House Market in Chinese Cities: Dynamic Modeling, In0 Sample Fitting and Out-of- Sample Forecasting

This paper attempts to contribute in several ways. Theoretically, it proposes simple models of house price dynamics and construction dynamics, all based on the maximization problems of forward-looking agents, which may carry independent interests. Simplified versions of the model implications are estimated with the data from four major cities in China. Both price and construction dynamics exhibit strong persistence in all cities. Significant heterogeneity across cities is found. Our models out-perform widely used alternatives in in-sample-fitting for all cities, although similar success is only limited to highly developed cities in out-of-sample forecasting. Policy implications and future research directions are also discussed.

Characterization and classification of whole-grain rice based on rapid visco analyzer (RVA) pasting profile

Classification of whole grain rice using only amylose content is not practical to predict starch viscosity for end product recommendation. This study aims to characterize and categorize whole-grain rice based on pasting profile of Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA). The rice cultivars showed a wide range of peak viscosity (89.98 to 280.95 RVU), hold viscosity (59.97 to 211.56 RVU), breakdown viscosity (-0.33 to 130.67 RVU), final viscosity (111.25 to 390.75 RVU), setback viscosity (-44.47 to 205.67 RVU) and pasting temperature (74.17 - 91.15oC). Stability ratio and final viscosity explained 68.8% of total variance in the RVA profiles. The rice cultivars could be grouped into high (> 0.95), medium (0.65-0.95) and low ( 300 RVU), medium (140 - 250 RVU) and low (< 140 RVU) final viscosity. The classification could serve as a basis for effective rice selection according to functional properties of whole grain rice

Mesoscale observations of Joule heating near an auroral arc and ion-neutral collision frequency in the polar cap E region

We report on the first mesoscale combined ionospheric and thermospheric observations, partly in the vicinity of an auroral arc, from Svalbard in the polar cap on 2 February 2010. The EISCAT Svalbard radar employed a novel scanning mode in order to obtain F and E region ion flows over an annular region centered on the radar. Simultaneously, a colocated Scanning Doppler Imager observed the E region neutral winds and temperatures around 110 km altitude using the 557.7 nm auroral optical emission. Combining the ion and neutral data permits the E region Joule heating to be estimated with an azimuthal spatial resolution of ∼64 km at a radius of ∼163 km from the radar. The spatial distribution of Joule heating shows significant mesoscale variation. The ion-neutral collision frequency is measured in the E region by combining all the data over the entire field of view with only weak aurora present. The estimated ion-neutral collision frequency at ∼113 km altitude is in good agreement with the MSIS atmospheric model

Modeling Spatial Relations of Human Body Parts for Indexing and Retrieving Close Character Interactions

Retrieving pre-captured human motion for analyzing and synthesizing virtual character movement have been widely used in Virtual Reality (VR) and interactive computer graphics applications. In this paper, we propose a new human pose representation, called Spatial Relations of Human Body Parts (SRBP), to represent spatial relations between body parts of the subject(s), which intuitively describes how much the body parts are interacting with each other. Since SRBP is computed from the local structure (i.e. multiple body parts in proximity) of the pose instead of the information from individual or pairwise joints as in previous approaches, the new representation is robust to minor variations of individual joint location. Experimental results show that SRBP outperforms the existing skeleton-based motion retrieval and classification approaches on benchmark databases

High-speed, high-frequency ultrasound, \u3ci\u3ein utero\u3c/i\u3e vector-flow imaging of mouse embryos

Real-time imaging of the embryonic murine cardiovascular system is challenging due to the small size of the mouse embryo and rapid heart rate. High-frequency, linear-array ultrasound systems designed for small-animal imaging provide high-frame-rate and Doppler modes but are limited in regards to the field of view that can be imaged at fine-temporal and -spatial resolution. Here, a plane-wave imaging method was used to obtain high-speed image data from in utero mouse embryos and multi-angle, vector-flow algorithms were applied to the data to provide information on blood flow patterns in major organs. An 18-MHz linear array was used to acquire plane-wave data at absolute frame rates ≥10 kHz using a set of fixed transmission angles. After beamforming, vector-flow processing and image compounding, effective frame rates were on the order of 2 kHz. Data were acquired from the embryonic liver, heart and umbilical cord. Vector-flow results clearly revealed the complex nature of blood-flow patterns in the embryo with fine-temporal and -spatial resolution

The HIBEAM/NNBAR Calorimeter Prototype

The HIBEAM/NNBAR experiment is a free-neutron search for $n \rightarrow$ sterile $n$ and $n \rightarrow \bar{n}$ oscillations planned to be installed at the European Spallation Source under construction in Lund, Sweden. A key component in the experiment is the detector to identify $n-\bar{n}$ annihilation events, which will produce on average four pions with a final state invariant mass of two nucleons, around $1.9\,$GeV. The beamline and experiment are shielded from magnetic fields which would suppress $n \rightarrow \bar{n}$ transitions, thus no momentum measurement will be possible. Additionally, calorimetry for particles with kinetic energies below $600\,$MeV is challenging, as traditional sampling calorimeters used in HEP would suffer from poor shower statistics. A design study is underway to use a novel approach of a hadronic range measurement in multiple plastic scintillator layers, followed by EM calorimetery with lead glass. A prototype calorimeter system is being built, and will eventually be installed at an ESS test beam line for \textit{in situ} neutron background studies.Comment: Contribution to the International Conference on Technology and Instrumentation in Particle Physics (TIPP2021

Collagen degradation by host-derived enzymes during aging

Incompletely infiltrated collagen fibrils in acid-etched dentin are susceptible to degradation. We hypothesize that degradation can occur in the absence of bacteria. Partially demineralized collagen matrices (DCMs) prepared from human dentin were stored in artificial saliva. Control specimens were stored in artificial saliva containing proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, or pure mineral oil. We retrieved them at 24 hrs, 90 and 250 days to examine the extent of degradation of DCM. In the 24-hour experimental and 90- and 250-day control specimens, we observed 5- to 6-μm-thick layers of DCM containing banded collagen fibrils. DCMs were almost completely destroyed in the 250-day experimental specimens, but not when incubated with enzyme inhibitors or mineral oil. Functional enzyme analysis of dentin powder revealed low levels of collagenolytic activity that was inhibited by protease inhibitors or 0.2% chlorhexidine. We hypothesize that collagen degradation occurred over time, via host-derived matrix metalloproteinases that are released slowly over time.published_or_final_versio