Effect of dietary carbohydrate sources on growth performance and utilization for gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) and Chinese longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris Gunther)

The nutritional function of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides for omnivorous gibel carp and carnivorous Chinese longsnout catfish were investigated and the ability of these two species to utilize carbohydrates was compared. For each species, triplicate groups of fish were assigned to each of five groups of isoenergetic and isonitrogenous experimental diets with different carbohydrate sources: glucose, sucrose, dextrin, soluble starch (acid-modified starch) and alpha-cellulose. The carbohydrates were included at 60 g kg(-1) in Chinese longsnout catfish diets and at 200 g kg(-1) in gibel carp diets. A growth trial was carried out in a recirculation system at 27.8 +/- 1.9 degrees C for 8 weeks. The results showed that fish with different food habits showed difference in the utilization of carbohydrate sources. For gibel carp, better specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency (FE) were observed in fish fed diets containing soluble starch and cellulose, but for Chinese longsnout catfish, better SGR and FE were observed in fish fed diets containing dextrin and sucrose. Apparent digestibility coefficient of dry matter (ADC(d)) and apparent digestibility coefficient of energy (ADC(e)) were significantly affected by dietary carbohydrate sources in gibel carp. ADC(d) and ADC(e) significantly decreased as dietary carbohydrate complexity increased in Chinese longsnout catfish except that glucose diet had medium ADC(d) and ADC(e). In both species, no significant difference of apparent digestibility coefficient of protein was observed between different carbohydrate sources. Dietary carbohydrate sources significantly affected body composition, and liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), pyruvate kinase (PK), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and malic enzyme (ME) activities also varied according to dietary carbohydrate complexity. Fish with different food habits showed different abilities to synthesize liver glycogen, and the liver glycogen content in gibel carp was significantly higher than in Chinese longsnout catfish. The influence of carbohydrate source on gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis was also different in the two fish species.

The motives and performance of cross-border acquirers from emerging economies: Comparison between Chinese and Indian firms

During the recent decade, the world has witnessed the rapid growth of MNEs from emerging economies. Their increasing participation in cross-border mergers and acquisitions has raised great attention in the extant literature. This study evaluates the value creation from these cross-border transactions from two representative emerging countries, namely China and India, and determines factors that result in the different performance of these international acquisition activities. Cross-border acquisitions conducted by these countries’ companies indeed lead to significant shareholder wealth creation. Furthermore, Indian shareholders are more likely to benefit from deals in small cultural distance countries, while Chinese investors gain from the cross-border expansion of manufacturing companies. Location also affects the performance of cross-border acquisitions, with acquisitions into developed countries generating higher returns to shareholders. Our sample consists of 203 Indian and 63 Chinese cross-border deals over the period 2000–2010 and our results hold after controlling for various deal-level and firm-level characteristics.

Blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol targets for prevention of recurrent strokes and cognitive decline in the hypertensive patient: design of the European Society of Hypertension-Chinese Hypertension League Stroke in Hypertension Optimal Treatment randomized trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The SBP values to be achieved by antihypertensive therapy in order to maximize reduction of cardiovascular outcomes are unknown; neither is it clear whether in patients with a previous cardiovascular event, the optimal values are lower than in the low-to-moderate risk hypertensive patients, or a more cautious blood pressure (BP) reduction should be obtained. Because of the uncertainty whether 'the lower the better' or the 'J-curve' hypothesis is correct, the European Society of Hypertension and the Chinese Hypertension League have promoted a randomized trial comparing antihypertensive treatment strategies aiming at three different SBP targets in hypertensive patients with a recent stroke or transient ischaemic attack. As the optimal level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level is also unknown in these patients, LDL-C-lowering has been included in the design. PROTOCOL DESIGN: The European Society of Hypertension-Chinese Hypertension League Stroke in Hypertension Optimal Treatment trial is a prospective multinational, randomized trial with a 3 × 2 factorial design comparing: three different SBP targets (1, <145-135; 2, <135-125; 3, <125 mmHg); two different LDL-C targets (target A, 2.8-1.8; target B, <1.8 mmol/l). The trial is to be conducted on 7500 patients aged at least 65 years (2500 in Europe, 5000 in China) with hypertension and a stroke or transient ischaemic attack 1-6 months before randomization. Antihypertensive and statin treatments will be initiated or modified using suitable registered agents chosen by the investigators, in order to maintain patients within the randomized SBP and LDL-C windows. All patients will be followed up every 3 months for BP and every 6 months for LDL-C. Ambulatory BP will be measured yearly. OUTCOMES: Primary outcome is time to stroke (fatal and non-fatal). Important secondary outcomes are: time to first major cardiovascular event; cognitive decline (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and dementia. All major outcomes will be adjudicated by committees blind to randomized allocation. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board has open access to data and can recommend trial interruption for safety. SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATION: It has been calculated that 925 patients would reach the primary outcome after a mean 4-year follow-up, and this should provide at least 80% power to detect a 25% stroke difference between SBP targets and a 20% difference between LDL-C targets.

