Urban education differentiation and its socio-economic consequences: An internet–survey-based structural equations modeling analysis of new white collar workers in Nanjing, China

Increasing education differentiation and its social consequences, that is, the way in which urban education stratification has shaped the socio-economic outcomes, are an understudied area of research on China’s higher education and its relation with social stratification and social mobility. This article examines this relationship by focusing on a specific social group whom we term as “new white collar workers” (NWCWs) in China. Our research reveals a strong correlation between the individuals’ position in a stratified educational system on the one hand, and their professional development trajectory, income and social status differentiation on the other. The article argues that educational differentiation has considerably contributed to the varied pathways and profiles of the NWCWs with regard to career development, income levels and living conditions, and that in the market-reform era, young people’s education attainment and social advancement have become increasingly determined by their family background, especially parental wealth. The policy implications of the research are discussed

The influence of endogenous hormones on the formation of buds from stems of bitter melon (Momordıca charantıa L.)

Stems of bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) cv. Dabai were used to establish in vitro cultures. The endogenous hormone concentrations (indoleacetic acid [IAA], abscisic acid [ABA], gibberellins 3 [GA3], zeatin [ZT]) of the calluses were determined by means of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The endogenous ZT was higher in the stem calluses that had formed buds, and there was a higher IAA/ZT ratio and GA3/ZT ratio in the calluses having no capacity for buds formation. The results showed that addition of plant growth regulator influences endogenous hormone status and it will be helpful for in vitro propagation of bitter melon.Key words: Endogenous phytohormones, high pressure liquid chromatography, in vitro culture, bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.)

Optimization of N content for higk-k LaTiON gate dielectric of Ge MOS capacitor

Thin LaTiON gate dielectric is deposited on Ge (100) substrate by reactive co-sputtering of La 2O 3 and Ti targets under different Ar/N 2 ratios of 24/3, 24/6, 24/12, and 24/18, and their electrical properties are investigated and compared. Results show that the LaTiON gate-dielectric Ge MOS capacitor prepared at an Ar/N 2 ratio of 24/6 exhibits highest relative permittivity, smallest capacitance equivalent thickness, and best electrical characteristics, including low interface-state density, small C-V hysteresis and low gate leakage current. This is attributed to the fact that a suitable N content in LaTiON can effectively suppress the growth of low-k GeO x interfacial layer between LaTiON and Ge substrate.published_or_final_versionThe IEEE International Conference of Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits (EDSSC) 2009, Xi'an, China, 25-27 December 2009. In Proceedings of EDSSC, 2009, p. 225-22

Tunneling magnetoresistance in Fe3Si/MgO/Fe3Si(001) magnetic tunnel junctions

published_or_final_versio

Thermal Effects and Small Signal Modulation of 1.3-μm InAs/GaAs Self-Assembled Quantum-Dot Lasers

We investigate the influence of thermal effects on the high-speed performance of 1.3-μm InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers in a wide temperature range (5–50°C). Ridge waveguide devices with 1.1 mm cavity length exhibit small signal modulation bandwidths of 7.51 GHz at 5°C and 3.98 GHz at 50°C. Temperature-dependent K-factor, differential gain, and gain compression factor are studied. While the intrinsic damping-limited modulation bandwidth is as high as 23 GHz, the actual modulation bandwidth is limited by carrier thermalization under continuous wave operation. Saturation of the resonance frequency was found to be the result of thermal reduction in the differential gain, which may originate from carrier thermalization

Development of a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent with Activity Against Herpesvirus Replication and Gene Expression

Purpose: To evaluate the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of peptide H9 (H9) in vitro in order to gain insight into its underlying molecular mechanisms.Method: Antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was determined using thiazolyl blue (MTT) assay. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was employed to assay H9 antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The inhibitory effect of H9 on the replication of these viral genes including early genes was assayed by real time-Ppolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot.Results: H9 possessed significant inhibitory effect on the four different herpesviruses with 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.21 ng/mL (HSV-1). AD169 infection was strongly inhibited with an EC50 value of 0.46 ng/ml. The anti-herpesviral activity of H9 was dose-dependent. The peptide acted primarily during the early stage of infection by detection of the early genes.Conclusion: The results demonstrate that H9 can inhibit the infection of HSV-1, EBV and HCMV. Furthermore, H9 has a broad-spectrum anti-herpesviral effect in vitro based on targeted killing of infected cells expressing genes.Keywords: Antagonist, Trapping receptor/ligand, Broad-spectrum, Anti-herpesvirus, H9 peptide, Gene expressio

Understanding functional group and assembly dynamics in temperature responsive systems leads to design principles for enzyme responsive assemblies

Understanding the molecular rules behind the dynamics of supramolecular assemblies is fundamentally important for the rational design of responsive assemblies with tunable properties. Herein, we report that the dynamics of temperature-sensitive supramolecular assemblies is not only affected by the dehydration of oligoethylene glycol (OEG) motifs, but also by the thermally-promoted molecular motions. These counteracting features set up a dynamics transition point (DTP) that can be modulated with subtle variations in a small hydrophobic patch on the hydrophilic face of the amphiphilic assembly. Understanding the structural factors that control the dynamics of the assemblies leads to rational design of enzyme-responsive assemblies with tunable temperature responsive profiles

Working with the homeless: The case of a non-profit organisation in Shanghai

This article addresses a two-pronged objective, namely to bring to the fore a much neglected social issue of homelessness, and to explore the dynamics of state-society relations in contemporary China, through a case study of a non-profit organisation (NPO) working with the homeless in Shanghai. It shows that the largely invisible homelessness in Chinese cities was substantially due to exclusionary institutions, such as the combined household registration and 'detention and deportation' systems. Official policy has become much more supportive since 2003 when the latter was replaced with government-run shelters, but we argue that the NPO case demonstrates the potential for enhanced longer-term support and enabling active citizenship for homeless people. By analysing the ways in which the NPO offers services through collaboration and partnership with the public (and private) actors, we also argue that the transformations in postreform China and the changes within the state and civil society have significantly blurred their boundaries, rendering state-society relations much more complex, dynamic, fluid and mutually embedded