Overbuilding and development cascades under irrational expectations

The recent sluggish recovery in the U.S. house market has further motivated our research interests in overbuilding in real estate markets. Our model is an extension to Grenadier's (1996), who emphasizes rational investment decisions possibly leading to oversupply in real estate markets, by further allowing for the important implication of irrational expectation for the strategic interaction amongst competing investors. In this model, two market participants are asymmetric because one of them is allowed to have heterogeneous expectations about the growth and volatility of demand shocks. Unlike most of previous studies that only simply think of this phenomenon as a result of irrationality, our model further finds that irrational investors’ value-maximizing investment choices matter in understanding the strategic interaction of investment decisions in real estate markets, therefore providing additional insights into overbuilding and other puzzling phenomena in real estate markets

Inhibitory Effects of Various Ratios of Polysaccharides/Alkaloids from Rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch on α-Glucosidase

Purpose: To investigate the inhibitory effects of various ratios of polysaccharides/ alkaloids from the rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch (RCC) on α-glucosidase.Methods: The polysaccharides (PSD) and alkaloids (ALK) from RCC were prepared using the water extraction and alcohol precipitation method and Reinecke’s salt precipitation method, respectively. Subsequently, the α glucosidase inhibitory effects of PSD, ALK, and PSD/ALK at various ratios were evaluated spectrophotometrically in vitro.Results: With a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 171.67 μg/mL, ALK showed higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than PSD (IC50 = 296.89 μg/mL). In addition, the polysaccharides/alkaloids (PSD/ALK) at the ratio of 3:1 exhibited stronger α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 160.9 μg/mL) than PSD, ALK and PSD/ALK at ratios of 1:3 (IC50 = 394.78 μg/mL), 1:2 (IC50 = 185.18 μg/mL), 1:1 (IC50 = 350.51 μg/mL), and 2:1 (IC50 = 229.16 μg/mL).Conclusion: The results obtained suggest that PSD/ALK (3:1) possesses the strongest α-glucosidase inhibitory effect and may be considered as a candidate agent in future anti-diabetes drug development.Keywords: Coptis chinensis, Polysaccharides, Alkaloids, α-Glucosidase, Antidiabeti

Quality evaluation of cortex berberidis from different geographical origins by simultaneous high performance liquid chromatography combined with statistical methods

Purpose: To develop an effective method for evaluating the quality of Cortex berberidis from different geographical origins.Methods: A simple, precise and accurate high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was first developed for simultaneous quantification of four active alkaloids (magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, and berberine) in Cortex berberidis obtained from Qinghai, Tibet and Sichuan Provinces of China. Method validation was performed in terms of precision, repeatability, stability, accuracy, and linearity. Besides, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied to study the quality variations of Cortex berberidis from various geographical origins.Results: The proposed HPLC method showed good linearity, precision, repeatability, and accuracy. The four alkaloids were detected in all samples of Cortex berberidis. Among them, magnoflorine (36.46 - 87.30 mg/g) consistently showed the highest amounts in all the samples, followed by berberine (16.00 - 37.50 mg/g). The content varied in the range of 0.66 - 4.57 mg/g for palmatine and 1.53 - 16.26 mg/g for jatrorrhizine, respectively. The total content of the four alkaloids ranged from 67.62 to 114.79 mg/g. Moreover, the results obtained by the PLS-DA and ANOVA showed that magnoflorine level and the total content of these four alkaloids in Qinghai and Tibet samples were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those in Sichuan samples.Conclusion: Quantification of multi-ingredients by HPLC combined with statistical methods provide an effective approach for achieving origin discrimination and quality evaluation of Cortex berberidis. The quality of Cortex berberidis closely correlates to the geographical origin of the samples, with Cortex berberidis samples from Qinghai and Tibet exhibiting superior qualities to those from Sichuan.Keywords: Tibetan medicine, Cortex berberidis, Origin discrimination, Quality evaluation, Magnoflorine, Palmatine, Berberine, Jatrorrhizin

Study on the postoperative visual function recovery of children with concomitant exotropia based on an augmented reality plasticity model

