393, 441) and a national sample of juniors recruited from 140 universities and colleges in Taiwan in 2004 (n = 28,862). Results showed that in addition to a global factor for self-esteem, method effects of positively and negatively worded items should also be specified for a model fitting culturally Chinese people.

  12. Genetic variants at 20p11 confer risk to androgenetic alopecia in the Chinese Han population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Liang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA is a well-characterized type of progressive hair loss commonly seen in men, with different prevalences in different ethnic populations. It is generally considered to be a polygenic heritable trait. Several susceptibility genes/loci, such as AR/EDA2R, HDAC9 and 20p11, have been identified as being involved in its development in European populations. In this study, we aim to validate whether these loci are also associated with AGA in the Chinese Han population. METHODS: We genotyped 16 previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs with 445 AGA cases and 546 healthy controls using the Sequenom iPlex platform. The trend test was used to evaluate the association between these loci and AGA in the Chinese Han population. Conservatively accounting for multiple testing by the Bonferroni correction, the threshold for statistical significance was P ≤ 3.13 × 10(-3. RESULTS: We identified that 5 SNPs at 20p11 were significantly associated with AGA in the Chinese Han population (1.84 × 10(-11 ≤ P ≤ 2.10 × 10(-6. CONCLUSIONS: This study validated, for the first time, that 20p11 also confers risk for AGA in the Chinese Han population and implicated the potential common genetic factors for AGA shared by both Chinese and European populations.

  13. A classification of chinese culture

    OpenAIRE

    Fan, Y

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents a classification of Chinese Cultural Values (CCVs). Although there exist great differences between the Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is still possible to identify certain core cultural values that are shared by the Chinese people no matter where they live. Based on the original list by the Chinese Cultural Connection (1987), the paper creates a new list that contains 71 core values against 40 in the old. The implications and limitations of the classification are...

  14. The ideal Atomic Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mas, R.

    1965-01-01

    The author presents considerations which should prove to be of interest to all those who have to design, to construct and to operate a nuclear research centre. A large number of the ideas presented can also be applied to non-nuclear scientific research centres. In his report the author reviews: various problems with which the constructor is faced: ground-plan, infrastructure, buildings and the large units of scientific equipment in the centre, and those problems facing the director: maintenance, production, supplies, security. The author stresses the relationship which ought to exist between the research workers and the management. With this aim in view he proposes the creation of National School for Administration in Research which would train administrative executives for public or private organisations; they would be specialised in the fields of fundamental or applied research. (author) [fr

  15. Emotional impact of severe post-partum haemorrhage on women and their partners: an observational, case-matched, prospective, single-centre pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricbourg, Aude; Gosme, Christelle; Gayat, Etienne; Ventre, Chloé; Barranger, Emmanuel; Mebazaa, Alexandre

    2015-10-01

    This observational, matched-control, prospective, single-centre study sought to estimate the emotional impact of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) on women and their partners, including its influences on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), postpartum depression and the mother/child relationship. All consecutive women who were admitted for PPH from December 2010 through December 2011 and their partners were screened for eligibility. Emotional impact was assessed using three self-reported questionnaires (Impact of Event Scale-Revised to assess PTSD, Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale to assess post-natal depression and Mother-Infant Bonding Scale to assess the relationship between mother and child). Each PPH patient was matched with a control woman for whom the delivery was not complicated by PPH. The results showed (a) that women with PPH and their partners were more likely to report symptoms related to PTSD compared with controls, (b) that women with PPH were less likely to suffer from postnatal depression and (c) that there was no difference in the mother/child relationship between women with PPH and controls. PPH is associated with a high incidence of PTSD-related symptoms in both women and their partners. PTSD in the context of PPH is likely an under-recognised phenomenon by health care professionals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The Outcomes of Chinese Visiting Scholars' Experiences at Canadian Universities: Implications for Faculty Development at Chinese Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qin; Jiang, Yumei

    2015-01-01

    This article examines the outcomes of the overseas experiences of Chinese visiting scholars and the implications of visiting scholar programs for faculty development at Chinese universities. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with 17 returned Chinese visiting scholars who spent six to 12 months in a faculty of education at one of five…

