Governance of listed state-owned enterprises in China : the rise of a new state-led model?

China introduced major reforms to its decade-old Company Law and Securities Law in October 2005. The aim of this thesis is to (re)interpret China's post-2005 legal and regulatory reforms concerning governance of listed SOEs and explore whether these reforms have given rise to a new model of corporate governance. The developments are examined through the lens of state capitalism and institutional change. In doing so, the thesis draws upon three strands of literature, namely, comparative capitalism, comparative corporate governance and law and capitalism, particularly Milhaupt and Pistor's postulation of the role of the state in conditioning the interaction between legal and economic changes in state-led economies. While corporate governance is a vast area, this thesis focuses on the evolution of Chinese law and practice concerning three sets of company relations central to the former state-led model of corporate governance. These are state-manager relations, investor protection and non-shareholder stakeholder (including employee) protection. Commonly adopted in the post-war state-led economies until the late 1980s, this model was also reflected in the governance of Chinese listed SOEs prior to the 2005 corporate law reforms. This thesis argues that China's post-2005 regulation of these three sets of relations has undergone significant changes. However, these changes have not led to a greater convergence in the governance of Chinese listed SOEs with the Anglo-American outsider-based model, as widely suggested in the literature. What has emerged from China's post-2005 reforms is a new state-led model that can be called 'a state-led stakeholder' approach. While state involvement in corporate affairs remains strong, this model pays equal attention to strengthening monitoring of managers and the protection of minority shareholders and other non-shareholder stakeholders, including, but not limited to employees. Although difficult to reconcile with the outsider-based model, the rise of this new model in China cannot be separated from its efforts to maintain the Chinese form of state-led economic development, while grappling with the increasing demands made on the state for protection by investors and other stakeholders. The emergence of this new state-led model has been better reflected in the Chinese post-2005 regulatory framework, than the reality of corporate governance in listed SOEs. The lack of more radical changes in the latter respect has been, in part, caused by various disadvantages associated with the state as essentially the sole guardian of this new governance model. The long-term viability of this model is likely to hinge on the balance between the will and capacity of the state to adjust its competing goals and the diverse interests within listed SOEs, and the risk of lax internal controls that persists at the corporate level. However, due in part to its general congruence with the Chinese state-led economic development, the continued evolution of this model is likely to be incremental. As such, the articulation of the state-led stakeholder model of corporate governance makes a significant contribution to our understanding of not only Chinese corporate governance, but also comparative corporate governance and comparative capitalism more broadly

Understanding international users' library experience in the Digital Age – joining the behavioral and experiential aspects

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe, analyze and understand international users' library experience in the Digital Age in order to inform library service design and ensure it provides an inclusive environment. In this study, the behavioral and experiential aspects of user library experience are merged to develop essential interconnections between information behavior (IB) and user experience (UX) in the context of the academic library with the goal of constructing a more holistic understanding of ‘library experience. Design/methodology/approach: The study was built on the concept “library experience” through analyzing its essential components of IB and UX. It was developed through findings from mixed methods research, consisting of the quantitative investigation from a library log analysis, and qualitative investigations via cognitive mapping exercises and semi-structured interviews, both targeted on the largest single group of international students in United Kingdom – international Chinese students. Findings: The findings demonstrated the complexity and multilayered characteristics of international Chinese students' library context, and three unique contexts emerged from the data shaping their library experience. Building on the previous findings on the connections between IB and UX, the work attempted to redefine “library experience” by joining both behavioral and experiential aspects. It is found that the key components of cultural library experience are the multilayered context, cultural group's perception needs, sense-making process and subjective evaluations. Originality/value: This study joins the behavioral and experiential perspectives together to explore library experience in a more holistic way and proposes a systematic structure to understand and analyze library experience, especially that of international users in a cross-cultural context, which, in turn, will better serve their information needs and inform the design of a more equal and inclusive library system

A New Type of Crumb Rubber Asphalt Mixture: A Dry Process Design and Performance Evaluation

To obtain a crumb rubber asphalt mixture with excellent performance, this study combined trans-polyoctenamer rubber (TOR), crumb rubber, and other additives to establish a new type of crumb rubber (CRT). The objective of this study was to design and evaluate the road performance of the new type of crumb rubber asphalt mixture (CRTAM) with a skeleton dense texture through a dry process. First, the skeleton intrusion compact volume method was used to optimize the grading of coarse and fine aggregates, and the design of the CRTAM gradation was carried out through the same and unequal volume replacement grading method. Then, three types of road performance were analyzed: high-temperature stability, low-temperature crack resistance, and water stability. The results showed that 2% and 2.5% CRT met a low-temperature index with equal volume substitution, and the six gradations obtained by unequal volume replacement with 2% CRT complied with the requirements of a skeleton dense texture. When the substitution ratio was 1.5 and 0.5, the high-temperature performance was better. In addition, when the substitution ratio was 0.5, the flexural strain energy density was the highest and the low-temperature performance was the best. Including considerations of economic benefits, it is recommended that the CRT content be 2% and the substitution ratio be 0.5

