The Impact of Multinational Auto Manufacturers on the Market Structural of Chinese Saloon Car Industry

The paper studies the structural characteristics of Chinese Saloon Car market of 1993-2002 by three market structural indexes: rate of market concentration, HHI index and logarithm variance of manufacturer scale. We prove that the Saloon Car market that once was largely occupied by several monopolies has gradually developed into a multivariate competitive market. Although the multinational auto manufacturers still have a strong control of national auto market, the violent reaction of oligopoly with the continuing opening of the market is emerging. After WTO accession, the recombining situations of Chinese auto industry, which are participated by multinational auto manufacturers, have been fixed on the whole, but it is not the result of sufficient market competition. The Chinese auto market will still face danger of being shuffled after the transitional period of WTO. It is possible to create a more stable and mature market structure only after Chinese Saloon Car industry carries through a reconstruction which based on a more fairness and orderly competition. Keywords: Multinational Enterprise, Market Structure, Rate of Market Concentration, Saloon Car Industry Résumé: Ce texte étudie les caractéristiques structurales du marché chinois de berline entre 1993 et 2002 à l’aide de trios index structuraux : vitesse de concentration du marché , index HHI , et la variance logarithmique de l’échelle de fabricant . On constate que le marché de berline , occupé aurapavant largement par plusieurs monopoles , est devenu graduellement un marché concurrentiel multivariant . Bien que les fabricants multinationaux d’automobile aient encore un contrôle fort sur le marché national de voiture , la réaction forte d’oligopole avec l’ouverture continuelle du marché est en train de s’émerger . Après l’accession à l’OMC , la fusion de l’industrie chinoise d’automobile , participée par les fabricants multinationaux d’automobile a été déterminée dans l’ensemble , mais ce n’est pas le résultat de la concurrence du marché . Le marché chinois d’automobile fera face à la recomposition après la période de transition de l’OMC . Il est possible de créer une structure plus stable et mûr du marché après la traversée de reconstruction de l’industrie chinoise de berline . Cette reconstruction doit se baser sur la concurrence plus juste et plus ordonnée . Mots-clés: enterprise multinationale , structure du marché , vitesse de concentration du marché , industrie de berlin

On the inverse scattering transform to the discrete Hirota equation with nonzero boundary conditions

Under investigation in this work is the robust inverse scattering transform of the discrete Hirota equation with nonzero boundary conditions, which is applied to solve simultaneously arbitrary-order poles on the branch points and spectral singularities. Using the inverse scattering transform method, we construct the Darboux transformation but not with the limit progress, which is more convenient than before. Several kinds of rational solutions are derived in detail. These solutions contain W-shape solitons, breathers, high-order rogue waves, and various interactions between solitons and breathers. Moreover, we analyze some remarkable characteristics of rational solutions through graphics. Our results are useful to explain the related nonlinear wave phenomena

In vitro specific interactions revealed the infective characteristics of fungal endophytes to grapevine

In the present study a method for co-culture of fungal endophytic strains and grape cells was developed in order to study their interactions, and filter candidates for further safe inoculation in the vineyard. Analysis of morphological and physiological traits was performed by measuring the plant callus and fungal growth, plant cells viability, degree of cell oxidation and the scale of contact or its absence as reaction of the fungal endophyte to the presence of the plant callus. Accordingly, endophytic fungal strains (EFS) were classified on scale of invasion into categories (strong - medium - weak invasive), as well as the contact between the two partners (grow into - grow onto - contact - no contact) and the grape cell oxidation degree (normal (no oxidation) - light - moderate - serious). More included the dominance and distribution of EFS in the plant host, and correlation plots of physiological traits during plant callus and endophytic fungi co–culture were calculated

Citizen Willingness to Pay for the Implementation of Urban Green Infrastructure in the Pilot Sponge Cities in China

