Social insurance with the characteristics of Chinese socialism.

This research aims at exploring the features of social insurance in China in the mid 1990s. From the Marxist structuralist view social insurance is an institution built on the economic system of the country. In view of the inadequate research from this perspective, this research employs the proposition of sociological study on social insurance to identify the issues of social insurance including the funding formats, service provision patterns, coverage, and the people's experiences and expectations on social insurance in China. This research applied qualitative and quantitative strategies to collect the information. For qualitative research strategy this research traced the historical development of income maintenance services from the feudal stage to the 20th century in China. Also it arranged unstructured interviewing with government officials from various departments, the managers at work units, and the academic who are the experts on income maintenance in the country. This research also reviewed policy papers and internal documents on labour and social insurance in China. The most distinguished part of this study is the quantitative research work carried out in Guangzhou Shi, Guangdong Province in 1995. 25 managers from work units of different types of ownership were interviewed and 520 employees participated in the structured interviewing with questionnaires administered by extraordinary interviewers. The research findings demonstrate that socialist ideology governs the provisions of social insurance in China. However, in the process of building up a socialist market economy, the Communist Party of China also mingled Confucian values with Marxist socialism that makes social insurance with the characteristics of Chinese socialism. The socialist economic system is still the main body of social insurance whilst Confucianism is the means. This appeals to the people to socialise the social insurance services that are heavily financed by state and operated within work units but cover only the categorised labour force in urban China

Foreign direct investment and investment environment in Dongguan Municipality of southern China

Based on 26 case studies, this paper investigates the socio-economic causes of the inflow of FDI and its policy implications in Dongguan. The favourable factors for foreign investors in Dongguan can be categorised under the Dunning's OLI (ownership, locational and internalisation advantages) framework. This paper argues that factors other than policy incentive, such as sub-contractual and pseudo integration, are playing more important roles in attracting the inflow of FDI and maintaining the high level of economic growth in Dongguan. This finding questions the effectiveness of policy incentives, such as tax-breaks, implemented by the Government as a means to attract FDI in Dongguan. The existence of 'Chinese crony capitalism' calls for further improvement in the implementation of laws and regulations in Dongguan and the reduction of bureaucratic red-tape by the central and local governments

Prevention of age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the developed world. Although effective treatment modalities such as anti-VEGF treatment have been developed for neovascular AMD, there is still no effective treatment for geographical atrophy, and therefore the most cost-effective management of AMD is to start with prevention. This review looks at current evidence on preventive measures targeted at AMD. Modalities reviewed include (1) nutritional supplements such as the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formula, lutein and zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acid, and berry extracts, (2) lifestyle modifications, including smoking and body-mass-index, and (3) filtering sunlight, i.e. sunglasses and blue-blocking intraocular lenses. In summary, the only proven effective preventive measures are stopping smoking and the AREDS formula

Osthole: A Review on Its Bioactivities, Pharmacological Properties, and Potential as Alternative Medicine

This paper reviews the latest understanding of biological and pharmacological properties of osthole (7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one), a natural product found in several medicinal plants such as Cnidium monnieri and Angelica pubescens. In vitro and in vivo experimental results have revealed that osthole demonstrates multiple pharmacological actions including neuroprotective, osteogenic, immunomodulatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, and antimicrobial activities. In addition, pharmacokinetic studies showed osthole uptake and utilization are fast and efficient in body. Moreover, the mechanisms of multiple pharmacological activities of osthole are very likely related to the modulatory effect on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cGMP) level, though some mechanisms remain unclear. This review aims to summarize the pharmacological properties of osthole and give an overview of the underlying mechanisms, which showcase its potential as a multitarget alternative medicine

Assessing Enamel Wear of Monolithic Ceramics With Micro-CT and Intra-oral Scanner

