Parataxis and hypotaxis in modern Chinese

The paratactic features of Chinese has been specifically discussed and emphasized by linguists in the past decades and, particularly on the issue of Chinese-English translation, a comparative analysis on the paratactic Chinese and hypotactic English has always been made. It seems that parataxis and hypotaxis should stand on the opposite side, and Chinese is distinctive to rely on semantic or logical comprehension rather than connectives in the juxtaposition of syntactic units. But as a matter of linguistic development or influence by Western syntax as some may say, the increasing usage of grammatical markers and connectives in the linking or combination of phrases, clauses and sentences has indicated a certain hypotactic quality in modern Chinese. This article gives a summative review on the studies of parataxis and hypotaxis in Chinese in the past decades. It also describes variations in the two concepts, and disusses on certain considerations in defining the nature, functions and interrelationship of parataxis and hypotaxis in the Chinese language.postprin

Folk Adage in the Literati Notes of Tang Dynasty

Written in classical Chinese but enriched with vernacular expressions, slangs, dialectic expressions, loan words and so on, the Tang literati notes (biji 笔记) forms a rich and valuable corpus for studying the lexis of the Tang dynasty (618-907) and middle ancient Chinese. This paper, with the use of literary works and dictionaries as references, gives a lexical elaboration and analysis on certain folk adages (suyu 俗 语) used in the representative Tang literati notes, such as Feng Yan 封演’s Feng Shi Wen Jian Ji 封氏闻见记, Li Kuangyi 李匡乂’sZi Xia Ji 资暇集, Duan Chengshi 段成式’s You Yang Za Zu 酉阳杂俎and SuE 苏鹗’s Su Shi Yan Yi 苏氏演义. Nowadays there are still differences in stating the definition, components and characteristics of folk adage. In this paper, discussion is focused on those popular sayings quoted together with the word ‘su’ (俗) , such as ‘suyu’ (俗语), ‘su yue’ (俗曰), ‘su yun’ (俗云), and ‘su yan’ (俗言). Firstly, with reference to the examples founded in Tang notes, the paper examines and clarifies the characteristics of folk adage including its form and meaning, and then comments on the definition and coverage of folk adage with a comparative analysis on proverb (yanyu 谚语). With related to the meaning of folk adage, a sociocultural review on the reflection of common ideas and beliefs of the people of Tang and pre-Tang periods is also made.Secondly, examples are also taken to show their functions and significance in lexicography, which include serving as the first textual evidences, supplementing entries and explanations, advancing textual evidences, and supplementing textual evidences in dictionary entries. Lastly, the paper concludes with the contribution of such lingual material to the compilation and revision of dictionaries and to the study of the variation of folk adage.published_or_final_versio

Folk adage in the BIJI of Tang Dynasty

“Bǐjì” (笔记) or literati miscellaneous notes in this paper is referred to a sort of writings or miscellany covering a wide array of themes and subjects included in various descriptions such as anecdotes, tales, notes and criticism. The miscellaneous contents and vast vocabulary of bǐjì have provided plentiful and valuable resources for numerous areas of Chinese studies, such as history, literature, laws and regulations, animals and plants, common beliefs, and custom. Written in classical Chinese enriched with vernacular expressions, slangs, dialectic expressions, loan words and …published_or_final_versio

A stakeholder perspective on process improvement behaviours: delivering the triple bottom line in SMEs

The primary focus of operations management is to add value through operational processes. Considerable attention has been given to using process improvement (PI) techniques to reduce costs and time, in order to develop a competitive advantage for the wider organisation. However, this narrow definition of value at times overlooks the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) which can result in a number of unintended consequences, specifically issues related to environmental and social measures of performance. To address this, a stakeholder theory lens will be used to analyze PI activities within the context of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The TBL will be used to complement the stakeholder perspective, to interpret the benefits that are realised from PI activities. This paper highlights both the direct benefits from PI as well as more indirect benefits realised by involving a selection of salient stakeholders in PI. It will show how a developed view of PI can provide an important mechanism for delivering improvements to a firm's TBL. The work concludes by highlighting the contributions made to both PI practice and stakeholder theory, while acknowledging the need for more research on PI, both from a stakeholder perspective, and how it impacts a firm's TBL

Unlocking supply chain disruption risk within the Thai beverage industry [forthcoming]

