Hao Yanli. / "July 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-134). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

骺軟骨板是位於長骨骨骺的一個軟骨結構，其主要功用為使骨骼延伸生長。 若人類骺軟骨板基因出現障礙，骨骼生長往往會受到嚴重的影響，使骨骼變得短小、畸形，造成殘障。此外，一些後天的系統性失調也會損害骺軟骨板的正常運作，導致矮小症。現今常用來醫治骨骼生長障礙的包括重組的人類生長荷爾蒙。然而，它的功效並非顯著，亦帶來很多的副作用；因此，我們希望能尋求更好的醫治方法。 / 近有的研究結果顯示，很多的內分泌及分泌因子能夠刺激骺軟骨板進行軟骨增生。但是，研究者卻往往未能將這些因子轉化及運用作醫療用途，原因是它們通常都是局部性地於骺軟骨板產出及發生效用。倘若以上提及的生長因子能給骺軟骨板的靶子蛋白鏈準確地被帶往骺軟骨板，那麼這些因子便能有效地被利用作治療用途，而其效能亦會給大大提高，副作用也會被減低。因此，我們現在進行研究的首要目標為於採用噬菌體展示和酵母展示方法， 尋找那些能認辨出骺軟骨板的靶子蛋白鏈及單鏈抗體。 / 於噬菌體展示庫裡，我們找出了兩條能認辨出小鼠骨骼軟骨細胞的靶子蛋白鏈 － C1 (RLDPTSYLRTFW) 和 C19 (HDSQLEALIKFM)。然而於體外測試實驗中， 它們對軟骨細胞及細胞外基質只擁有中度的親近性和特異性。此後，於酵母展示庫裡，我們亦發現三條可認辨某骺軟骨板蛋白的單鏈抗體 － 它們的親近性甚高 (達至1 nM)，而其對軟骨組織的特異性也為良好 (它們只認辨軟骨組織，但卻沒能認辨出其他的軟組織，包括腦、心臟、肝臟、肺臟、腎臟、脾臟、小腸及肌肉)。 其後，於小鼠胚胎免疫染色測試實驗中，這些單鏈抗體只亦選擇地認辨軟骨組織。再者，當這些單鏈抗體被注射入小鼠的靜脈中，它們也會準確地停留在軟骨組織裡，顯示出其特異性於體內測試實驗中亦存在。 / 總括而言，利用噬菌體展示和酵母展示方法，我們發現了一些能認辨出骺軟骨板的靶子蛋白鏈及單鏈抗體。這些單鏈抗體擁有對軟骨組織非常高的親近性和特異性。我們預計，若然將這些單鏈抗體和內分泌及分泌因子連結在一起，它們或能成為醫治骨骼生長障礙的新方法。 / The growth plate is a specialized cartilage structure at the ends of long bones that is responsible for bone elongation. Many human genetic disorders of the growth plate impair skeletal growth, often resulting in bones that are severely short and malformed, causing serious disability. Many acquired systemic disorders also impair growth plate function, causing short stature. Currently, recombinant human growth hormone is used to treat growth disorders, but it has limited efficacy for severe diseases and causes significant adverse effects. / Recent studies have identified many endocrine and paracrine factors that are capable of promoting chondrogenesis at the growth plate. However, the development of these molecules into effective therapies has been hampered by their action mechanism; they are produced locally and act locally in the growth plate and thus fail to lend themselves to systemic therapeutic approaches. We envisioned that, if these growth factors could be linked to growth plate-targeting peptides or polypeptides and then administered systemically, these molecules might provide a better treatment strategy for growth disorders because targeting might augment the therapeutic effect on the growth plate but diminish undesirable effects on non-target tissues. Toward this goal, we sought to identify peptides and antibody fragments that bind to cartilage tissue using phage display and yeast display technologies. / We used a phage display library that expressed linear peptides of 12 random amino acids on the phage surface and then selected for binding to murine primary cultured chondrocytes. This approach successfully identified two peptides, namely C1 (RLDPTSYLRTFW) and C19 (HDSQLEALIKFM), which exhibited moderate binding affinity and specificity to chondrocytes and extracellular matrix in vitro. We also used a yeast display library to identify three single-chain variable(scFv) antibody fragments that bound strongly to a growth plate-specific protein(EC50 values less than 1 nM). These antibody fragments demonstrated specific binding in vitro to homogenates of cartilage tissues, but not homogenates of brain, heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen, small intestine, or muscle. Moreover, they also exhibited tissue-specific binding to cartilage structures in sections of mouse embryos. When these purified antibody fragments were injected intravenously in mice, they localized to cartilage and were not detectable in other tissues, including