ABSTRACT: Objective: This in vitro study aimed to investigate enamel wear against 3 monolithic ceramics using 2 methods of measurement. Methods: Three groups of standard flat monolithic ceramic specimens including zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass (Vita Suprinity, VITA Zahnfabrik), yttria-stabilised tetragonal zirconia (Lava Esthetic Zirconia), and lithium disilicate glass (IPS e.max Press, Ivoclar Vivadent) were prepared, with human enamel used as the control group. Each specimen was subjected to the 2-body wear test at 49 N for 250,000 cycles. Enamel antagonists were evaluated with micro-computed tomography (CT) and intra-oral scanner, allowing 3-dimensional images of vertical wear and volumetric loss of enamel antagonists to be calculated. One-way analysis of variance followed by Student–Newman–Keuls post hoc tests were used to examine the differences in vertical wear/volumetric loss amongst the groups. Paired t tests and intra-class correlations were used to compare vertical wear/volumetric loss between the micro-CT and intra-oral scanner groups. Results: No significant difference in vertical wear was found amongst all groups. More volumetric loss was found in all test groups than in the control group (P < .001), but no significant difference was found amongst the test groups. There was a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.535, P = .033) between the vertical wear and volumetric loss. No significant difference between the 2 methods of measurement was found. Conclusions: Monolithic ceramics induce more enamel wear than natural teeth. Both micro-CT and intra-oral scanners can be used for measuring tooth wear with similar performance

Bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Chinese patients in a clinical setting

AIM: To determine the outcome of non-investigational treatment with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 81 eyes with neovascular AMD followed-up for at least 12mo and received 3-monthly loading IVB injections. Re-treat was based upon the individual clinician’s judgment. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography measurements of central foveal thickness outcomes were evaluated at 12, 24mo. RESULTS: Eighty-one eyes (of 75 patients) completed 12mo of follow-up and 44 eyes (of 41 patients) completed 24mo of follow-up. The mean baseline logMAR BCVA significantly improved from 0.94±0.69 to 0.85±0.68 at 12mo (P<0.001) and from 0.91±0.65 to 0.85±0.60 (P=0.004) at 24mo. The proportion of eyes that lost <15 logMAR letters at 12mo was 90.1% and at 24mo was 81.8%. IVB was effective in improving visual acuity in both treatment naïve and previous photodynamic therapy (PDT)-treated subgroups. Treatment naive patients required significantly fewer injections than patients with prior PDT. Multiple regression analysis identified that poorer baseline visual acuity was associated with greater improvement in visual acuity (P=0.015). CONCLUSION: Fewer injections in clinical practice may result in suboptimal visual outcomes compared with clinical trials of IVB in neovascular AMD patients. Poor baseline visual acuity and prior PDT treatment may also improve vision after IVB. The safety and durability of effect was maintained at 24mo

23 µW 8.9-effective number of bit 1.1 MS/s successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter with an energy-efficient digital-to-analog converter switching scheme

This study presents a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter with an energy-efficient switching scheme. A split-most significant bit capacitor array is used with a least significant bit-down switching scheme. Compared with the conventional binary-weighted capacitor array, it reduces the area and average switching energy by 50 and 87% under the same unit capacitor. Moreover, capacitor matching requirement is relaxed by 75%. A prototype design was fabricated in a 0.13 µm complementary metal oxide semiconductor process. It consumes 23.2 µW under 1 V analog supply and 0.5 V digital supply. Measured results show a peak signal-to-distortion-and-noise ratio of 55.2 dB and an effective resolution bandwidth up to 1.1 MHz when it operates at 1.1 MS/s. Its figure-of-merit is 44.1 fJ/conversion-step

Candida albicans SAP9: a gene with novel function in hyphal development in Candida albicans

