Investigating Non-Sentential Utterances in a Spoken Chinese Corpus

International audienceThis paper describes a preliminary investigation into Chinese non-sentential utterances (NSUs) in a corpus of spoken Mandarin. It presents, with examples, a corpus-based taxonomy of Chinese NSUs. This taxonomy builds on the one by Fernández and Ginzburg for English NSUs in the British National Corpus (BNC) [1]. Partly due to the distinctiveness of spoken Chinese, eight new classes are added and their reasons for addition are explained. The paper concludes with discussions for future work

Alipay entered Malaysia:A closer look at the new market entry strategy driven by Chinese tourists

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the entrance of Chinese-based Alipay’s mobile-payment (m-payment) technology into Malaysia. Malaysia allowed this entry of the first foreign m-payment company because it would allow Chinese tourists spending while they are visiting Malaysia. It will view this entrance from a Malaysian perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The views of Malaysian players (Bank Negara Malaysia officers, three Malaysian banks’ officers, Alipay-Malaysia officers, airport section manager, convenience store manager and airport store sales executive) were sought via qualitative interview concerning Alipay’s entry into the Malaysian market. Respondents who had relevant knowledge and/or were involved in Alipay m-payment technology development in Malaysia were contacted, while there remainder were obtained by snowballing. Secondary data was collected from Bank Negara Malaysia’s policy, three Malaysian banks’ reports, the Alipay-Malaysia public statements and the Airport and Convenience Store reports. Triangulation using primary and secondary data was used to safeguard the validity and reliability of the outcomes. Findings: The entry strategy used by Alipay was different from those reported in previous studies. The establishment of Alipay-Malaysia was the first element of the “mode of entry” gaining pioneer status in Malaysia. The next stage was gaining support from Bank Negara Malaysia-Malaysian Central Bank and three Malaysian banks (Maybank, Public Bank and CIMB) through collaborative ventures with Alipay-Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., leading to acceptance nationwide by local merchants. The key driver of acceptance being Chinese outbound tourists in Malaysia. Research limitations/implications: This case study was conducted during the early implementation of Alipay in Malaysia from 2015 until April 2019. During this period, there were challenges due to the lack of primary data. These were overcome by the support from the respondents and the secondary data. Practical implications: This study contributes to insights from a different entry strategy that used tourism as a leading force. This can give guidance to other m-payment service providers or other countries as m-payment technology recipient about “market entry strategy” and “modes of entry” following Alipay’s approach. Originality/value: To date, no study has been conducted to investigate the nature of Alipay m-payment in Malaysia. This qualitative study has examined the new phenomenon regarding how Alipay entered the Malaysian market. Moreover, this study can also contribute new insights into the existing theory of “market entry strategy” in terms of Alipay’s tourist-based approach

Investigation of Silicon Nanoparticle-Polystyrene Hybrids

Current LED lights are created with quantum dots made of metals like selenium, tellurium, and cadmium which can be toxic. Silicon is used as a non-toxic substance and is the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. When silicon is prepared at a nanometer size, unique luminesce optical properties emerge that can be tuned using sized surface chemistry. Therefore, silicon nanoparticles can be used as an alternative emitter for LED lights. To produce hydride-terminated silicon nanoparticles we must synthesize the particles. Hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) is processed at 1100 °C for one hour causing Si to cluster and form a SiO2 matrix, also known as the composite. The composite is then manually crushed in ethanol. The solution is further ground using glass beads, then filtered to get the composite powder. The final step is the HF etching. The hydride-terminated particles are then functionalized using three different methods to synthesize silicon nanoparticle-polystyrene hybrids, which determine the magnitude of luminosity and the quality of the hybrids. We spin coat each method and results were analyzed. Method 1 uses heat to functionalize hydride-terminated silicon nanoparticles with styrene. This process also causes styrene to attach to styrene to form a polystyrene chain. Method 1 gave a homogeneous mixture which yielded a consistent, bright and homogenous film. In method 2, dodecyl-terminated silicon nanoparticles are mixed with premade polystyrene. While this method gave better control of the amount of silicon nanoparticles inside the polymer hybrid, a homogeneous mixture was not created due to the different structures of polystyrene and dodecyl chains. Method 3 has dodecyl-terminated silicon with in-situ styrene polymerization. It generated a homogeneous mixture. The in-situ polymerization stabilizes the particles, allowing for brighter luminescence. Because of the stability and lower molecular weight, the mixture was easier to dissolve. We concluded that the different methods resulted in different polymer molecular weights and this created distinct properties between the polymer hybrids when spin-coating.   &nbsp

