Study of in vitro transcriptional binding effects and noise using constitutive promoters combined with UP element sequences in Escherichia coli

Background UP elements (upstream element) are DNA sequences upstream of a promoter that interact with the α-subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP) and can affect transcription by altering the binding RNAP to DNA. However, details of UP element and binding affinity effects on transcriptional strength are unclear. Results Here, we investigated the effects of UP element sequences on gene transcription, binding affinity, and gene expression noise. Addition of UP elements resulted in increased gene expression (maximum 95.7-fold increase) and reduced gene expression noise (8.51-fold reduction). Half UP element sequences at the proximal subsite has little effect on transcriptional strength despite increasing binding affinity by 2.28-fold. In vitro binding assays were used to determine dissociation constants (Kd) and in the in vitro system, the full range of gene expression occurs in a small range of dissociation constants (25 nM \u3c Kd \u3c 45 nM) indicating that transcriptional strength is highly sensitive to small changes in binding affinity. Conclusions These results demonstrate the utility of UP elements and provide mechanistic insight into the functional relationship between binding affinity and transcription. Given the centrality of gene expression via transcription to biology, additional insight into transcriptional mechanisms can foster both fundamental and applied research. In particular, knowledge of the DNA sequence-specific effects on expression strength can aid in promoter engineering for different organisms and for metabolic engineering to balance pathway fluxes

Validation of a screening tool for identifying three-year- old Cantonese-speaking children with language impairment

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007.Also available in print.Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

The Proof of Emptiness – Bhāviveka’s Jewel in the Hand

This study seeks to examine the Svātantrika-Madhyamaka proof of emptiness in Bhāviveka’s Jewel in the Hand (*Karatalaratna, KR). The proof comprises two inferences, the first of which is to the ultimate emptiness of conditioned things and the other to the ultimate unreality of unconditioned things. However, emptiness and logical reasoning are seemingly mutually-exclusive, in that emptiness is non-conceptual and ineffable while logical reasoning is conceptual and verbal. How can Bhāviveka prove emptiness by logical reasoning? The thesis addresses this theoretical tension in two parts: Part I – an introduction to the proof, and Part II – a commentary with the translation of the objections raised by the opponents and Bhāviveka’s responses related to the first inference. Chapter 1 in Part I explains the formation of the two inferences. Chapter 2 clarifies Bhāviveka’s notions of the two truths in relation to the proof. The theoretical tension is solvable as the ultimate emptiness is understood as the expressible (paryāya) ultimate truth, which is conceptual. The proof is further considered as the true (tathya) conventional truth, through which the realisation of the inexpressible (aparyāya) ultimate truth is facilitated. Chapter 3 examines the two inferences in terms of inferences for others. Although they are considered the summary of the conclusions of all individual inferences regarding the ultimate emptiness of different things, they are unestablished as standalone inferences because their reasons (hetu) are fallacious. Thus, they fail to prove the expressible ultimate truth. Chapter 4 suggests that the proof might be defensible referring to later developments in Buddhist logic. Part II analyses the objections to Bhāviveka’s first inference and his notion of self-emptiness and Bhāviveka’s defences, based on the translation of the relevant part in KR. These objections are refuted by logical reasoning, although not obviously with satisfactory results

A study of the turn-on mechanisms in thyristors

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Mechanisms of thyristor turn-on wore studied. An attempt was made to relate the ‘on’ plasma spreading velocity to the small signal current gain value of the n-p-n transistor section of the thyristor. The extent to which the thyristor turns on initially largely affects the speed of turning-on the device. A model is proposed to calculate the initial turned-on area of thyristors.Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. Ltd