Objectives: To investigate the role of C. albicans Sap9 in yeast-to-hyphal morphological transition. Methods: In this study, SAP9 null mutant strain (Dsap9::hisG/Dsap9::hisG-URA3-hisG) was created by URA blaster method. Ura- phenotype strain was selected in synthetic complete glucose medium containing 0.1% 5-fluoroorotic acid, and complemented by URA3. Hyphal development of fungal cells (1×106 cfu/ml) was evaluated in both liquid and solid hyphal-inducing media, including Lee’s medium (pH 7.0), RPMI-1640, YPD+10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and Spider’s medium at 37℃. To analyze the mRNA expression of hyphal-specific genes, fungal cells were prepared in the YPD containing 10% FBS at 37 ℃. Total RNA was extracted by SV Total RNA Isolation System and was reverse transcribed into cDNA using Superscirpt II. Gene expression was determined by Fast SYBR Green Master Mix, with the program: 95 ℃ incubation for 20s, and then 40 cycles of 95 ℃ for 1s and 60 ℃ for 20s. Student’s t test (P value \u3c 0.05) was used for statistical analysis. Results: Compared with wild type SC5314 strain, SAP9 null mutant strain was defective in the hyphal development in both liquid and solid hyphal-inducting media. Gene expression analysis indicated that the expression level of transcription factor gene EFG1 was down-regulated by about 40% (P Conclusions: C. albicans SAP9 might play a pivotal role in hyphal development in C. albicans via the cellular events mediated by EFG1

Potential role of Candida albicans secreted aspartic protease 9 in serum induced-hyphal formation and interaction with oral epithelial cells

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Introduction: Candida albicans possesses the ability to switch rapidly between yeast to hyphal forms. Hyphal formation is a remarkable pathogenic characteristic, which allows C. albicans to invade into host cells. Objectives: This study was to investigate the role of the C. albicans SAP9 gene in hyphal formation and invasion ability. Methods: The morphology of fungal cells in the hyphal-inducing liquid media (YPD+10% fetal bovine serum) was observed by the microscopy. And the morphology of the colony on solid agar plates of YPD+10% fetal bovine serum was photographed by the digital camera. The mRNA expressions of hypha-associated genes in serum medium were also analyzed by real time PCR. Then for the interaction between C. albicans and oral epithelial cells, endocytosis essay, invasion essay and damage assay were performed to compare the differences between the sap9Δ/Δ mutant strain and wild type strain. Results: Compared with the wild type strain, the sap9Δ/Δ mutant strain exhibited a deficient yeast-to-hyphal morphological transition under serum hyphal-inducing conditions. Furthermore, the SAP9 knockout strain revealed a significant down-regulation of the expression of EFG1 (~40%), which is a transcription factor gene that mediates hyphae formation in C. albicans. Compared with the wild type strain, a 70% reduction in the endocytosis of the sap9Δ/Δ mutant strain by host cells was observed, as well as a 25% attenuation of active penetration and a 40% attenuation of host cell damage (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusions: Our data strongly suggests that C. albicans Sap9 is a potential hyphal-associated factor that responds to serum hyphal-inducing stimuli via a cAMP-protein kinase A pathway mediated by EFG1, and contributes to the process of invasion of Candida into the epithelial cells, leading to host cell damage

Photodynamic therapy-mediated modulation of inflammatory cytokine production by Epstein-Barr virus-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant disease associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. This study aims to examine the effects of EBV infection on the production of proinflammatory cytokines in NPC cells after the Zn-BC-AM photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment. Cells were treated with the photosensitiser Zn-BC-AM for 24 h before light irradiation. Quantitative ELISA was used to evaluate the production of cytokines. Under the same experimental condition, HK-1-EBV cells produced a higher basal level of IL-1 alpha (1561 pg/ml), IL-1 beta (16.6 pg/ml) and IL-8 (422.9 pg/ml) than the HK-1 cells. At the light dose of 0.25-0.5 J/cm(2), Zn-BC-AM PDT-treated HK-1-EBV cells were found to produce a higher level of IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta than the HK-1 cells. The production of IL-1 beta appeared to be mediated via the IL-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE)-independent pathway. In contrast, the production of angiogenic IL-8 was downregulated in both HK-1 and HK-1-EBV cells after Zn-BC-AM PDT. Our results suggest that Zn-BC-AM PDT might indirectly reduce tumour growth through the modulation of cytokine production. Cellular & Molecular Immunology (2010) 7, 323-326; doi:10.1038/cmi.2010.4; published online 15 March 201