Feasibility of Equity-driven Taxi Pricing Strategy based on Double Auction Mechanism in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand

Passenger rejection by taxi drivers impacts the travel behaviour in many cities and suburban areas, often leaving those potential customers in non-popular zones stranded without access to taxis. To overcome this problem, many practices have been implemented, such as penalties to drivers, bans, and new pricing strategies. This paper presents a double auction taxi fare scheme, which gives both passengers and taxi drivers to influence the price, coupled with a clustering method to discourage strategic service rejection in the case study of Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand, which has detailed data availability and uneven taxi journey distributions. The double auction mechanism is tailored to 2019 taxi trips, service rejection complaints, and local travel behaviour to boost transportation equity. To benchmark the performance of the new double auction scheme, a bespoke agent-based model of the taxi service in Bangkok Metropolitan Region at different rejection rates of 0%-20% was created. On one hand, the current rejection behaviour was modelled, and on the other, the double auction pricing strategy was applied. The results indicate that the double auction strategy generates a spatially distributed accessibility and leads to a higher taxi assignment success rate by up to 30%. The double auction scheme increases pickups from locations that are 20-40 km from central Bangkok by 10-15%, despite being areas of low profit. Due to the changing taxi travel landscape and longer taxi journeys, the total air pollutant emissions from the taxis increase by 10% while decreasing local emissions within central areas of Bangkok by upto 40%. Using a 5 Baht average surcharge, the total revenue drops by 20%. The results show that an equity-driven pricing strategy as an implementation of transport policy would be beneficial.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, as accepted at Transportation Research Board Conference 202

Successful care transitions for older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of interventions that support medication continuity

YesBackground: medication-related problems occur frequently when older patients are discharged from hospital. Interventions to support medication use have been developed; however, their effectiveness in older populations are unknown. This review evaluates interventions that support successful transitions of care through enhanced medication continuity. Methods: a database search for randomised controlled trials was conducted. Selection criteria included mean participant age of 65 years and older, intervention delivered during hospital stay or following recent discharge and including activities that support medication continuity. Primary outcome of interest was hospital readmission. Secondary outcomes related to the safe use of medication and quality of life. Outcomes were pooled by random-effects meta-analysis where possible. Results: twenty-four studies (total participants=17,664) describing activities delivered at multiple time points were included. Interventions that bridged the transition for up to 90 days were more likely to support successful transitions. The meta-analysis, stratified by intervention component, demonstrated that self-management activities (RR 0.81 [0.74, 0.89]), telephone followup (RR 0.84 [0.73, 0.97]) and medication reconciliation (RR 0.88 [0.81, 0.96]) were statistically associated with reduced hospital readmissions. Conclusion: our results suggest that interventions that best support older patients’ medication continuity are those that bridge transitions; these also have the greatest impact on reducing hospital readmission. Interventions that included self management, telephone follow-up and medication reconciliation activities were most likely to be effective; however, further research needs to identify how to meaningfully engage with patients and caregivers to best support post-discharge medication continuity. Limitations included high subjectivity of intervention coding, study heterogeneity and resource restrictions.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme (Grant PB-PG-0317-20010)