English in China : language, identity and culture

China's relations with the world have been an influential factor determining Chinese self-perceptions and how 'foreigners' and one of their languages, English, are perceived in the country. Between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, China's defeats in wars, unequal treaties and humiliations by foreign countries (mainly from the West) destroyed China's self-image as a 'middle kingdom'. Exacerbated by the deteriorating relations with the West in the twentieth century, English became associated with "barbarians", "military aggressors", and "anti-Communists" (Adamson 2002). There is, and always has been, the fear of the spread of culture(s) associated with English which can lead to the weakening of Chinese identity. This fear was instrumental in the development of the 'ti-yong' principle: "Chinese learning for essence (ti), Western learning for utility (yong)" (" {u4E2D}{u4F53}{u897F}{u7528}") (Zhang 2001: 18), which prescribes the role of English as a tool separated from Chinese essence and, has been guiding China's English education policies. Since the late 1980s, there has been a massive progression of globalisation in China, characterised especially by the entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 and the hosting of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The two events signify the most active participation of China in the global community in the last few decades following the 'reform and opening up' ('{u6539}{u9769}{u5F00}{u653E}') in the late 1970s. As a global language, the roles English plays in China's integration are significant. English is the principal language of trade partners, technicians, scientists and tourists, an essential tool for modernisation and a vehicle to ensure China's voices are heard. In China, a series of government{u00AC}initiated and bottom-up English campaigns have been embarked on and foreign v language education policies have also aimed to equip Chinese people with this essential modern skill. Despite the eagerness to integrate into the global community, globalisation has opened up China to the world and, in learning English, Chinese people are more exposed to western cultural values and beliefs. This, coupled with the absence of a clearly identifiable self-image, has presented challenges to the integrity of Chinese identity and the upholding of the 'ti-yong' principle. Chinese identity and culture has had to confront the influx of English and its associated culture(s). The present research stems from two issues of interest which are interrelated: the roles of English in today's China and what it means to 'be Chinese'. From an applied linguistic perspective, this research aims to investigate Chinese perceptions of 'Self in relation to other countries symbolising 'the Other' through English as a window. In particular, this thesis looks into what it means to 'be Chinese' from the official and popular perspectives using the 'ti-yong' principle as a reference point. To address the research aims, a case study was conducted. It investigates the Chinese government's views on English as reflected in a government newspaper, as well as popular opinions through questionnaires and interviews. Official discourses are identified and analysed using critical language analysis frameworks including the work of critical literary criticisms, in particular, that of Bakhtin, and Critical Discourse Analysis. The analysis is also inspired by Pennycook's critical approaches to global English. In investigating the popular discourses about English, Qmethodology was used to collect questionnaires and interviews data. This research focuses on the interviews as the primary data. In particular, the analysis of Chinese identity draws on post- VI structuralist approaches which take identity as ever-changing and multiple. This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter One reviews and establishes the concept of 'being Chinese' and the ways Chinese perceive their country, identity and language which are important contextual information for the present study of Chinese identity. The Beijing Olympics are used as a window into modern China to provide the broader socio-cultural and political contexts of the study. To conclude the chapter, some keywords that are central to the understanding of Chinese perceptions of itself and the world are also explained. Chapter Two discusses the history of English in China from the eighteenth century onwards, the impacts of English on Chinese perceptions of its identity and how English learning has been linked to the identity challenges of China as a nation. Along the lines of how the 'ti-yong' principle has manifested in different periods, the official discourses about Chinese identity and the challenges English learning has presented are illustrated with reference to China's current policy directions and some existing literature. Chapter Two then discusses the theoretical framework adopted in the case study to analyse the impacts of English on Chinese identity as well as the research focus and aims that guide the present research. The case study ofthis thesis, including data collection methodology and analysis, is presented and discussed in Chapter Three to Chapter Five. Chapter Three introduces and discusses the data collected for the case study, the data collection methodology and approaches to data analysis. The chapter discusses the theoretical frameworks used including Bakhtin's literary theories, Critical Discourse Analysis and Q methodology. Chapter Four examines the data collected from the government newspaper, People 's Vll Daily, to uncover the official Chinese perceptions of English and 'being Chinese' in relation to the outside world. It discusses how Chinese agency is claimed in learning or using English and is related to Chinese discourse of globalisation. Chapter Four also demonstrates how Chinese cultural values and ideologies are manipulated to re{u00AC}accentuate the purposes of English and postulate the ideological construction of Chinese identity in the discourses about English. Chapter Five discusses the results of the interviews conducted during fieldwork in Beijing with university and high school students, teachers and parents. Within the framework of 'frame-shifting' of cross-cultural psychology, the interviews were set up to investigate the significance of Chinese identity for the participants. The chapter particularly focuses on the similarities and differences between the official and popular discourses. In comparing the two discourses, it also investigates the extent to which 'non-standard' language and identity ideologies exist and the ways in which English learning influences 'being Chinese' among the people. The findings reveal some issues around the upholding of the 'ti-yong' principle. Chapter Six discusses the manifestations of 'being Chinese' at the national, local and personal levels as reflected in the case study. It concludes the thesis with the implications of the case study for the status of the 'ti-yong' principle and a note on the potential areas for future research

Bandits, neighbours, Japanese soldiers: Security threats and survival strategies in Taishan and Kaiping villages, 1937–1949

To say that the familial and cultural ties that bound Chinese society were severed or weakened and that “patriotism transcended regionalism, localism, and familism” during the Resistance War, as Diana Lary claims in The Chinese People at War, is too general. Nationalism and patriotism might have been priorities for urban intellectuals and elites, but such priorities were not necessarily shared by everyone. People at the rural grassroots in southern Guangdong did not share them. This thesis argues that Siyi villagers’ survival tactics against security threats between 1937 and 1949 were borne out of self-preservation and localism, not nationalism. Based on oral interviews conducted in Hong Kong, Vancouver, and Burnaby of seniors who lived in Taishan or Kaiping villages between 1932 and 1949, this project examines the villagers’ survival tactics and motives when faced with changing security threats during the prewar, wartime, and postwar periods. Village feuds, bandits, the Japanese armed forces, food scarcity, and traditional gender roles were the most dangerous threats facing villagers. The villagers’ survival tactics reveal a pattern of independence from state institutions while relying on local and familial connections. Nationalism and patriotism did not impact Taishan and Kaiping villagers as much as localism did

Using Medical History Embedded in Biometrics Medical Card for User Identity Authentication: Data Representation by AVT Hierarchical Data Tree

User authentication has been widely used by biometric applications that work on unique bodily features, such as fingerprints, retina scan, and palm vessels recognition. This paper proposes a novel concept of biometric authentication by exploiting a user's medical history. Although medical history may not be absolutely unique to every individual person, the chances of having two persons who share an exactly identical trail of medical and prognosis history are slim. Therefore, in addition to common biometric identification methods, medical history can be used as ingredients for generating Q&A challenges upon user authentication. This concept is motivated by a recent advancement on smart-card technology that future identity cards are able to carry patents' medical history like a mobile database. Privacy, however, may be a concern when medical history is used for authentication. Therefore in this paper, a new method is proposed for abstracting the medical data by using attribute value taxonomies, into a hierarchical data tree (h-Data). Questions can be abstracted to various level of resolution (hence sensitivity of private data) for use in the authentication process. The method is described and a case study is given in this paper