Can innovation really bring economic growth?:The role of social filter in China

This study explores the relationship between R&D investment and economic growth in China, using a newly collected panel data set. Specifically, we investigate how social filters are connected to R&D output. Instead of linking R&D investment directly to economic performance, we adopt a two-step strategy which identifies the impact R&D investment on R&D output, and then study the causal links between R&D output and economic development. Our results suggest that the relationship between R&D input, R&D output and economic growth diverges by different region and sectors. Most of positive associations stem from non-peripheral regions and non-state owned sectors. Social filters are also more effective under these circumstances. These results reveal the complexity of relationships between R&D efforts and economic performance and point to the important role of social filters in innovation and growth

Research on the Leading Value Drive of Rural Homestead Transfer under Rural Revitalization——Based on the Evidences of China

With the development of urban-rural integration in China, the functional value of homestead bases has evolved from a single residential security value to a multiple composite values, and the property income of homestead bases has gradually become the value driver of transfer and the intrinsic demand of farm households. This paper takes Baitafan of Jinzhai County, Chongqing City, and Xiaofang Yu Village of Ji County as examples for in-depth discussion, and finds that the dominant value drivers of home base transfer mainly include three kinds: capitalization income, commercialization income, and non-farm employment income. The study concludes that it is important to give full play to the resource endowment effect and identify the dominant value of home base transfer according to local conditions to promote the standardized home base transfer and implement the rural revitalization strategy

Few-Layer Graphene Integrated Tilted Fiber Grating For All-Optical Switching

Recently, the integration of two-dimensional materials with optical fibers has opened up a great opportunity to develop all-fiber signal-processing devices. Graphene is an ideal material for all-optical signal processing via thermal-optic effect because of its high electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as broadband light-matter interactions with fast responses. Herein, we report the achievement of all-optical switching with fast response by integrating few-layer graphene onto a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) inscribed in a reduced-diameter fiber. Relying on graphene's decent photothermal effect, the transmission spectrum of the TFBG could be all-optically modulated by tuning the incident pump power. The all-optical switch can consequently operate at a series of wavelengths owing to the TFBG's comb-like resonances. The reduced diameter of the graphene-integrated TFBG and the pump at its resonant wavelength promise the all-optical switch to have a fast-dynamic response of around 1 μs and an extinction ratio exceeding 13 dB. This compact device with graphene integration has the potentials to be integrated into all-fiber system to extend the functions of all-optical signal processing

Micro Magnetic Field Produced by Fe3O4 Nanoparticles in Bone Scaffold for Enhancing Cellular Activity

The low cellular activity of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) limits its application in bone scaffold, although PLLA has advantages in terms of good biocompatibility and easy processing. In this study, superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were incorporated into the PLLA bone scaffold prepared by selective laser sintering (SLS) for continuously and steadily enhancing cellular activity. In the scaffold, each Fe3O4 nanoparticle was a single magnetic domain without a domain wall, providing a micro-magnetic source to generate a tiny magnetic field, thereby continuously and steadily generating magnetic stimulation to cells. The results showed that the magnetic scaffold exhibited superparamagnetism and its saturation magnetization reached a maximum value of 6.1 emu/g. It promoted the attachment, diffusion, and interaction of MG63 cells, and increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase, thus promoting the cell proliferation and differentiation. Meanwhile, the scaffold with 7% Fe3O4 presented increased compressive strength, modulus, and Vickers hardness by 63.4%, 78.9%, and 19.1% compared with the PLLA scaffold, respectively, due to the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which act as a nanoscale reinforcement in the polymer matrix. All these positive results suggested that the PLLA/Fe3O4 scaffold with good magnetic properties is of great potential for bone tissue engineering applications

Prehabilitation and rehabilitation for surgically treated lung cancer patients

According to the published data, lung cancer was the most common and deadly malignancy between 2002 and 2008 in Taiwan, with a significant difference between the 5-year survival rate of patients who underwent surgery and those who did not receive surgical intervention. The anatomic resection with radical lymph node dissection is a curative treatment for lung cancer. Although there is insufficient evidence to support the routine functional assessment before surgery, the assessment of exercise capacity before surgery is considered pivotal in the management of patients with lung cancer, both for prognostic and therapeutic reasons. Prehabilitation could improve exercise capacity, and might increase the number of inoperable-to-operable patients and reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, rehabilitation after surgery approach seems to improve patient physical performance and quality of life. Despite advances in research over the past decade on the role of rehabilitation in patients with lung resection, only a few physicians incorporate this type of treatment into the daily care of lung cancer patients. Therefore, the integration of rehabilitation with medical optimization in the peri-surgical period deserves to receive more attention by clinicians to elucidate the most comprehensive interventions

Electroluminescense and photoluminescense of nano-crystalline Si:H films

The luminescense properties of nc-Si:H films grown by PECVD method through controlling deposition conditions have been studied. DC voltage was longtitudinally applied on the films, and the electronluminescense of the materials can be clearly found in dark surroundings. The spectra of EL and PL of nc-Si:H films were measured in the same instrument. Using Lambda 9 UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotomer, we have measured the transmission spectra of nc-Si:H films, and obtained the Tauc curves and the optical gap Eg.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Rapid labeling of intracellular His-tagged proteins in living cells

Small molecule-based fluorescent probes have been used for realtime visualization of live cells and tracking of various cellular events with minimal perturbation on the cells being investigated. Given the wide utility of the (histidine)6-Ni2+-nitrilotriacetate (Ni-NTA) system in protein purification, there is significant interest in fluorescent Ni2+-NTA-based probes. Unfortunately, previous Ni-NTA-based probes suffer from poor membrane permeability and cannot label intracellular proteins. Here, we report the design and synthesis of, to our knowledge, the first membrane-permeable fluorescent probe Ni-NTA-AC via conjugation of NTA with fluorophore and arylazide followed by coordination with Ni2+ ions. The probe, driven by Ni2+-NTA, binds specifically to His-tags genetically fused to proteins and subsequently forms a covalent bond upon photoactivation of the arylazide, leading to a 13-fold fluorescence enhancement. The arylazide is indispensable not only for fluorescence enhancement, but also for strengthening the binding between the probe and proteins. Significantly, the Ni-NTA-AC probe can rapidly enter different types of cells, even plant tissues, to target His-tagged proteins. Using this probe, we visualized the subcellular localization of a DNA repair protein, Xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA122), which is known to bemainly enriched in the nucleus. We also demonstrated that the probe can image a genetically engineered His-tagged protein in plant tissues. This study thus offers a new opportunity for in situ visualization of large libraries of Histagged proteins in various prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. © 2015, National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.link_to_OA_fulltex