How do people price air quality: empirical evidence from Hong Kong

We investigate how air pollution affects the transaction prices of high-rise apartments in Hong Kong. We use a three-dimensional Reynolds-stress turbulence model to simulate the air pollution level of each unit in high-rise apartment buildings in a densely populated area in Hong Kong (Study Area). We then verify the simulated results with site measurement data. Although the area is small, the variety of building forms and location of streets resulted in significant variation in air quality across apartment units. The apartments in the Study Area are actively traded and relatively homogenous. We estimate the implicit price by constructing a hedonic price model that includes the simulated apartment specific air pollution level as one of the explanatory variables. We find that the apartment prices are more sensitive to air quality in more polluted areas.published_or_final_versio

Is the expressive vocabulary of young Cantonese speakers noun or verb dominated?

The spontaneous utterances produced by 492 Cantonese-speaking children aged 36-60 months in 30-minute toy play contexts were collected. The incidence and percentage of different lexical classes, the ratio of noun and verb types and tokens were calculated. A statistically significant predominance of verb usage was found in the expressive utterances of the children. No similar predominance was found for nouns. Linguistic, cultural and contextual variables possibly underlying these outcomes are explored and discussed.postprin

Hole-transporting spirothioxanthene derivatives as donor materials for efficient small-molecule-based organic photovoltaic devices

Poster: no. 30Taking the advantages of the 3D structure and rigid spiro-conjugation, spirobifluorene and its derivatives are a benchmark class of p-type semiconductors in organic electronic devices because of their good charge-transporting properties. However, their low absorption coefficients within the visible spectrum render their application as photoactive materials in the fabrication of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. A new class of heterocyclic spirothioxanthene derivatives has been designed and synthesized by the functionalization of the spiro core with various triarylamine groups and the modification of the heteroatom of the spiro core. The photophysical, electrochemical and thermal properties of these spirothioxanthene derivatives have been fully characterized. Of particular interest, all of these compounds exhibit high hole mobilities of up to 10–3 cm2V–1s–1, as determined from thin film transistor measurement. More importantly, these spirothioxanthene derivatives are promising donor materials for the fabrication of high performance OPV devices. With a very low dopant concentration of 7 % doped into fullerene matrix, efficient small molecular-based OPV devices with high open-circuit voltage of 0.94 V and high power conversion efficiency of 5.40 % (the highest PCE of 5.46 %) have been realized. This demonstrates for the first time their application studies as photovoltaic donor materials in OPV devices.published_or_final_versio

Derivative chromosome 9 deletions in chronic myeloid leukaemia: Interpretation of atypical D-FISH pattern

Background/Aims: New molecular cytogenetic techniques are increasingly applied as a routine investigative tool in haematological malignancies, both at diagnosis and subsequent monitoring. This report describes the interpretation of atypical signal patterns encountered using BCR-ABL dual colour dual fusion fluorescence in situ hybridisation (D-FISH) translocation probes in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Methods: Interphase FISH experiments were carried out using BCR-ABL D-FISH probes in 46 patients with CML at diagnosis and during subsequent disease monitoring. Atypical hybridisation signal patterns were characterised by molecular cytogenetic techniques and correlated with conventional karyotyping. Results: Two patients showed atypical interphase D-FISH patterns with one orange, one green, and one fusion (1O1G1F) signal. The presence of BCR-ABL gene fusion was documented by a dual colour single fusion (S-FISH) probe. The submicroscopic deletion of the ABL-BCR fusion gene on the derivative chromosome 9 in these cases was subsequently characterised by metaphase FISH on relocated G banded metaphases. Conclusions: Atypical interphase D-FISH patterns should not be interpreted in isolation and should be considered in conjunction with other cytogenetic or molecular genetic investigations.published_or_final_versio

Design and performance evaluation of an improved mobile IP protocol

2003-2004 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe

Anomalous diffusivity and electric conductivity for low concentration electrolytes in nanopores

The dynamic properties of electrolytes in nanopores were studied using the equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamic simulations. The realistic primitive model and the restrictive primitive models that were widely used in liquid state theory were applied to the electrolyte model. The electrolytic ions that were found to be immersed in the water were treated as dielectric continuum or macroscopic dielectric continuum. Simulation studies for the discrete solvent primitive model were performed and detailed analysis of the characteristics of the ion radial density functions was done.published_or_final_versio

Neurocutaneous melanosis and negative fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

Neurocutaneous melanosis is a rare condition characterized by cutaneous melanocytic naevi and the presence of melanocytes in the leptomeninges. It is commonly associated with malignant melanoma formation in the central nervous system (CNS) with poor prognosis. Herewe report a 13-year-old boy with neurocutaneous melanosis who presented with seizure with diffuse CNS malignant melanoma, as demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) was carried out, but was unable to detect the CNS involvement. So far, this is the first report involving the use of PET in neurocutaneous melanosis and we suggest that MRI is more sensitive than PET with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in such conditions. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.postprin

The RhoA GTPase-activating protein DLC2 modulates RhoA activity and hyperalgesia to noxious thermal and inflammatory stimuli

Deleted in liver cancer 2 (DLC2) is a novel Rho GTPase-activating protein that regulates RhoA activity. DLC2 is ubiquitously expressed in most tissues, including the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, and is thought to be involved in actin cytoskeletal reorganization. Unlike DLC1-deficient mice, DLC2-deficient mice (DLC2 -/-) are viable and without gross anatomical abnormalities. Interestingly, DLC2 -/- mice exhibit hyperalgesia to noxious thermal stimuli and inflammation-inducing chemicals, such as formalin and acetic acid. There was no difference in the structure or morphology of cutaneous or sural nerves between DLC2 +/+ and DLC2 -/- mice. However, sensory nerve conduction velocity in DLC2 -/- mice was significantly higher than that in DLC2 +/+ mice, whereas motor nerve conduction velocity was not affected. After formalin injection, DLC2 -/- mice showed increased RhoA activity in the spinal cord and an increased number of phosphorylated ERK1/2-positive cells. The inflammatory hyperalgesia in DLC2 -/- mice appeared to be mediated through the activation of RhoA and ERK1/2. Taken together, DLC2 plays a key role in pain modulation during inflammation by suppressing the activation of RhoA and ERK to prevent an exaggerated pain response, and DLC2 -/- mice provide a valuable tool for further understanding the regulation of inflammatory pain. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.postprin

Electrochemical degradation of 4-chlorophenol at nickel-antimony doped tin oxide electrode

The effectiveness of a novel nickel-antimony doped tin oxide electrode for electrochemical degradation of organic pollutants was investigated using 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) as a model toxic organic. The experimental results demonstrate that the optimal Ni content was at Ni:Sn = 1:500 in atomic ratio in the precursor coating solution, whereas the Sb:Sn ratio was set at 8:500. Using the electrode prepared with the optimal Ni doping ratio for 4-CP degradation, the charge-based efficiencies were up to 89 μg C -1 for 4-CP destruction and 15 μg C -1 for TOC removal, which were considerably higher than the efficiencies observed for other electrodes. It is suggested that the enhancement of the electrode for electrochemical oxidation of organics could be attributed to the production of hydroxyl radicals in anodic water electrolysis. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.postprin

Methylation of E-caderin gene in gastric cancer and in normal gastric mucosa from patients with and without Helicobacter pylori infection

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