Effectiveness of the Different Eutectic Phase-Change Materials in Cooling Asphalt Pavement

Choosing a Phase-Change Material (PCM) Adapted to the Specific Phase-Change Temperature (Tm) Required for Each Temperature Condition is of Utmost Importance in Cooling Pavements. Eutectic Phase-Change Materials (EPCMs) Realize the Customization of the Desired Tm and Reduce the Difficulty of Matching PCMs. This Work Aims to Investigate the Effectiveness of a Group of Binary/ternary EPCMs with Tm Ranging from 30 to 60 ℃ and Melting Enthalpies of Around 200 J/g as Thermal Regulation Components for Different Asphalt. to Achieve This Goal, the Thermal and Rheological Properties of Phase-Change Asphalt Binders (PCAB) Were Evaluated by Differential Scanning Calorimeter, Thermogravimetric, Fourier Transform Infrared, and Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery Tests. the Results Showed that PCAB with Latent Heat Improved the Specific Heat Capacity, Which Brought a Maximum Temperature Lag of 134.5 Min and a Maximum Temperature Difference of 11 ℃. Similarly, the PCAB Remained Chemical Stability, and its Thermal Stability Complied with the Construction Temperature Specifications. However, the Recrystallization of EPCMs Was Impeded by the Molten Asphalt Binder Matrix, Resulting in a Significant Reduction in Both the Tm and Enthalpy. Therefore, These Reductions Should Be Taken into Consideration When Choosing an EPCM. Additionally, as Liquid EPCM Softens the Binder, the Absence of Elasticity in Solid EPCMs Renders the Binder Stiff, Thus Reducing its Resistance to Deformation. These Impacts Were Particularly Noticeable in Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Modified Asphalt Due to the Polymer Network Being Dissolved by Liquefication-EPCMs. to Sum Up, EPCMs with a Higher Tm (40–60 ℃) May Decrease their Negative Impact on Deformation Resistance, Such as Palmitic Acid-Myristic Acid-Methyl Stearate Mixtures

Rejuvenation Effect of Aged SBS-Modified Asphalt Utilizing Molecule Analysis

The Performance of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Modified Asphalt (SBSMA) is Significantly Impacted by its Aging and Regeneration. in This Research, the Molecular Dynamics Simulation Was Utilized to Investigate the Rejuvenation Effect of Active Reagents on Aged SBS Modified Asphalt through the Following Tasks: 1) Verifying the Accuracy of the Asphalt Model by Density and Solubility Parameters; 2) Assessing the Changes in the Rejuvenated Asphalt Model\u27s Energetic Parameters and Volume Parameters, 3) Studying the Interaction Energy between SBS Molecules and Asphalt Molecule Models, and 4) Evaluating the Relative Concentration, Interfacial Interaction Energy, and Diffusion Effect of the Asphalt-Asphalt Models. the Results Indicated that the Restored Broken SBS Molecule Substantially Impacted the Functionality of the Rejuvenated Asphalt Binder. for Methylene-Bis(4-Cyclohexylisocyanate) (HMDI) and 1,6-Hexanediol Diglycidyl Ether (HDE) Rejuvenated Asphalts, the Non-Bond Energy Decreased Gradually with the Repair of Broken SBS Molecular Structures. the Free Volume Fraction of Rejuvenated Binders Was Lower Than that of SBSMA, indicating that the Compactness and Packing Degree of the Rejuvenated Asphalt Were Increased. the Interaction Energy between SBS and Asphalt Molecules in Rejuvenated Asphalt Increased Because of the Enhanced Van Der Waals Interaction between the Reconstructed SBS Molecule and Rejuvenated Binders. the Free HDE Molecular Chain Reduced the Interaction Energy between SBS and Asphalt Molecules. for the Asphalt-Asphalt Models, the Diffusion Coefficient of the SBSMA-Rejuvenated Asphalt Model Was Lower Than that of the SBSMA-SBSMA Model. the HDE Rejuvenated Asphalt Showed Better Diffusion Behavior Than SBSMA, and SBS Molecules Repaired by HDE Had Excellent Fluidity. the Interfacial Interaction Energy of the SBSMA-Rejuvenated Asphalt Model Was Higher Than that of the SBSMA-SBSMA Model. with the Repair of the Broken SBS Molecular Chain, the Interfacial Interaction Energy between HMDI Rejuvenated Asphalt and SBSMA Increased Gradually. in Contrast, the Interfacial Interaction Energy between HDE Rejuvenated Asphalt and SBSMA Decreased Gradually. the Fully Restored SBS Molecular Structure Had Stable Thermodynamic Properties and Could Accelerate the Diffusion Effect of Rejuvenated Asphalt

