The effect of geographic distance on independent directors’ performance from the perspective of inefficient investment

Geoeconomics has attracted sustained attention in recent years, but the role of independent directors’ geographic distance in investment efficiency remains unexplored. We explore the governance effects of independent directors from a geographic location perspective. Specifically, the Great Circle Distance Formula is employed to calculate the geographic distance between the independent directors and the enterprise. Then, we measure the inefficient investment. Using a detailed sample in the Chinese market from 2009 to 2018, we find that geographic distance is not conducive to the functioning of independent directors and that there is a positive relationship between independent directors’ geographic distance and inefficient investment. The coefficients are robust to multiple robustness checks. In addition, the positive effect of independent directors’ geographic distance on inefficient investment will increase (become more positive) when there is no high-speed rail and the marketisation process is low in the enterprise’s location. Mechanism tests show that geographic distance does affect inefficient investment by inhibiting independent directors’ access to information as well as their reputation. Our results have important implications for investment policy and corporate governance

Airworthiness Compliance Verification Method Based on Simulation of Complex System

AbstractA study is conducted on a new airworthiness compliance verification method based on pilot-aircraft-environment complex system simulation. Verification scenarios are established by “block diagram” method based on airworthiness criteria. A pilot-aircraft-environment complex model is set up and a virtual flight testing method based on connection of MATLAB/Simulink and Flightgear is proposed. Special researches are conducted on the modeling of pilot manipulation stochastic parameters and manipulation in critical situation. Unfavorable flight factors of certain scenario are analyzed, and reliability modeling of important system is researched. A distribution function of small probability event and the theory on risk probability measurement are studied. Nonlinear function is used to depict the relationship between the cumulative probability and the extremum of the critical parameter. A synthetic evaluation model is set up, modified genetic algorithm (MGA) is applied to ascertaining the distribution parameter in the model, and a more reasonable result is obtained. A clause about vehicle control functions (VCFs) verification in MIL-HDBK-516B is selected as an example to validate the practicability of the method

The androgen receptor plays different roles in macrophage-induced proliferation in prostate stromal cells between transitional and peripheral zones of benign prostatic hypertrophy

Macrophages play a critical role in the process of excessive stromal proliferation of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In our previous study, we used a BPH mouse model to elucidate a potential mechanism whereby macrophage infiltration promotes stromal cell proliferation in the prostate via the androgen receptor (AR)/inflammatory cytokine CCL3-dependent pathway. In our present study, we used the co-culture system of human macrophages and various prostatic zone stromal cells to further demonstrate that infiltrating macrophages promote prostatic stromal cell proliferation through stromal AR-dependent pathways, and we show that the stroma of TZ and PZ respond to macrophages differently because of differences in stromal AR signaling; this could possibly be one of the key pathways for stromal expansion during BPH development and progression. We hypothesize that AR and different downstream inflammatory mediators between TZ and PZ could serve as potential targets for the future design of therapeutic agents for BPH and our results provide significant insights into the search for targeted therapeutic approaches to battle BPH

Tracking the nematicity in cuprate superconductors: a resistivity study under uniaxial pressure

Overshadowing the superconducting dome in hole-doped cuprates, the pseudogap state is still one of the mysteries that no consensus can be achieved. It has been suggested that the rotational symmetry is broken in this state and may result in a nematic phase transition, whose temperature seems to coincide with the onset temperature of the pseudogap state $T^*$ around optimal doping level, raising the question whether the pseudogap results from the establishment of the nematic order. Here we report results of resistivity measurements under uniaxial pressure on several hole-doped cuprates, where the normalized slope of the elastoresistivity $\zeta$ can be obtained as illustrated in iron-based superconductors. The temperature dependence of $\zeta$ along particular lattice axis exhibits kink feature at $T_{k}$ and shows Curie-Weiss-like behavior above it, which may suggest a spontaneous nematic transition. While $T_{k}$ seems to be the same as $T^*$ around the optimal doping and in the overdoped region, they become very different in underdoped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_4$. Our results suggest that the nematic order, if indeed existing, is an electronic phase within the pseudogap state.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Effect of Vestibular Training with Regular Rehabilitation on the Overall Development of Children with Global Developmental Delay and Hypotonia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundThe increase in the number of children with global developmental delay and hypotonia is a growing concern. However, clinical rehabilitation for these patients is often carried out using monotherapy approaches, and the period for achieving improvement is relatively long.ObjectiveTo observe the effect of vestibular training with regular rehabilitation on muscle tone and global developmental level in children with global developmental delay with hypotonia, providing evidence for improving treatment options for these children.MethodsSixty children with global developmental delay accompanied by hypotonia who received rehabilitation training in Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine from April 2018 to January 2020 were selected, and equally randomized into a control group (regular rehabilitation) and an observation group (vestibular training with regular rehabilitation) . Both groups were treated once daily, 6 days per week, for consecutive 4 weeks. Changes in the normative percentages of Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS) subscales and development quotient, and muscle tone grading of both groups were observed before and after treatment. The overall response rates of muscle tone improvement were compared between the groups.ResultsThe values of normative percentages of GMDS subscales and development quotient were similar in both groups at baseline (P>0.05) , but they were more higher in the observation group after intervention (P<0.05) . The post-intervention level of muscle tone of the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) although intergroup difference in baseline muscle tone level was insignificant (P>0.05) . The observation group had a much higher overall response rate of muscle tone improvement 〔86.7% (26/30) : 17 (56.7%) with significant responses, 9 (30.0%) with fair responses, 4 (13.3%) with no responses〕 than the control group〔56.7% (17/30) : 9 (30.0%) with significant responses, 8 (26.7%) with fair responses, 13 (43.3%) with no responses〕 (χ2=13.658, P<0.001) .ConclusionVestibular training with regular rehabilitation could improve the muscle tone and developmental delay in children with global developmental delay and hypotonia, which was superior to regular rehabilitation