Allopurinol in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Chronic Lung Disease.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress (OS) has been implicated in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and ventricular hypertrophy. Xanthine oxidase is a well-recognised source of reactive oxygen species, which lead to OS. The aim of this proof of concept study was to assess whether allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor) would reduce right ventricular mass (RVM) in patients with PH-associated chronic lung disease (PH-CLD). METHODS: We conducted a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial in patients with PH-CLD (93% COPD, 7% IPF) who were randomly assigned to receive allopurinol or placebo for 12 months. The primary outcome was the mean change in RVM, as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Secondary outcomes included quality of life (QOL), spirometry and six-minute walk test (6MWT). RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were recruited: mean age 71 years, mean pulmonary arterial pressure 30 mm Hg, FEV1 60% and resting SpO2 96%. After 12 months, there was no significant difference in the change in RVM from baseline (allopurinol 1.85g vs placebo 0.97g with mean difference 0.88g, CI -4.77 to 3.01, p =0.7). There were also no significant changes in other cardiac parameters measured on MRI, in QOL, spirometry and 6MWT. Subgroup analysis showed that allopurinol significantly reduced RVM compared to placebo with -6.16g vs 0.75g and mean difference 6.92g (CI 1.14 to 12.69, p = 0.02) in COPD patients with more severe airflow limitation. CONCLUSION: Allopurinol had no overall impact on patients with PH-CLD but had potential benefit in COPD patients with more severe airflow limitation

Induced endometrial trauma (endometrial scratch) in the mid-luteal menstrual cycle phase preceding first cycle IVF/ICSI versus usual IVF/ICSI therapy: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Endometrial trauma commonly known as endometrial scratch (ES) has been shown to improve pregnancy rates in women with a history of repeated implantation failure undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). However, the procedure has not yet been fully explored in women having IVF/ICSI for the first time. This study aims to examine the effect of performing an ES in the mid-luteal phase prior to a first-time IVF/ICSI cycle on the chances of achieving a clinical pregnancy and live birth. If ES can influence this success rate, there would be a significant cost saving to the National Health Service through decreasing the number of IVF/ICSI cycles necessary to achieve a pregnancy, increase the practice of single embryo transfer and consequently have a large impact on risks and costs associated with multiple pregnancies. This 30-month, UK, multicentre, parallel group, randomised controlled trial includes a 9-month internal pilot and health economic analysis recruiting 1044 women from 16 fertility units. It will follow up participants to identify if IVF/ICSI has been successful and live birth has occurred up to 6 weeks post partum. Primary analysis will be on an intention-to-treat basis. A substudy of endometrial samples obtained during the ES will assess the role of immune factors in embryo implantation. Main trial recruitment commenced on January 2017 and is ongoing.Participants randomised to the intervention group will receive the ES procedure in the mid-luteal phase of the preceding cycle prior to first-time IVF/ICSI treatment versus usual IVF/ICSI treatment in the control group, with 1:1 randomisation. The primary outcome is live birth rate after completed 24 weeks gestation. South Central-Berkshire Research Ethics Committee approved the protocol. Findings will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and abstracts to relevant national and international conferences. ISRCTN23800982; Pre-results

Hydroxylases regulate intestinal fibrosis through the suppression of ERK mediated TGF-β1 signaling

Fibrosis is a complication of chronic inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition which has limited therapeutic options and often requires surgical intervention. Pharmacologic inhibition of oxygen-sensing prolyl hydroxylases (PHD), which confer oxygen-sensitivity upon the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) pathway, has recently been shown to have therapeutic potential in colitis, although the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of hydroxylase inhibition on inflammation-driven fibrosis in a murine colitis model. Mice exposed to dextran sodium sulfate followed by period of recovery developed intestinal fibrosis characterized by alterations in the pattern of collagen deposition and infiltration of activated fibroblasts. Treatment with the hydroxylase inhibitor dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) ameliorated fibrosis. TGF-β1 is a key regulator of fibrosis which acts through the activation of fibroblasts. Hydroxylase inhibition reduced TGF-β1-induced expression of fibrotic markers in cultured fibroblasts suggesting a direct role for hydroxylases in TGF-β1 signalling. This was at least in part due to inhibition of non-canonical activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signalling. In summary, pharmacologic hydroxylase inhibition ameliorates intestinal fibrosis, through suppression of TGF-β1-dependent ERK activation in fibroblasts. We hypothesize that in addition to previously reported immunosupressive effects, hydroxylase inhibitors independently suppress pro-fibrotic pathway

Disconnection of pulmonary and systemic arterial stiffness in COPD.

