Circularly polarized U-Slot antenna

Circularly polarized single-layer U-slot microstrip patch antenna has been proposed. The suggested asymmetrical U-slot can generate the two orthogonal modes for circular polarization without chamfering any corner of the probe-fed square patch microstrip antenna. A parametric study has been carried out to investigate the effects caused by different arm lengths of the U-slot. The thickness of the foam substrate is about 8.5% of the wavelength at the operating frequency. The 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of the antenna is 4%. Both experimental and theoretical results of the antenna have been presented and discussed

Benzodiazepine withdrawal seizures in a Chinese lady

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Economic impact of political barriers to cross-border acquisitions: An empirical study of CNOOC's unsuccessful takeover of Unocal

In 2005, the US Congress challenged the acquisition by CNOOC (a Chinese state-owned enterprise) of Unocal (a US firm). This challenge creates a political barrier for foreign companies to acquire US oil companies. This paper examines the stock price reaction of US oil companies to this political opposition. Using an event study methodology, we find that this political barrier resulted in a substantial decline in the market value of US oil companies. For a period of 44 days, during which six anti-CNOOC-takeover political events occurred, the cumulative decline in the market value of a portfolio of 13 US oil refining firms was $47.5 billion and that of a portfolio of 66 US oil and gas exploration firms was$11.4 billion. This study is the first to analyze and quantify the stock price reaction of US non-merging firms to political barriers to cross-border acquisitions. It also has a policy implication regarding the recent enactment of the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.postprin

HNF1α and CDX2 transcriptional factors bind to cadherin-17 (CDH17) gene promoter and modulate its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Cadherin-17 (CDH17) belongs to the cell adhesion cadherin family with a prominent role in tumorigenesis. It is highly expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is proposed to be a biomarker and therapeutic molecule for liver malignancy. The present study aims to identify the transcription factors which interact and regulate CDH17 promoter activity that might contribute to the up-regulation of CDH17 gene in human HCC. A 1-kb upstream sequence of CDH17 gene was cloned and the promoter activity was studied by luciferase reporter assay. By bioinformatics analysis, deletion and mutation assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies, we identified hepatic nuclear factor 1a (HNF1a) and caudal-related homeobox 2 (CDX2) binding sites at the proximal promoter region which modulate the CDH17 promoter activities in two HCC cell lines (Hep3B and MHCC97L). A consistent down-regulation of CDH17 and the two transcriptional activators (HNF1a and CDX2) expression was found in the liver of mouse during development, as well as in human liver cancer cells with less metastatic potential. Suppression of HNF1a and CDX2 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly down-regulated expressions of CDH17 and its downstream target cyclin D1 and the viability of HCC cells in vitro. In summary, we identified the minimal promoter region of CDH17 that is regulated by HNF1a and CDX2 transcriptional factors. The present findings enhance our understanding on the regulatory mechanisms of CDH17 oncogene in HCC, and may shed new insights into targeting CDH17 expression as potential therapeutic intervention for cancer treatment. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.preprin

Bayesian models for tourism demand forecasting

Author name used in this publication: Kevin K. F. WongAuthor name used in this publication: Kaye S. Chon2005-2006 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalAccepted ManuscriptPublishe

A semiparametric cure model for interval-censored data

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Retroperitoneal schwannoma: A common tumour in an uncommon site

We describe a female adult patient who presented with acute retention of urine and vague abdominal discomfort. A provisional diagnosis of ovarian tumour was made after crosssectional imaging. At laparotomy a very large retroperitoneal mass was biopsied and found to be a schwannoma after pathological examination. The clinical, radiological, and pathological features of this disease are discussed in this report.published_or_final_versio

Low cost high-side gate drive power supply for switched reluctance machines

Author name used in this publication: K. W. E. ChengAuthor name used in this publication: Ho S. L.Version of RecordPublishe

The application of clinical simulation in crisis management training.

Since it was first introduced more than 30 years ago, clinical simulation has become a popular tool for medical training, particularly in crisis management. The modern high-fidelity patient simulator consists of a whole-body mannequin with integrated electronic patient monitoring; it is controlled by computers capable of simulating numerous clinical scenarios and patient characteristics, and reacting to various interventions appropriately. Simulator training is theoretically superior to conventional training in management of rare crisis situations, as it allows unlimited practice in a safe yet familiar environment. Training in clinical skills can be developed, together with competency in crisis management behaviours such as leadership and communication skills. Although there is evidence demonstrating the popularity, reliability, and validity of simulator training, its superiority over conventional training has not been proven, and research in this area is required.published_or_final_versio

Bayesian analysis of clustered interval-censored data

The recording of multiple interval-censored failure times is common in dental research. Modeling multilevel data has been a difficult task. This paper aims to use the Bayesian approach to analyze a set of multilevel clustered interval-censored data from a clinical study to investigate the effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride and sodium fluoride varnish in arresting active dentin caries in Chinese pre-school children. The time to arrest dentin caries on a surface was measured. A three-level random-effects Weibull regression model was used. Analysis was performed with WinBUGS. Results revealed a strong positive correlation (0.596) among the caries lesions' arrest times on different surfaces from the same child. The software WinBUGS made the above complicated estimation simple. In conclusion, the annual application of silver diamine fluoride on caries lesions, and caries removal before the application, were found to shorten the arrest time.published_or_final_versio