“GROWTH OF THE FITTER”: EVOLUTIONARY GROWTH PATHS AND FIRM SIZE OF START-UPS IN E-MARKETS

Existing research related to firm growth has not paid sufficient attention to the growth paths of online stores in e-markets. The linkage between growth path and firm size has not been built up. This paper aims to investigate evolutionary trajectories and their effects on firm size. Theoretically, conceptually define three types of distinguishable paths, namely the convergent, tepid, and sustained paths. We then propose related theoretical hypotheses that reflect the impacts of different types of growth paths on the resulting firm size. To empirically validate the proposed hypotheses, we applied the trajectory analysis method with a novel indicator, the relative expansion rate, based on a data set that consists of 5,582 online stores on Taobao.com, the largest e-commerce platform in the world. Testing results largely support our hypotheses and suggest that the sustained growth path is the ideal mode nascent online sellers should struggle for, since it is significantly positively related to the firm size that the sellers can achieve. To achieve their goal of firm expansion, new online sellers should aggressively pursue opportunities in the short term, which is a reflection of the “the growth of the fitter” principle. Our findings also suggest that E-commerce platforms may attempt to facilitate the sustained growth path of sellers through including growth path analysis in the evaluation system of online stores

Cyprinus carpio Decoction Improves Nutrition and Immunity and Reduces Proteinuria through Nephrin and CD2AP Expressions in Rats with Adriamycin-Induced Nephropathy

Cyprinus carpio decoction (CCD) is a well-known Chinese food medicine formula, accepted widely as a useful therapy in preventing edema and proteinuria caused by renal disease. However, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. The current study investigated the potential mechanism of CCD in alleviating nephropathy induced by adriamycin (ADR) in rats. 70  eight-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal, model, fosinopril, YD, YG groups. All rats except for the normal group received 6.5 mg/kg·bw of ADR injection into the vena caudalis once. Different doses of CCD (11.3 and 22.5 g kg−1) were lavaged to rats in YD and YG groups, respectively. Then the serum biochemical values of the total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), electrolyte levels, and the urinary protein (UP) content in 12 hr urine were measured. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon (INF-γ) were measured by enzyme-like immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathomorphological analysis was observed using light and electron microscopy, and the expressions of nephrin and CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) in renal tissues were determined by immunohistochemical assay. The results indicated that CCD can relieve ADR-induced nephropathy (ADN) by improving the nutrition status, regulating the immunity, and inhibiting proteinuria by increasing nephrin and CD2AP expressions

Economic evaluation of bailing capsules for patients with diabetic nephropathy in China

Background: Diabetic nephropathy is a major microvascular complication and the main cause of end-stage renal disease in diabetic patients. The therapeutic effects of Bailing capsules for diabetic nephropathy have already been demonstrated; however, the cost-effectiveness of Bailing capsules remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Bailing capsules combined with Western medicine compared with Western medicine alone in diabetic nephropathy from a Chinese healthcare system perspective.Methods: A Markov model was established to simulate the disease process of patients over a 20-year period. Clinical efficacy data were obtained from a meta-analysis, and transition probability was estimated based on microsimulation. Direct costs and utility values were collected from the Chinese Drug Bidding Database (https://www.shuju.menet.com.cn) and published literature. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was measured, and one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to observe model stability.Results: A total of 34 randomized controlled trials involving 3,444 patients with diabetic nephropathy were selected for the meta-analysis. Compared to Western medicine alone, the addition of Bailing capsules resulted in an increase of 0.39 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and additional costs of Chinese Yuan (CNY) 24,721, yielding an ICER of CNY 63,001 per QALY gained. The ICER was lower than the threshold of willingness-to-pay of CNY 80,976 (The GDP per Capita in China). The reliability and stability of the results were confirmed by the sensitivity analysis.Conclusion: We found that Bailing capsules may be a cost-effective treatment choice for patients with diabetic nephropathy in the Chinese population

Anticonvulsant and sedative effect of Fufang Changniu pills and probable mechanism of action in mice

Purpose: To investigate the anticonvulsant and sedative effects of Fufang Changniu Pills (FCP) and its probable mechanism of action in mice.Methods: The water decoction of FCP was prepared and the main constituents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The anticonvulsant activities of FCP were evaluated by maximal electroshock (MES) and  pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in mice. Pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time and locomotor activity measurements were performed to evaluate the sedative effects of FCP in mice. Finally, PTZ-induced chronic seizures were  established, and expressions of gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABA-A) and glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) in the brains of the mice were assayed by western blot in order to explore the probable mechanisms of action of the drug.Results: Gallic acid, liquiritin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid and glycyrrhizic acid were detected in FCP decoction. FCP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) showed significant anticonvulsant and sedative effects on epileptic mice induced by MES (p < 0.05) and PTZ (p < 0.05). Moreover, pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time and  locomotor activity tests showed that FCP possesses sedative effect (p < 0.05). Western blot data indicate that FCP significantly up-regulated GABA-A and GAD 65 in the brains of chronic epileptic rats (p < 0.05).Conclusion: FCP has significant anticonvulsant and sedative effects, and the  mechanism of its action may be related to the up-regulation of GABA-A and GAD 65 in mice brain.Keywords: Epilepsy, Fufang Changniu pills, Anticonvulsant, Sedative effect,  Gamma-aminobutyric acid, Glutamate dehydrogenas

Effect of Ultrasound Treatment on Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Emodin-Casein Complexes

Emodin was one of the hydrophobic active molecules, the solubility bioavailability of which was improved by loading in a certain matrix. In this study, the microcapsules of emodin-casein complexes were prepared with casein as matrix with ultrasound treatment. The structural properties of the complexes were analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy. The thermal properties, DPPH and ABTS+ free radical scavenging activities of the complexes were measured. In addition, the release profiles of emodin from the complexes were evaluated by simulated gastrointestinal digestion experiment. The results showed that the ultrasound treatment within 1~3 min duration had not significant effect on the fluorescence properties of the complexes with the addition of emodin at 8~10 μg/mg. Furthermore, there were no significant effect of ultrasound treatment on the FTIR spectra and morphology of emodin-casein complexes. In addition, the DPPH free radical scavenging activity of the complexes had the lowest value with 1 min-ultrasound treatment, but the highest value of ABTS+ free radical scavenging activity among other samples with the same emodin addition. The release rate of emodin from the emodin-casein complexes during simulated gastrointestinal digestion was improved by 1 min-ultrasound treatment, but retarded by 5 min-ultrasound treatment. The results would provide references for the application of ultrasound treatment in the properties' regulation of emodin-casein complexes

Is Generalized Maternal Optimism or Pessimism During Pregnancy Associated with Unplanned Cesarean Section Deliveries in China?

This research examines whether maternal optimism/pessimism is associated with unplanned Cesarean section deliveries in China. If so, does the association remain after controlling for clinical factors associated with C-sections? A sample of 227 mostly primiparous women in the third trimester of pregnancy was surveyed in a large tertiary care hospital in Beijing, China. Post-delivery data were collected from medical records. In bivariate analysis, both optimism and pessimism were related to unplanned c-section. However, when optimism and pessimism were entered into a regression model together, optimism was no longer statistically significant. Pessimism remained significant, even when adjusting for clinical factors such as previous abortion, previous miscarriage, pregnancy complications, infant gestational age, infant birthweight, labor duration, birth complications, and self-rated difficulty of the pregnancy. This research suggests that maternal mindset during pregnancy has a role in mode of delivery. However, more research is needed to elucidate potential causal pathways and test potential interventions