14-3-3σ Contributes to Radioresistance by Regulating DNA Repair and Cell Cycle via PARP1 and CHK2

14-3-3σ has been implicated in the development of chemo and radiation resistance and in poor prognosis of multiple human cancers. While it has been postulated that 14-3-3σ contributes to these resistances via inhibiting apoptosis and arresting cells in G2–M phase of the cell cycle, the molecular basis of this regulation is currently unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that 14-3-3σ causes resistance to DNA-damaging treatments by enhancing DNA repair in cells arrested in G2–M phase following DNA-damaging treatments. We showed that 14-3-3σ contributed to ionizing radiation (IR) resistance by arresting cancer cells in G2–M phase following IR and by increasing non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of the IR-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSB). The increased NHEJ repair activity was due to 14-3-3σ–mediated upregulation of PARP1 expression that promoted the recruitment of DNA-PKcs to the DNA damage sites for repair of DSBs. On the other hand, the increased G2–M arrest following IR was due to 14-3-3σ–induced Chk2 expression. Implications: These findings reveal an important molecular basis of 14-3-3σ function in cancer cell resistance to chemo/radiation therapy and in poor prognosis of human cancers

CORAE: A Tool for Intuitive and Continuous Retrospective Evaluation of Interactions

This paper introduces CORAE, a novel web-based open-source tool for COntinuous Retrospective Affect Evaluation, designed to capture continuous affect data about interpersonal perceptions in dyadic interactions. Grounded in behavioral ecology perspectives of emotion, this approach replaces valence as the relevant rating dimension with approach and withdrawal, reflecting the degree to which behavior is perceived as increasing or decreasing social distance. We conducted a study to experimentally validate the efficacy of our platform with 24 participants. The tool's effectiveness was tested in the context of dyadic negotiation, revealing insights about how interpersonal dynamics evolve over time. We find that the continuous affect rating method is consistent with individuals' perception of the overall interaction. This paper contributes to the growing body of research on affective computing and offers a valuable tool for researchers interested in investigating the temporal dynamics of affect and emotion in social interactions

Loss of MECP2 Leads to Activation of P53 and Neuronal Senescence.

To determine the role for mutations of MECP2 in Rett syndrome, we generated isogenic lines of human induced pluripotent stem cells, neural progenitor cells, and neurons from patient fibroblasts with and without MECP2 expression in an attempt to recapitulate disease phenotypes in vitro. Molecular profiling uncovered neuronal-specific gene expression changes, including induction of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) program. Patient-derived neurons made without MECP2 showed signs of stress, including induction of P53, and senescence. The induction of P53 appeared to affect dendritic branching in Rett neurons, as P53 inhibition restored dendritic complexity. The induction of P53 targets was also detectable in analyses of human Rett patient brain, suggesting that this disease-in-a-dish model can provide relevant insights into the human disorder

Type 2 Active Galactic Nuclei with Double-Peaked [OIII] Lines. II. Single AGNs with Complex Narrow-Line Region Kinematics are More Common than Binary AGNs

(Abridged) Approximately 1% of low redshift (z<0.3) optically-selected type 2 AGNs show a double-peaked [OIII] narrow emission line profile in their spatially-integrated spectra. Such features are usually interpreted as due either to kinematics, such as biconical outflows and/or disk rotation of the narrow line region (NLR) around single black holes, or to the relative motion of two distinct NLRs in a merging pair of AGNs. Here we report follow-up near infrared (NIR) imaging and optical slit spectroscopy of 31 double-peaked [OIII] type 2 AGNs drawn from the SDSS parent sample presented in Liu et al (2010). These data reveal a mixture of origins for the double-peaked feature. Roughly 10% of our objects are best explained by binary AGNs at (projected) kpc-scale separations, where two stellar components with spatially coincident NLRs are seen. ~ 50% of our objects have [OIII] emission offset by a few kpc, corresponding to the two velocity components seen in the SDSS spectra, but there are no corresponding double stellar components seen in the NIR imaging. For those objects with sufficiently high quality slit spectra, we see velocity and/or velocity dispersion gradients in [OIII] emission, suggestive of the kinematic signatures of a single NLR. The remaining ~40% of our objects are ambiguous, and will need higher spatial resolution observations to distinguish between the two scenarios. Our observations therefore favor the kinematics scenario with a single AGN for the majority of these double-peaked [OIII] type 2 AGNs. We emphasize the importance of combining imaging and slit spectroscopy in identifying kpc binary AGNs, i.e., in no cases does one of these alone allow an unambiguous identification. We estimate that ~ 0.5-2.5% of the z<0.3 type 2 AGNs are kpc-scale binary AGNs of comparable luminosities, with a relative orbital velocity >~150 km/s.Comment: Minor changes; ApJ in press; 71 pages with 40 figures; color print preferred; a high-resolution version can be downloaded at https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~yshen/papers/double_o3_rv1.pd