BACKGROUND: Both pulmonary arterial stiffening and systemic arterial stiffening have been described in COPD. The aim of the current study was to assess pulse wave velocity (PWV) within these two arterial beds to determine whether they are separate or linked processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 58 participants with COPD and 21 healthy volunteers (HVs) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were tested with a panel of relevant biomarkers. Cardiac MRI was used to quantify ventricular mass, volumes, and pulmonary (pulse wave velocity [pPWV] and systemic pulse wave velocity [sPWV]). RESULTS: Those with COPD had higher pPWV (COPD: 2.62 vs HV: 1.78 ms-1, p=0.006), higher right ventricular mass/volume ratio (RVMVR; COPD: 0.29 vs HV: 0.25 g/mL, p=0.012), higher left ventricular mass/volume ratio (LVMVR; COPD: 0.78 vs HV: 0.70 g/mL, p=0.009), and a trend toward a higher sPWV (COPD: 8.7 vs HV: 7.4 ms-1, p=0.06). Multiple biomarkers were elevated: interleukin-6 (COPD: 1.38 vs HV: 0.58 pg/mL, p=0.02), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (COPD: 6.42 vs HV: 2.49 mg/L, p=0.002), surfactant protein D (COPD: 16.9 vs HV: 9.13 ng/mL, p=0.001), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (COPD: 603 vs HV: 198 pg/mL, p=0.001), and high-sensitivity troponin I (COPD: 2.27 vs HV: 0.92 pg/mL, p<0.001). There was a significant relationship between sPWV and LVMVR (p=0.01) but not pPWV (p=0.97) nor between pPWV and RVMVR (p=0.27). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary arterial stiffening and systemic arterial stiffening appear to be disconnected and should therefore be considered independent processes in COPD. Further work is warranted to determine whether both these cause an increased morbidity and mortality and whether both can be targeted by similar pharmacological therapy or whether different strategies are required for each

Pulmonary arterial stiffening in COPD and its implications for right ventricular remodelling.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary pulse wave velocity (PWV) allows the non-invasive measurement of pulmonary arterial stiffening, but has not previously been assessed in COPD. The aim of the current study was to assess PWV in COPD and its association with right ventricular (RV) remodelling. METHODS: Fifty-eight participants with COPD underwent pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk test and cardiac MRI, while 21 healthy controls (HCs) underwent cardiac MRI. Thirty-two COPD patients underwent a follow-up MRI to assess for longitudinal changes in RV metrics. Cardiac MRI was used to quantify RV mass, volumes and PWV. Differences in continuous variables between the COPD and HC groups was tested using an independent t-test, and associations between PWV and right ventricular parameters was examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Those with COPD had reduced pulsatility (COPD (mean±SD):24.88±8.84% vs. HC:30.55±11.28%, p=0.021), pulmonary acceleration time (COPD:104.0±22.9ms vs. HC: 128.1±32.2ms, p<0.001), higher PWV (COPD:2.62±1.29ms-1 vs. HC:1.78±0.72ms-1, p=0.001), lower RV end diastolic volume (COPD:53.6±11.1ml vs. HC:59.9±13.0ml, p=0.037) and RV stroke volume (COPD:31.9±6.9ml/m2 vs. HC:37.1±6.2ml/m2, p=0.003) with no difference in mass (p=0.53). PWV was not associated with right ventricular parameters. CONCLUSIONS: While pulmonary vascular remodelling is present in COPD, cardiac remodelling favours reduced filling rather than increased afterload. Treatment of obstructive lung disease may have greater effect on cardiac function than treatment of pulmonary vascular disease in most COPD patients KEY POINTS: • Pulmonary pulse wave velocity (PWV) is elevated in COPD. • Pulmonary PWV is not associated with right ventricular remodelling. • Right ventricular remodelling is more in keeping with that of reduced filling