Easing transition and promoting a positive student experience within an international partnership scheme for British and Chinese teachers

This article investigates the needs and challenges of a group of Chinese secondary school teachers in their transition to postgraduate studies in the UK in the context of a British-Chinese partnership. The strategies and efforts of the host institution, local community and the Chinese students themselves to help ease the transition and promote a positive student experience are discussed. The article highlights the sociological processes of international postgraduate student transition and contributes to our understanding of issues of student support pertinent to international partnership arrangements.

Social milieus and worldviews in Mamluk adab-encyclopedias: The example of poverty and wealth

The economic and cultural rise of parts of the ʿāmma due to the particular economic and infrastructural conditions of the Mamluk era fostered the emergence of new intermediate levels of literature that were situated between the literature of the elite and that of the utterly ignorant and unlettered populace, between the Arabic koiné (al-ʿarabīya al-fuṣḥā) and the local dialects (ʿāmmīya-s), between written and oral composition, performance and transmission. The paper proposes to analyze the composition of three Mamluk adab-encyclopedias and their treatment of poverty and wealth in light of the social milieus of their authors and publics.

ARRANGEMENT OF GENE LOCI IN EUPLOID CHINESE HAMSTER CELLS AND GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF REARRANGEMENT IN CHO CELLS

In both euploid Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) cells and pseudodiploid Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, gene assignments were accomplished by G band chromosome and isozyme analysis (32 isozymes) of interspecific somatic cell hybrids obtained after HAT selection of mouse CL 1D (TK('-)) cells which were PEG-fused with either euploid Chinese hamster cells or HPRT('-) CHO cells. Hybrids slowly segregated hamster chromosomes. Clone panels consisting of independent hybrid clones and subclones containing different combinations of Chinese hamster chromosomes and isozymes were established from each type of fusion.^ These clone panels enabled us to provisionally assign the loci for: nucleoside phosphorylase (NP), glyoxalase (GLO), glutathione reductase (GSR), adenosine kinase (ADK), esterase D (ESD), peptidases B and S (PEPB and -S) and phosphoglucomutase 2 (PGM2, human nomenclature) to chromosome 1; adenylate kinase 1 (AK1), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and inosine triosephosphatase (ITP) to chromosome 6; triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) to chromosome 8; and glucose phosphate isomerse (GPI) and peptidase D (PEPD) to chromosome 9.^ We also confirm the assignments of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD), PGM1, enolase 1 (ENO1) and diptheria toxin sensitivity (DTS) to chromosome 2 as well as provisionally assign galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) and AK2 to chromosome 2. Selection in either HAT or BrdU for hybrids that had retained or lost the chromosome carrying the locus for TK enabled us to assign the loci for TK, galactokinase (GALK) and acid phosphatase 1 (ACP1) to Chinese hamster chromosome 7.^ These results are discussed in relation to current theories on the basis for high frequency of drug resistant autosomal recessive mutants in CHO cells and conservation of mammalian autosomal linkage groups. ^

The genetic link between the Chinese bamboo partridge (Bambusicola thoracica) and the chicken and junglefowls of the genus Gallus.

Further comparison of mitochondrial control-region DNA base sequences of 16 avian species belonging to the subfamily Phasianinae revealed the following: (i) Generalized perdicine birds (quails and partridges) are of ancient lineages. Even the closest pair, the common quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and the Chinese bamboo partridge (Bambusicola thoracica), maintained only 85.71% identity. (ii) The 12 species of phasianine birds previously and presently studied belonged to three distinct branches. The first branch was made exclusively of members of the genus Gallus, while the second branch was made of pheasants of the genera Phasianus, Chrysolophus, and Syrmaticus. Gallopheasants of the genus Lophura were distant cousins to these pheasants. The great argus (Argusianus argus) and peafowls of the genus Pavo constituted the third branch. The position of peacock-pheasants of the genus Polyplectron in the third branch was similar to that of the genus Lophura in the second branch. Members of the fourth phasianine branch, such as tragopans and monals, were not included in the present study. (iii) The one perdicine species, Bambusicola thoracica, was more closely related to phasianine genera Gallus and Pavo than to members of other perdicine genera. The above might indicate that Bambusicola belong to one-stem perdicine lineage that later splits into two sublineages that yielded phasianine birds, one evolving to Gallus, and the other differentiating toward Pavo and its allies.