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the clinical application effect of an augmented reality (AR) plasticity model on the postoperative visual function recovery of children with concomitant exotropia.MethodsBetween September 2019 and October 2021, 28 patients with concomitant exotropia who visited Shenzhen Children’s Hospital (9 male and 19 female) were enrolled in this study. The average age of the patients was 6.4 ± 1.8 years. Postoperative rehabilitation training was conducted using a personalized AR binocular visual perception plasticity model developed based on the patient’s examination results. After 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of training, the patients returned to the hospital for examinations of perceptual eye position, static zero-order stereopsis, dynamic first-order fine stereopsis, and dynamic second-order coarse stereopsis to compare the changes in eye position control and stereovision function.ResultsAfter 6 months of eye position training, the horizontal perception eye position of the 28 patients was significantly lower than that before training. The difference in eye position at the first and third months compared with that before training was not statistically significant (1st month: z = −2.255, p = 0.024 > 0.017; 3rd month: z = −2.277, p = 0.023 > 0.017; 6th month: z = −3.051, p = 0.002 < 0.017). The difference in vertical perceptual eye position after training compared with that before training was not statistically significant (1st month: z = −0.252, p = 0.801 > 0.017; 3rd month: z = −1.189, p = 0.234 > 0.017; 6th month: z = −2.225, p = 0.026 > 0.017). The difference in 0.8-m static zero-order stereopsis before and after training was not statistically significant (1st month: z = −2.111, p = 0.035 > 0.017; 3rd month: z = −1.097, p = 0.273 > 0.017; 6th month: z = −1.653, p = 0.098 > 0.017). The 1.5-m static zero-order stereopsis was improved after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of training compared with that before training (1st month: z = −3.134, p = 0.002 < 0.017; 3rd month: z = −2.835, p = 0.005 < 0.017; 6th month: z = −3.096, p = 0.002 < 0.017). Dynamic first-order fine stereopsis and dynamic second-order coarse stereopsis were measured in the 28 patients before and after training. Patients 1 and 18 had no dynamic first-order fine stereopsis before training, but both regained dynamic stereopsis after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of training. Patient 16 had no dynamic first-order fine stereopsis or dynamic second-order coarse stereopsis before training, but first-order and second-order stereopsis had been reconstructed after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of training.ConclusionConcomitant exotropia surgery improved the basic problem of eye position at the ocular muscle level, but the patient’s perceptual eye position and visual function defects at the brain visual level remained. This might partly explain the poor postoperative clinical effect. The AR plasticity model can improve patients’ horizontal perceptual eye position and multi-dimensional stereoscopic function, and its clinical effect warrants further study

Mesaconine alleviates doxorubicin-triggered cardiotoxicity and heart failure by activating PINK1-dependent cardiac mitophagy

Aberrant mitophagy has been identified as a driver for energy metabolism disorder in most cardiac pathological processes. However, finding effective targeted agents and uncovering their precise modulatory mechanisms remain unconquered. Fuzi, the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii, shows unique efficacy in reviving Yang for resuscitation, which has been widely used in clinics. As a main cardiotonic component of Fuzi, mesaconine has been proven effective in various cardiomyopathy models. Here, we aimed to define a previously unrevealed cardioprotective mechanism of mesaconine-mediated restoration of obstructive mitophagy. The functional implications of mesaconine were evaluated in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced heart failure models. DOX-treated mice showed characteristic cardiac dysfunction, ectopic myocardial energy disorder, and impaired mitophagy in cardiomyocytes, which could be remarkably reversed by mesaconine. The cardioprotective effect of mesaconine was primarily attributed to its ability to promote the restoration of mitophagy in cardiomyocytes, as evidenced by elevated expression of PINK1, a key mediator of mitophagy induction. Silencing PINK1 or deactivating mitophagy could completely abolish the protective effects of mesaconine. Together, our findings suggest that the cardioprotective effects of mesaconine appear to be dependent on the activation of PINK1-induced mitophagy and that mesaconine may constitute a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of heart failure

Highly Sensitive Temperature Sensor Based on Coupled-Beam AlN-on-Si MEMS Resonators Operating in Out-of-Plane Flexural Vibration Modes

This paper reports a type of highly sensitive temperature sensor utilizing AlN-on-Si resonators with coupled-beam structures of double- and triple-ended-tuning-fork (D/TETF). For both resonators, the out-of-plane flexural mode is adopted as it favors the effect of thermal mismatch between the composite layers inherent to the AlN-on-Si structure and thus helps attain a large temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (TCF). The analytical model to calculate TCF values of D/TETF AlN-on-Si resonators is provided, which agrees well with the finite-element simulation and experimental results. The resonant temperature sensor is built by closing the loop of the AlN-on-Si resonator, a transimpedance amplifier, a low-pass filter, and a phase shifter to form an oscillator, the output frequency of which shifts proportionally to the ambient temperature. The measured sensitivities of the temperature sensors using D/TETF resonators are better than -1000 ppm/°C in the temperature range of 25°C~60°C, showing great potential to fulfill the on-chip temperature compensation scheme for cofabricated sensors