Urban green infrastructure has been widely used to in cities to solve stormwater problems caused by extreme weather events and urbanization around the world. However, the lack of a long-term funding mechanism for performing urban green infrastructure's functions has limited wider implementation. Factors influencing citizen attitudes and willingness to pay for urban green infrastructure vary from city to city. This study estimated the public's willingness to pay for urban green infrastructure, as well as compared the selected influencing factors of willingness to pay in different Chinese pilot sponge cities. The results show that 60% to 75% of all respondents in the cities were willing to support the implementation of urban green infrastructure in sponge cities, with those most willing to pay around 0-5 RMB/month (0-0.72 USD/month). The respondents' educational level was a significant influencing factor for their willingness to pay in all six cities, but age, gender and family monthly income correlated differently with respondents' willingness to pay in different cities. Previous knowledge of the sponge city concept and sponge city construction in the community were not significantly correlated with residents' willingness to pay. We conclude that local governments in China need to provide more information to the general public about the multiple ecosystem services, e.g., educational and recreational benefits, that urban green infrastructure can provide. In doing so, it will help a shift to urban green infrastructure as the solution to dealing with urban stormwater problems

Anti-hyperprolactinemia mechanism of Radix bupleuri extract in rats

Purpose: To determine the mechanism underlying the anti-hyperprolactinemia effects of Radix bupleuri extract (RBE) in rats.Methods: Rats were divided into six groups (n=10 each group): healthy controls, untreated hyperprolactinemic rats, hyperprolactinemic rats treated with bromocriptine (0.6 mg/kg), and hyperprolactinemic rats treated with RBE (4.8, 9.6, or 19.2 g/kg). After 30 days, hypothalamic protein levels of dopamine D2 receptor, protein kinase A (PKA), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were determined.Results: Dopamine D2 receptor levels were lower in untreated hyperprolactinemic rats than in healthy controls (p < 0.01), but this decrease was attenuated by RBE (p < 0.05). Elevated PKA levels in untreated hyperprolactinemic rats (0.61 ± 0.04 μg/ml, p < 0.01) were decreased by RBE (4.8 g/kg, 0.42 ± 0.03 μg/ml, p < 0.05; 9.6 g/kg, 0.33 ± 0.02 μg/ml, p < 0.01; 19.2 g/kg, 0.27 ± 0.03 μg/ml, p < 0.01). Similarly, elevated cAMP levels in hyperprolactinemic rats (2.4 ± 0.4 ng/ml) were decreased by RBE (4.8 g/kg, 1.8 ± 0.3 ng/ml, p < 0.05; 9.6 g/kg, 1.5 ± 0.3 ng/ml, p < 0.01; 19.2 g/kg, 1.2 ± 0.2 ng/ml, p < 0.01).Conclusions: RBE anti-hyperprolactinemia activity is mediated by dopamine D2 receptor signaling via the cAMP/PKA pathway.Keywords: Hyperprolactinemia, Radix bupleuri, Dopamine D2 receptor, cAMP/PK

Engineering Ratchet-Based Particle Separation via Shortcuts to Isothermality

Microscopic particle separation plays vital role in various scientific and industrial domains. In this Letter, we propose a universal non-equilibrium thermodynamic approach, employing the concept of Shortcuts to Isothermality, to realize controllable separation of overdamped Brownian particles. By utilizing a designed ratchet potential with temporal period $\tau$, we find in the slow-driving regime that the average particle velocity \Bar{v}_s\propto\left(1-D/D^*\right)\tau^{-1}, indicating that particles with different diffusion coefficients $D$ can be guided to move in distinct directions with a preset $D^*$. Furthermore, we reveal that there exists an extra energetic cost with a lower bound W_{\rm{ex}}^{(\rm{min})}\propto\mathcal{L}^{2}\Bar{v}_s, alongside a quasi-static work consumption. Here, $\mathcal{L}$ is the thermodynamic length of the driving loop in the parametric space. We numerically validate our theoretical findings and illustrate the optimal separation protocol (associated with $W_{\rm{ex}}^{(\rm{min})}$) with a sawtooth potential. This study establishes a bridge between thermodynamic process engineering and particle separation, paving the way for further explorations of thermodynamic constrains and optimal control in ratchet-based particle separation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures + Supplemental Materials (10 pages, 4 figures). Comments are welcome