  17. Single-stage revision for fungal peri-prosthetic joint infection: a single-centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klatte, T O; Kendoff, D; Kamath, A F; Jonen, V; Rueger, J M; Frommelt, L; Gebauer, M; Gehrke, T

    2014-04-01

    Fungal peri-prosthetic infections of the knee and hip are rare but likely to result in devastating complications. In this study we evaluated the results of their management using a single-stage exchange technique. Between 2001 and 2011, 14 patients (ten hips, four knees) were treated for a peri-prosthetic fungal infection. One patient was excluded because revision surgery was not possible owing to a large acetabular defect. One patient developed a further infection two months post-operatively and was excluded from the analysis. Two patients died of unrelated causes. After a mean of seven years (3 to 11) a total of ten patients were available for follow-up. One patient, undergoing revision replacement of the hip, had a post-operative dislocation. Another patient, undergoing revision replacement of the knee, developed a wound infection and required revision 29 months post-operatively following a peri-prosthetic femoral fracture. The mean Harris hip score increased to 74 points (63 to 84; p prosthetic infection is feasible, with an acceptable rate of a satisfactory outcome.

  18. Relative bioequivalence evaluation of two oral atomoxetine hydrochloride capsules: a single dose, randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study in healthy Chinese volunteers under fasting conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, D-W; Guo, W; Zhou, F-C; Wang, X-P; Li, A-N; Zhang, L; Li, W-B; Lu, W; Wang, C-Y

    2013-11-01

    To evaluate the bioequivalence of a new formulation of atomoxetine hydrochloride (CAS 82248-59-7) capsules (test) and an available branded capsules (reference) after administration of a single 40 mg dose, randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study was conducted in 22 healthy male Chinese subjects with a 1-week wash-out period. This study was designed for/the Honglin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd and contracted to be done by the Beijing Anding Hospital in order to satisfy Chinese regulatory requirements to allow marketing of this generic product and performed according to the criteria of SFDA. Blood samples were collected before and 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16 and 24 h after drug administration. Plasma concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. A non-compartmental method was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters and evaluate bioequivalence of the 2 formulations. The 90% confidence interval (CI) of the ratios (test/reference) of atomoxetine for AUC0-24, AUC0-∞ and Cmax were 100.9% (93.6-108.8%), 103.1% (95.1-111.7%) and 105.2% (92.8-119.4%), respectively, which fell within the interval of 80-125% and 75-133%. No clinically significant changes or abnormalities were noted in laboratory data and vital signs. From these results it can be concluded that the test formulation of atomoxetine capsules met the regulatory criterion for bioequivalence to the reference formulation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. A Glimpse of Chinese-Malay Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cendrawaty Tjong

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Chinese-Malay literature begans in the end of 19th century. The beginning of this period was known from the works depicted Classical-Malay literature. In the development, due to the booming of publication houses and newspaper agencies, this school of literature flourished. The origin of this period was closely related to Chinese-descendants, background and history. The long history, the big numbers of works and the miscellaneous contents of the works were the characteristics of this period. Chinese-Malay literature period was the period highlighted with typical Chinese-Indonesian society.  

  20. Genetic variations of GAK in two Chinese Parkinson's disease populations: a case-control study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-En Johnny Tseng

    Full Text Available Cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK modifies α-synuclein expression levels and affects the susceptibility of Parkinson's disease (PD. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs1564282 of GAK gene has a significant association to the risk of PD among Caucasian populations. To date there is only one data with regards to ethnic Chinese from Mainland China. Here, we conducted a case-control study in two independent cohorts of Han Chinese populations from Taiwan and Singapore to validate this association. A total of 1,755 subjects (871 PD patients and 884 controls were recruited. The results showed that neither the CT, TT genotypes nor the minor allele T of SNP rs1564282 were associated with PD among the subjects from Taiwan and Singapore as well as in the pooled analysis. Differences in our study population with regards to published literature may be due to epigenetic factors and gene-gene or gene-environmental interactions. Further studies in other Chinese populations will be of interest to validate these findings.