Association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes patients

Abstract Background The association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with T2DM to investigate the relationship of HDL-C with microalbuminuria. Methods A total of 524 participants with T2DM were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The patients were divided into four groups according to serum HDL-C quartile. A nonparametric test was employed to assess the relationships across quartiles with clinical parameters and demographics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was further performed. Results Of the 524 patients, 138 (26.3%) were found to have microalbuminuria by urinary albumin excretion rate determination. Serum HDL-C levels in microalbuminuria group were significantly lower than those in non-microalbuminuria group (1.04 (0.90–1.21) vs. 1.10 (0.94–1.31) mmol/L, P = 0.002). The nonparametric test for trend showed that the prevalence of microalbuminuria was significantly reduced for subjects of the fourth quartile of HDL-C compared to the first to third quartile (13.5% vs. 33.1%, 28.6%, 29.4%, P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that subjects within the highest quartile of HDL-C had lower odds of microalbuminuria than those within the lowest quartile of HDL-C (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.15–0.52, P = 0.004). Conclusions Higher levels of serum HDL-C were associated with decreased rates of microalbuminuria in T2DM patients

Applied anatomical study of the vascularized ulnar nerve and its blood supply for cubital tunnel syndrome at the elbow region

Cubital tunnel syndrome is often accompanied by paresthesia in ulnar nerve sites and hand muscle atrophy. When muscle weakness occurs, or after failure of more conservative treatments, anterior transposition is used. In the present study, the ulnar nerve and its blood vessels were examined in the elbows of 18 adult cadavers, and the external diameter of the nutrient vessels of the ulnar nerve at the point of origin, the distances between the origin of the vessels and the medial epicondyle of the humerus, and the length of the vessels accompanying the ulnar nerve in the superior ulnar collateral artery, the inferior ulnar collateral artery, and the posterior ulnar recurrent artery were measured. Anterior transposition of the vascularized ulnar nerve was performed to treat cubital tunnel syndrome. The most appropriate distance that the vascularized ulnar nerve can be moved to the subcutaneous tissue under tension-free conditions was 1.8 ± 0.6 cm (1.1-2.5 cm), which can be used as a reference value during the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome with anterior transposition of the vascularized ulnar nerve

LncRNA SNHG16 Functions as an Oncogene by Sponging MiR-4518 and Up-Regulating PRMT5 Expression in Glioma

Background/Aims: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as novel and potentially promising therapeutic targets in various cancers. However, the expression pattern and biological function of lncRNAs in glioma remain largely elusive. In the present study, we investigated the functional role of an lncRNA, small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16), in glioma. Methods: The expression levels of SNHG16 and miR-4518 were measured using qRT-PCR. The relationship between the levels of SNHG16 and clinicopathologic features were statically analyzed. The levels of proteins were detected using western blot. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays were applied to the analysis of the relationship between SNHG16, miR-4518 and PRMT5. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured using MTT and apoptosis ELISA assay, respectively. Results: SNHG16 was highly expressed in glioma tissues and cell lines, which was related to poorer clinicopathologic features and shorter survival time. Knockdown of SNHG16 inhibits the viability and induces apoptosis of glioma cells. Further investigation revealed that SNHG16 could up-regulate the expression of miR-4518 targeted gene PRMT5 via acting as an endogenous sponge of miR-4518. Moreover, SNHG16 also affects the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study revealed a novel SNHG16-miR-4518-PRMT5 pathway regulatory axis in glioma pathogenesis. SNHG16 could be used as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of glioma

Effects of Alpinia officinarum stems and leaves extract on growth performance, non-specific immunity, and intestinal microflora of Litopenaeus vannamei

This study was to investigate the effects of Alpinia officinarum Hance stems and leaves extract (AOE) on the growth, non-specific immunity, intestinal microflora of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). A total of 540 juvenile L. vannamei (2.69 ± 0.03 g) were randomly divided into six groups, and feed experiment with diet supplement of 0 g/kg (CG), 0.1 g/kg (AO-1), 0.2 g/kg (AO-2), 0.3 g/kg (AO-3), 0.5 g/kg (AO-4) and 0.7 g/kg(AO-5) AOE was carried out for 8 weeks, respectively. Compared with the control group (CG), the WGR and SGR of the AO-1, AO-3, and AO-4 groups were significantly increased. Crude protein content in the muscle of L. vannamei in AO-2 was significantly increased, while the water content was significantly decreased. The crude lipid content of each extract group was significantly decreased. Compared with the control group, activities of GSH-Px, SOD, and T-AOC in the cell-free hemolymph of AO-3 group were significantly enhanced, and the MDA content of each extract group was significantly decreased. Activities of CAT, SOD, and T-AOC in the hepatopancreas of AO-2 group were significantly increased. Gene expression levels of lvcat, lvgsh-px, and lvmn-sod in AO-3 group were obviously higher than those in the control group, while lvpropo expression was dramatically higher in AO-2 and AO-3 groups. Moreover, AOE addition in feed changed the composition and species abundance of intestinal microflora of L. vannamei at phylum and genus levels. Through α diversity analysis, the biodiversity of the flora was improved, while β diversity analysis changed the similarity of the flora between the control and addition groups. Therefore, addition of 0.2–0.3 g/kg AOE could improve the growth, immunity and optimize the composition of intestinal microorganisms of L. vannamei