Gender Discrimination towards Borrowers in Online P2PLending

Online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending has developed fast around the world in recent years; however, studies regarding gender discrimination and its rationality for developing countries are limited. Gender discrimination towards borrowers and its rationality in P2P lending in China are studied in this paper. Using data collected from PPdai.com, one of the largest P2P lending platforms in China, we found that, female borrowers are less likely to be funded than male borrowers, but their default rates are lower. Such results suggested that there is significant gender discrimination in P2P lending market in China, but such discrimination is out of prejudice rather than from rational reasoning. Eliminating such gender discrimination is not only beneficial to female borrowers, but also helpful for improving returns of lenders

Offensive Advertisements Influence You More Than Me: An Examination of the Third-Person Effects in the Chinese Cultural Context

This study examined the third-person effect (TPE) hypothesis (Davison, 1983) in offensive advertising in the Chinese cultural context. Based on a survey of 1,539 Chinese Internet users about the third- and firstperson effects among offensive ads, neutral ads, and public service ads, the study inquires into the relationship between the TPE and respondents’ levels of acceptance toward advertising. Besides confirming the TPE existence in an Eastern cultural context, the results suggest that the TPE predict wordof-mouth (WOM) spreading for both offensive and neutral product ads, but not for PSAs. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications of these findings are discussed

Effect of budesonide transnasal nebulization in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

Background: There is little evidence on the efficacy of glucocorticoid transnasal nebulization therapy in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Objective: We sought to evaluate the immunologic and remodeling effects of budesonide transnasal nebulization in patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP. Methods: Sixty patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP were randomized to receive budesonide or placebo treatment for 14 days by means of transnasal nebulization in a double-blind manner. Endoscopic polyp size scores (maximum 5 6 points, Kennedy score) and visual analog scale scores for nasal symptoms were assessed before and after treatment. Similarly, polyp samples were evaluated for inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) by using an immunoassay; collagen by using histochemistry; eosinophils by using hematoxylin and eosin stain; and T-cell subsets by using flow cytometry. Results: Budesonide transnasal nebulization significantly reduced polyp size compared with placebo (mean difference between groups, 20.73 units; 95% CI, -1.15 to -0.32 units; P = .002) and improved symptoms. Polyp IL-5 and eotaxin expression decreased significantly, whereas TGF-beta and IL-10 expression increased. Expression of IFN-gamma and IL-17 was not altered. Budesonide transnasal nebulization consistently reduced eosinophil infiltration and T(H)2 cell frequency and increased natural regulatory T-cell and type 1 regulatory T-cell frequencies. Indices of remodeling, including albumin, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-8, and MMP-9, were significantly decreased, whereas collagen deposition and TIMP-1, TIMP-2, and TIMP-4 levels were significantly increased. Budesonide transnasal nebulization did not suppress the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis or cause any serious side effects. Conclusion: Short-term budesonide transnasal nebulization is an effective and safe treatment option in patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP, achieving clinical improvement by regulating remodeling, cytokine expression, and T-cell subset distribution

Dust-wind interactions can intensify aerosol pollution over eastern China.

Eastern China has experienced severe and persistent winter haze episodes in recent years due to intensification of aerosol pollution. In addition to anthropogenic emissions, the winter aerosol pollution over eastern China is associated with unusual meteorological conditions, including weaker wind speeds. Here we show, based on model simulations, that during years with decreased wind speed, large decreases in dust emissions (29%) moderate the wintertime land-sea surface air temperature difference and further decrease winds by -0.06 (±0.05) m s-1 averaged over eastern China. The dust-induced lower winds enhance stagnation of air and account for about 13% of increasing aerosol concentrations over eastern China. Although recent increases in anthropogenic emissions are the main factor causing haze over eastern China, we conclude that natural emissions also exert a significant influence on the increases in wintertime aerosol concentrations, with important implications that need to be taken into account by air quality studies