Achieving collaborative welfare provision for orphans: a case in Rural China

Main Theme: Transformations, Development and Culture in Asia: Multidisciplinary Perspectives會議主題: 亞洲的變革, 發展及文化: 從多角度出發Session 3B: Managing Urbanization in China: no. E009In recent years, the scope and number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other charity foundations have been bourgeoning in China. While each of these organizations has its own unique agendas and target recipients, they are bounded by the common goal to improve certain human conditions for disadvantaged individuals or population groups. By using a case study methodology, and analyzing first-hand data from in-depth interviews conducted with various stakeholders, this article sheds light on some of the current barriers in implementing effective orphan care policies in rural China, and illustrate how NGOs can complement government efforts in providing adequate care for orphans. Organizational theory is used as a paradigm through which the relationship between the State and NGOs is analyzed. Implications for future child welfare development in China are discussed.postprin

Lack of structural rearrangement in c-kit and stem cell factor genes in Hong Kong Chinese patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukaemia

Stem cell factor is a haemopoietic growth factor that interacts with the c-kit--encoded transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor during signal transduction in haemopoietic progenitor stem cells. We have screened 127 Chinese patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukaemia for structural rearrangements in the stem cell factor and c-kit genes using Southern blot analysis. No structural rearrangements were detected in any of the bone marrow samples that were tested. It seems that structural rearrangements in the stem cell factor and c-kit genes are rare in Hong Kong patients who have a haematological malignancy.published_or_final_versio

Change of the emission spectra in organic light-emitting diodes by layer thickness modification

The electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence properties of organic light-emitting diodes (LED) were analyzed using layer thickness modification. Investigations show that the EL spectra exhibited significant variation with the increase of the viewing angle. It was found that multiple peak emission could be achieved for a certain range of thickness values. It was concluded that near white emission with CIE coordinates (0.32, 0.43) could be obtained for optimized device thickness.published_or_final_versio

Anti-cancer effects of a novel quinoline derivative 83b1 on human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through Down-Regulation of COX-2 mRNA and PGE2

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Universality in the Screening Cloud of Dislocations Surrounding a Disclination

A detailed analytical and numerical analysis for the dislocation cloud surrounding a disclination is presented. The analytical results show that the combined system behaves as a single disclination with an effective fractional charge which can be computed from the properties of the grain boundaries forming the dislocation cloud. Expressions are also given when the crystal is subjected to an external two-dimensional pressure. The analytical results are generalized to a scaling form for the energy which up to core energies is given by the Young modulus of the crystal times a universal function. The accuracy of the universality hypothesis is numerically checked to high accuracy. The numerical approach, based on a generalization from previous work by S. Seung and D.R. Nelson ({\em Phys. Rev A 38:1005 (1988)}), is interesting on its own and allows to compute the energy for an {\em arbitrary} distribution of defects, on an {\em arbitrary geometry} with an arbitrary elastic {\em energy} with very minor additional computational effort. Some implications for recent experimental, computational and theoretical work are also discussed.Comment: 35 pages, 21 eps file

Children’s time use in developing countries: Comparative evidence from Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam

87 Session: Poster Session: Children and youth IIOrganizer: International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP)Children’s time use is an important factor affecting human capital outcomes such as educational attainment and future employment. Thus far, little attention has been paid to how children’s time use varies across and within middle- and low-income countries compared to more economically-advanced countries. In this article, we use comparative survey data to examine children’s time use in four countries with varying degrees of development in the Asian region—the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. We selected children’s time use as the key outcome and, based on previous literature, we hypothesize that child age and gender, and household characteristics influence the organization of children’s daily lives, in particular how they allocate their time between leisure, study (outside school), housework, and work that supplements family income. Using a series of OLS regression models, we find evidence of gendered time allocation, with girls generally more likely to perform housework and devote less time to leisure, while boys generally spend more time working to support the household and more time in leisure. Some of the gendered differences are attenuated within households with higher maternal education. The detailed results suggest nuanced processes differentiating the country samples, and we discuss both their theoretical and practical implications.postprin

Corilagin Induces High Levels of Apoptosis in the Temozolomide-Resistant T98G Glioma Cell Line

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a malignant tumor of the central nervous system, has a high mortality rate; no curativetreatment is presently available and the most commonly used chemiotherapeutic drug, the alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ), is only able to increase life expectancy and is often associated with drugresistance. Therefore, an urgent need does exist for novel drugs aimed at treating gliomas. In the present study we obtained three major results using corliagin: (a) demonstrate that it inhibits the growth of U251 glioma cells through activation of the apoptotic pathway; (b) demonstrate that it is also active on temozolomideresistant T98G glioma cells; (c) demonstrate that when used in combination with temozolomide on T98G glioma cells a higher level of pro-apototic and antiproliferative effects are observed. Our study indicates that corilagin should be investigated in more detail in order to determine if it can be developed as a potential therapeutic agent. In addition, our results suggest that corilagin could be used in combination with low dosages of other standard anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs against gliomas (such as temozolomide) with the aim of obtaining enhanced anticancer effects

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability

Response to ''Comment on 'Change of the emission spectra in organic light-emitting diodes by layer thickness modification''' Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 186101.2005.

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COVID-19 Vaccination Preferences of University Students and Staff in Hong Kong

IMPORTANCE: COVID-19 has required universities to rapidly develop vaccination policies for students and staff, yet little is known about the preferences of these individuals toward vaccination. OBJECTIVE: To quantify student and staff preferences for COVID-19 vaccination at a university in Hong Kong. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted from July 20 to September 21, 2021, before the announcement of a campus-wide vaccine mandate. A survey of 42 451 eligible university students and staff used discrete-choice experiment methods to quantify 7 attributes of COVID-19 vaccination: risk of a mild or moderate adverse event after vaccination, risk of a severe adverse event after vaccination, efficacy against COVID-19 infection, efficacy against severe manifestation of COVID-19 infection, duration of protection after vaccination, incentive for completing vaccination, and out-of-pocket costs. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: A mixed logit regression model was used to estimate the preferences of attributes for COVID-19 vaccines and marginal willingness to pay (mWTP) adjusted for background characteristics, role, vaccination, and COVID-19 infection status of family or friends, adverse event status after vaccination among family and friends of participants, and scenario block. RESULTS: Among 42 451 eligible university students and staff invited, 3423 individuals completed the survey (mean [SD] age, 27.1 [9.9] years; 2053 [60.0%] women). Participants included 2506 students (73.2%) and 917 staff (26.8%), with a response rate of 8.1%. Quarantine-free travel was preferred (β = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.72-0.99; mWTP: $235.9; 95$190.3-$294.2), followed by efficacy against any COVID-19 infection (β = 0.30; 95$84.1; 95% CI, $71.8-$100.8), against severe manifestation of COVID-19 infection (β = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.24-0.27; mWTP: $69.7; 95$465-$653), and risk of severe adverse events following vaccination (β = −0.24; 95$66.8; 95% CI, −$81.5 to −$55.3). Participants were less concerned about protection duration (β = 0.17; 95% CI, 0.15-0.18; mWTP: $46.0; 95$38.6-$56.2) and risk of mild to moderate adverse events (β = −0.12; 95$32.7; 95% CI, −$41.2 to −$26.4). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Preference of all attributes were significant and were considered important by the participants for vaccine decision-making. Insights drawn could assist policy makers in future vaccination decisions, such as campus vaccine mandate and requirement of a third dose