Chinese Intellectuals and China`s Policy toward Japan

This dissertation aims at integrating two scholarships: state-society relation studies and Chinese foreign policy analysis. I created Two-level Perception Gap Model to analyze different intellectual groups' relations with party-state by confirming Chinese intellectuals play a role in CFP making in general, China's Japan policy in particular. This model is an alternative approach, instead of conventional wisdom patron-client approach, to explain and analyze the pluralized intellectual-state relations in China. This model first analyzed the role of two intellectual groups, namely think tank scholars and popular nationalist, in China's Japan policy making, and then based on these analyses it explains the interactional patterns between these two intellectual groups and party-state. I used three case studies, which represented different types of issue, Chinese attitude toward the U.S.-Japan alliance and the Japanese defense policy, the controversy over the Yasukuni Shrine Visit, and the territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, to examine this model. First, I examined think tank scholar groups and the extent they influenced "core interest issue and sensitive issue (Issue 1)," Chinese attitude toward the U.S.-Japan alliance and the Japanese defense policy, and their international patterns with party-state. Chapter 3 compares the responses of Chinese officials to the changes in the defense policy of Japan to the analyses from the think tank scholars. As the model assumes, results show that think tank scholars' analyses are consistent with China's policy position; nevertheless, it is difficult to confirm their analyses have influence on Chinese attitude toward the U.S.-Japan alliance and the Japanese defense policy. Based on the analysis of journal articles, most articles do not provide policy suggestions or simply provide suggestions that do not deviate from the policy. As Gu's theory of pluralist institutionalism and my hypothesis points out, most think tank scholars are establishment intellectuals so they tend to be self-disciplined. Second, this model provide a new concept "patriotic dilemma" for analyzing the challenge and constraints brought by popular nationalist discourses and public mobilization to Chinese foreign policy decision makers. Chapter 4 investigated the cases study of the controversy over the Yasukuni Shrine Visit, defined as "major/minor interest issue/ sensitive issue (Issue 3)," and the discourses from the popular nationalist, mainly focusing on anti-Japanese activists. The chapter also observes their influence on nationalist public opinions and analyzes how the nationalist public opinions constrain the policy choices among decision makers. Results strongly supported the hypothesis of patriotic dilemma that, although the popular nationalist group and public opinions constrained the policy choices of Chinese decision makers in the short term, they were unable to change the fundamental policy direction. Third, chapter 5 also focuses on anti-Japanese activists and examines the model with the case of the territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. The result supported that hypothesis that China's policy change was not because of the influence from popular nationalist's discourses or public opinions but because of the change of priority of this issue, from major/minor interest issue to core interest issue. These two chapters also indicate that the patron-client model is unable to describe the popular nationalist. An alternative approach, such as the concept "patriotic dilemma" is needed to describe the relations between the popular nationalist and the government.

Coordinations in business interactions between Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese and western actors

Hong Kong firms continue to play an important role in the development of mainland China trade. This paper studies the nature of coordinations in triadic interactions between Hong Kong Chinese intermediaries and mainland Chinese sellers, and buyers from the West, and their impact on relationships development. Contrary to popular belief, the results presented here identify that interactions between Hong Kong intermediaries and mainland Chinese sellers tend to include relationships based on price and authority. These interactions tend to be classical in nature, and serve to hinder the development of relationships. On the other hand, interactions between buyers from the West and Hong Kong intermediaries tend to be relational in nature. They include different forms of personal relationships, which tends to be positive for the development of relationships. A new plural form of international business relationship triad is also identified.

Chinese social location and ethnic newspaper exposure

No abstract

Anger rumination and self-reported aggression amongst British and Hong Kong Chinese athletes: a cross cultural comparison

Previous work has determined relationships between provocation, anger rumination, and aggression in British athletes (Maxwell, 2004); however, the reliability of these findings and their generality across diverse cultures has not been examined. Therefore, a comparison of British and Hong Kong (HK) Chinese athletes’ propensity for rumination and aggression was undertaken. Provocation and thoughts of revenge were significantly associated with the self-reported aggression of both British and HK Chinese athletes. Frequency of aggression was similar across cultures except for a tendency for British male contact sport athletes to report greater frequency of aggressive behaviour. HK Chinese athletes tended to report higher frequencies of thoughts relating to understanding the causes of anger and higher incidence of perceived provocation. It was concluded that the pattern of aggressive behaviour was similar across the two cultures when opportunities for aggression are infrequent, but that HK Chinese athletes may inhibit aggressive responding even when opportunities are frequent.

Cross-cultural variations in climate for autonomy, stress and organizational productivity relationships:A comparison of Chinese and UK manufacturing organizations

Cross-cultural researchers have questioned the extent to which European–American management practices can be transported to major markets in Asia, such as the People's Republic of China. Applying employee involvement theory, we examined the relationships between climate for autonomy, work demands climate, employee stress and organizational productivity in a cross-national study of 51 UK and 104 Chinese manufacturing organizations. We predicted and found that climate for autonomy was positively and negatively related to stress in the Chinese and UK contexts, respectively. The interaction of climate for autonomy and work demands climate was significant: climate for autonomy was positively related to organizational productivity only when work demands climate was low.

Chinese and British Hotels: Cultural Differences and Management

Rapid tourism development in China has led to an influx of hotels invested in and operated by multi-national hotel companies. The authors examine the impact of cultural differences on employee behavior in China and UK hotels and offer recommendations for expatriate hotel managers to effectively develop human resource management styles while operating properties in China.