Long-Run Purchasing Power Parity with Asymmetric Adjustment: Evidence from Mainland China and Taiwan

This study applies threshold cointegration test advanced by Enders and Siklos (2001) to investigate the properties of asymmetric adjustment in long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) for both Mainland China and Taiwan during the January 1986 to October 2009 period. Although there is evidence of long-run PPP for both Mainland China and Taiwan, the adjustment mechanism is asymmetric. These results have important policy implications for both Mainland China and Taiwan under study.threshold cointegration test; Purchasing Power Parity; asymmetric adjustment; Mainland China; Taiwan

Characterizing Intermittency of 4-Hz Quasi-periodic Oscillation in XTE J1550-564 using Hilbert-Huang Transform

We present the time-frequency analysis results based on the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) for the evolution of a 4-Hz low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (LFQPO) around the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1550-564. The origin of LFQPOs is still debated. To understand the cause of the peak broadening, we utilized a recently developed time-frequency analysis, HHT, for tracking the evolution of the 4-Hz LFQPO from XTE J1550 564. By adaptively decomposing the ~4-Hz oscillatory component from the light curve and acquiring its instantaneous frequency, the Hilbert spectrum illustrates that the LFQPO is composed of a series of intermittent oscillations appearing occasionally between 3 Hz and 5 Hz. We further characterized this intermittency by computing the confidence limits of the instantaneous amplitudes of the intermittent oscillations, and constructed both the distributions of the QPO's high and low amplitude durations, which are the time intervals with and without significant ~4-Hz oscillations, respectively. The mean high amplitude duration is 1.45 s and 90% of the oscillation segments have lifetimes below 3.1 s. The mean low amplitude duration is 0.42 s and 90% of these segments are shorter than 0.73 s. In addition, these intermittent oscillations exhibit a correlation between the oscillation's rms amplitude and mean count rate. This correlation could be analogous to the linear rms-flux relation found in the 4-Hz LFQPO through Fourier analysis. We conclude that the LFQPO peak in the power spectrum is broadened owing to intermittent oscillations with varying frequencies, which could be explained by using the Lense-Thirring precession model.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Manpower Training System Design for Social enterprise

In the process of promoting social enterprise, socialentrepreneurs need to have ability of social impact and businessmanagement. This study constructs a talent nurturing system oftraining operation, management and social entrepreneurship forsocial enterprises. In the content, the talent nurturing system isbased on social requirement and business operation whichincludes course, teaching hours and teaching methods. In thetime horizon, the talent nurturing system includes operation skilltraining in the short-term, management training in the mid-term,and theory and analysis capability cultivation in the long-term.In the fostering agency, the talent nurturing system includesuniversities, government vocational training institutions (center),and social enterprise internship. The talent cultivation plan isbased on ability requirement of social enterprises operation andmanagement. Depending on the capabilities characteristics ofsocial enterprise required, the talent cultivation plan will providethe most suitable training courses and training methods

Study on the Healthy Risk of the Workers: a survey in the Yangtse Rive Delta

Problems of occupational health and safety in small and medium size enterprises are severe in China. With this paucity of official statistics documenting work-related injuries, the auther undertook a project in the Yangtse Rive Delta last year in the hopes of injecting at least some preliminary data into the public discourse. The epidemic of work-related injuries, and the failure of local business and govennnent to address it either through prevention or adequate compensation stems from two functional dimensions: the technical and the institutional. The technical level includes the physical causes of work-related injuries, which are not unique to the Yangtse Rive Delta. The institutional problems, on the other hand, are rooted in China's unique developmental history, politics and growth. These include the absence of legal aid institutions, poor government oversight and official corruption on the local and provincial levels. Key words: healthy risk, workers, survey Résumé: Les problèmes de santé et de sécurité professionnelles dans les petites et moyennes entreprises s’avèrent graves en Chine. Avec l’insuffisance de statistiques officielles documentant l’accident du travail, l’auteur a effectué l’année dernière un projet dans le delta du Yangtsé dans l’espoir d’injecter au moins des données préliminaires dans la conversation du public. L’augmentation des accidents du travail, l’échec des entreprises locales et du gouvernement à résoudre le problème soit par la prévention soit par la compensation adéquate sur les plans technique et institutionnel. Le niveau technique inclut les causes physiques de l’accident du travail qui n’est pas unique dans le delta du Yangtsé. De l’autre côté, les problèmes institutionnels s’enracinent dans l’unique histoire de développement de la Chine, ses politiques et sa croissance, comme l’absence d’aide institutionnelle légale, la vue courte du gouvernement et la corruption des officiers à l’échelle locale et provinciale. Mots-Clés: risque de santé, travailleurs, enquêt

A possible link between sinusitis and lower airway hypersensitivity: the role of Staphylococcal enterotoxin B

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prevalence of asthma has been keeping arising with unknown etiology. The cumulative evidence indicates that chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) closely relates to asthma, but the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aimed to take insight into the role of Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) in a possible association between CRS and asthma. METHODS: 38 patients with both CRS and asthma underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Serum specific IgE and cytokines, clinical symptoms of CRS and asthma were evaluated before and after the surgery. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated from the patients and cultured. Th2 response of the cultured PBMCs in the presence or absence of specific antigens and SEB was evaluated. RESULTS: Besides the improvement of CRS symptoms, amelioration of asthma was also observed in the patients with both CRS and asthma after the sinus surgery. The preoperatively elevated Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-5, normalized postoperatively. Th2 response was generated with separated PBMCs in the presence of specific antigens. SEB was required for maintaining Th2 response in these separated PBMCs. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that a possible link exists between CRS and lower airway hypersensitivity. Sinusitis derived SEB may play a role in sustaining Th2 responses in the low airway hypersensitivity related to sinusitis