Purpose: A growing need for global sourcing of business has subjected firms to higher levels of uncertainty and increased risk of supply disruption. Differences in industry and infrastructure make it more difficult for firms to manage supply disruption risks effectively. This study aims to extend developing research in this area by addressing gaps within existing literature related to environmental turbulence and uncertainties. Design/Methodology/Approach: We test our model using data collected from 253 senior managers and directors in the Thai beverage industry using advanced statistical techniques to explore the relationship between representations of supply disruption risk and uncertainty. Findings: The results show that both magnitude and probability of risk impact on the disruption risk, but the probability of loss is a dominant determinant. We also find that demand uncertainty and quality uncertainty affect the risk perception of purchasing managers, and are related to the magnitude of disruption risk, rather than the frequency of occurrence. Interestingly, our results show that quality uncertainty negatively impacts on the severity of disruption risk. Research limitations/implication: The construct validity of demand uncertainty was under the required threshold, intimating the need for further construct development. Practical Implications: The framework provides managers with direction on how to formulate and target their disruption risk management strategies. The work also allows practitioners to critically reflect on implicit risk management strategies they may already employ and their effectiveness. Originality/Value: The paper identifies key antecedents of supply disruption risk and tests them within a novel industrial context of the beverage industry and a novel national context of Thailand

Supply chain quality management: an investigation in the Chinese construction industry

Recently, in China, the issue of poor quality construction has drawn much public attention. This problem is related not only to poor quality control on the part of the construction firm, but also to the use of inadequate materials and inexperienced subcontractors, that is, to poor quality assurance in the construction supply chain. The purpose of this article is to examine supply chain quality management (SCQM) in the construction industry. Using a case-study approach, this research focuses on a Chinese medium-sized private enterprise in order to determine the most efficient way to conduct a high-quality project when collaborating with material suppliers and subcontractors. To this end, we replicate and extend the SCQM practices to help develop a more refined SCQM conceptual model relevant to the construction industry. Based on the different perspectives of managers and engineers, two frameworks are presented to illustrate (1) the correlation between SCQM and purchasing function (PF), and (2) how to work with material suppliers and subcontractors; the proposed models also show how these aspects will influence and control the quality of projects. Although constrained by the limitations inherent in case-study methodology, this article consolidates the work in one particular area of supply chain management. It also succeeds in meeting two core challenges, namely to explicate the interaction between SCQM and PF, and to provide guidance to construction firms on how to deal with SCQM issues with material suppliers and subcontractors

Recent Advances in Animal and Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Modeling of Cardiac Laminopathy

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Modeling Treatment Response for Lamin A/C Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

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Efficient attenuation of Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) cardiomyopathy by modulation of iron homeostasis-human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) as a drug screening platform for FRDA

Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA), a recessive neurodegenerative disorder commonly associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is caused by silencing of the frataxin (FXN) gene encoding the mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. We aimed to utilize our previously established FRDA human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived cardiomyocytes model as a platform to assess the efficacy of treatment with either the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 analog, idebenone (IDE) or the iron chelator, deferiprone (DFP), which are both under clinical trial. In fact, DFP was able to more significantly suppress synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than IDE at the dosages of 10 nM and 25 μM respectively which agreed with the reduced rate of intracellular accumulation of iron by DFP treatment from 25 to 50 µM. With regard to cardiac electrical-contraction (EC) coupling function, decay velocity of calcium handling kinetics in FRDA-hiPSC-cardiomyocytes was significantly improved by DFP treatment but not by IDE. Further mechanistic studies revealed DFP also modulated iron induced mitochondrial stress as reflected by mitochondria network disorganization and decline in level of respiratory chain protein. In addition, iron-response protein (IRP-1) regulatory loop was overridden by DFP as reflected by the attenuated transferrin receptor (TSFR) suppression thereby reducing further iron uptake.published_or_final_versio

Cobalt chloride pretreatment promotes cardiac differentiation of human embryonic stem cells under atmospheric oxygen level

Our previous study demonstrated the direct involvement of the HIF-1α subunit in the promotion of cardiac differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We report the use of cobalt chloride to induce HIF-1α stabilization in human ESCs to promote cardiac differentiation. Treatment of undifferentiated hES2 human ESCs with 50μM cobalt chloride markedly increased protein levels of the HIF-1α subunit, and was associated with increased expression of early cardiac specific transcription factors and cardiotrophic factors including NK2.5, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cardiotrophin-1. When pretreated cells were subjected to cardiac differentiation, a notable increase in the occurrence of beating embryoid bodies and sarcomeric actinin-positive cells was observed, along with increased expression of the cardiac-specific markers, MHC-A, MHC-B, and MLC2V. Electrophysiological study revealed increased atrial-and nodal-like cells in the cobalt chloride-pretreated group. Confocal calcium imaging analysis indicated that the maximum upstroke and decay velocities were significantly increased in both noncaffeine and caffeine-induced calcium transient in cardiomyocytes derived from the cobalt chloride-pretreated cells, suggesting these cells were functionally more mature. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that cobalt chloride pretreatment of hES2 human ESCs promotes cardiac differentiation and the maturation of calcium homeostasis of cardiomyocytes derived from ESCs. © 2011 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.published_or_final_versio