Using SPOT Data and FRAGSTAS to Analyze the Relationship between Plant Diversity and Green Space Landscape Patterns in the Tropical Coastal City of Zhanjiang, China

Urban green spaces provide a host of ecosystem services, the quantity and structure of which play an important role in human well-being. Rapid urbanization may modify urban green spaces, having various effects on plant diversity. Tropical coastal cities have urbanized rapidly in recent decades, but few studies have been conducted with a focus on their green spaces. We studied the responses of cultivated and spontaneous plants, both key components of urban flora, to the landscape structure of urban green spaces and possible social drivers. We analyzed existing relationships between plant diversity indices, urban green space landscape metrics (using Systeme Probatoire d’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) data,), and social factors, including the type, population density, construction age, and GPS coordinates of each Urban Functional Unit, or UFU. We found that UFUs with more green space patches had higher cultivated and spontaneous species richness than those with fewer green space patches. Spontaneous species richness decreased when green space patches became fragmented, and it increased when green space patches were more connected (e.g., via land bridges). Conversely, cultivated species richness increased with green space patch fragmentation. The phylogenetic diversity of both cultivated and spontaneous plants were weakly associated with green space structure, which was strongly driven by land use. Old UFUs and those with larger populations had more green space patches overall, although they tended to be small and fragmented. Green space patch density was found to increase as the UFU age increased. From the viewpoint of knowledge transfer, understanding the effects and drivers of landscape patterns of urban green spaces could inform the development of improved policies and management of urban green space areas.Peer Reviewe

Danggui Buxue Tang – A Chinese herbal decoction activates the phosphorylations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and estrogen receptor α in cultured MCF-7 cells

AbstractDanggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a Chinese herbal decoction used to treat ailments in women, contains Radix Astragali (Huangqi; RA) and Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Danggui; RAS). The weight ratio of RA to RAS used in DBT must be 5:1 as stipulated as early as AD 1247; however, DBT’s mechanism of action has never been described. Here, the estrogenic effects of DBT were investigated by determining the phosphorylations of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) in cultured MCF-7 cells. The application of DBT triggered the phosphorylation of ERα and Erk1/2 in a time-dependent manner. In contrast to the effect of estrogen, DBT triggered ERα phosphorylation at both S118 and S167. This DBT-specific phosphorylation was not triggered by an extract of one of the individual herbs, or by mixing the extracts of RA and RAS. DBT-induced downstream signals are described here. These signals suggest the uniqueness of this Chinese herbal decoction that requires a well-defined formulation

X(3872) and Other Possible Heavy Molecular States

We perform a systematic study of the possible molecular states composed of a pair of heavy mesons such as $D\bar D$, $D^\ast\bar D$, $D^\ast \bar D^\ast$ in the framework of the meson exchange model. The exchanged mesons include the pseudoscalar, scalar and vector mesons. Through our investigation, we find that (1) the structure X(3764) is not a molecular state; (2) There exists strong attraction in the range $r < 1$ fm for the $D^*\bar D^*$ system with $J=0, 1$. If future experiments confirm $Z^+(4051)$ as a loosely bound molecular state, its quantum number is probably $J^{P}=0^+$. Its partner state $\Phi^{**0}$ may be searched for in the $\pi^0\chi_{c1}$ channel; (3) The vector meson exchange provides strong attraction in the $D^\ast \bar D$ channel together with the pion exchange. A bound state solution exists with a reasonable cutoff parameter $\Lambda\sim 1.4$ GeV. X(3872) may be accommodated as a molecular state dynamically although drawing a very definite conclusion needs further investigation; (4) The $B^\ast \bar B$ molecular state exists.Comment: 21 pages, 17 tables, 11 figures. Typos correcte

The Impact of WTO Membership on Economic / Trade Relations Among the Three Chinese Economies--China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

Based on CGE model simulations, the present study examines the impacts on the growth of GDP, social welfare, the terms of trade, the volume of trade and trade dependence, under alternative scenarios of a WTO with and without the membership of China and Taiwan. In general, the three Chinese economies, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, will be benefited by China and Taiwan’s WTO memberships. The world trade will increase by more than $130 billions in real terms ($ 63.6 billions of export and $ 66.5 billions of import). Among them, more than 60 percent will be shared by China, and 10 percent shared by Taiwan. The intermediate role of Hong Kong in trade and investment relations across the Taiwan Strait will diminish, Taiwan’s trade dependence on China will increase, but China’s trade dependence on Taiwan will decrease. However, trade flows across the Taiwan Strait will focus more on intra-industry trade

Unfolding Learning Behaviors: A Sequential Analysis Approach in A Game-based Learning Environment

[[abstract]]During the past two decades, conducting game-based learning research poses several predicaments. In particular, two primary challenges have been raised: the lack of long-term intervention in a real world and the lack of the revelation of learning process for understanding students’ engagement. Hence, in order to overcome the two challenges gradually, a previous study developed a game-based learning environment, entitled My-Pet-My-Quest (MPMQ), for arithmetic practices. The MPMQ provides pet-keeping tasks and learning tasks, so that students can play the role of pet-keepers who can interact with their virtual pets and solve a series of small quests that sustain students’ motivation and engagement. For understanding students’ behaviors in the environment, two processes were carried out. This study first attempted to implement long-term intervention in an elementary afterschool club as well as students’ home, and then to analyze the learning process. Furthermore, this study adopted a sequential analysis approach, based on a designing framework, to help us examine and understand the each aspect of behaviors in students’ learning and playing. These results can provide suggestions and references for the design of efficient game-based learning environments in the future

Effects of Friendship Relations and Gender Differences on Classroom-based Surrogate Competitive Learning

[[abstract]]Competition has been recently come to be recognized as a significant factor in the design of strategies for classroom-based learning. However, although the influences of cognitive factors (e.g., ability) and interpersonal factors (i.e., anonymity) on surrogate competitive learning have been investigated, there have been few studies emphasizing the impact of social factors (e.g., friendship) in the classroom. In addition, previous studies have also suggested that gender differences should be taken into account in surrogate competitive learning. Thus, this study investigates how both friendship relations and gender differences influence students’ choice of peers as opponents in the classroom environment. An empirical study with 29 elementary students over a 4-month period was conducted. The results indicated that students tended to choose peers with whom they did not share friendship relations as opponents. Specifically, boys tended to choose from either category, whereas girls liked to choose those without friendship relations. In addition, most students tended to choose same-gender peers. Moreover, if choosing same-gender classmates, boys tended to choose opponents with whom they shared friendship relations, whereas girls tended to choose opponents without friendship relations. In short, both friendship relations and gender differences can serve as predictors for student participation in classroom-based surrogate competitive learning

Influence of Game Quests on Pupils’ Enjoyment and Goal-pursuing in Math Learning

[[abstract]]As a medium for learning, digital games provide promising possibilities to motivate and engage students in subject learning. In this study, a game-based learning system, My-PetMy-Quest, is developed to support pupils’ math learning. This is due to the fact that most students in Taiwan have relatively lower positive attitude towards math learning, even though their math performance is prominent. To this end, a three-tire framework is proposed to guide the design of the My-Pet-My-Quest system. A quasi-experiment was conducted to examine the influence of game quests on pupils’ enjoyment and goalpursuing in math learning. The results revealed that game quests were favored by students in terms of enjoyment, goal orientation, and goal intensity. Possible reasons for these results and a discussion of related issues are presented in this paper