brain, heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen, small intestine, or muscle, indicating that the antibody fragments were capable of specifically targeting cartilage tissue in vivo. / In conclusion, we employed phage display and yeast display methods to identify peptides and antibody fragments that bind to cartilage tissues. The selected antibody fragments showed particularly high binding affinity and specificity to cartilage. Conjugating these antibody fragments to endocrine and paracrine signaling molecules has the potential to provide targeted therapy for growth plate disorders. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Cheung, Sao Fong. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-102). / Abstracts also in Chinese.

Orientador: Lídia Parsekian Martins / Banca: Luiz Gonzaga Gandini Júnior / Banca: Dirceu Barnabé Raveli / Banca: Adriano Marotta Araújo / Banca: Cláudio de Gois Nery / Resumo: Introdução: O presente trabalho foi consubstanciado em três capítulos como se seguem: Capítulo I - Crescimento mandibular e desenvolvimento dentoalveolar no tratamento da Classe II, divisão 1, com bionator de Balters em função da maturidade esquelética; Capítulo II - Influência da época de tratamento, no processo de crescimento e desenvolvimento mandibular e dentoalveolar, durante a correção da má oclusão de Classe II, divisão 1, com a utilização do bionator de Balters e, 3- Influência do Bionator de Balters no processo de crescimento e desenvolvimento mandibular e dentoalveolar, durante a correção da má oclusão de Classe II, divisão 1. Material e Método: Na realização dos três capítulos do trabalho, foram utilizadas telerradiografias laterais em 45 graus de crianças Classe II divisão 1, com retrusão mandibular acompanhadas sem tratamento ou durante o tratamento com o aparelho bionator de Balters. Superposições mandibulares orientadas por referências fixas e estáveis representadas por implantes metálicos de tântalo inseridos na região anterior e posterior do corpo da mandíbula foram utilizadas para avaliação das mudanças no crescimento da mandíbula (corpo, ramo e base) e mudanças na erupção dos dentes decíduos e permanentes. Capítulo I: Foram avaliados 3 grupos de crianças Classe II divisão 1, dois tratados pelo período de um ano com o aparelho bionator de Balters (Grupo 1: 6 crianças com 7 a 8 anos e Grupo 2: 10 crianças com 9 a 10 anos) e um sem tratamento (Grupo controle: 7 crianças com 8 a 9 anos). Capítulo II - Foram avaliados 4 grupos em diferentes tempos de tratamento: Grupos 1 e 2, pacientes com idades esqueléticas variando de 7 a 8,5 anos de idade (10pacientes) e dos 9,3 aos 10,7 anos (10pacientes) respectivamente, tratados por 1 ano com o bionator de Balters. Grupos 3 e 4, pacientes com idades esqueléticas variando... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Introduction: The actual study was structured in three chapters. Chapter I: Mandibular growth and dentoalveolar development in the treatment of the Class II division 1 malocclusion with the bionator of Balters according to the skeletal maturation. Chapter II: Influence of the bionator of Balters treatment phase, in the process of mandibular and dentoalveolar growth and development, during the correction of the Class II, division 1 malocclusion. Chapter III: Evaluation of the Bionator of Balters influence in the mandibular and dentoalveolar growth and development process, during the correction of Class II division 1 malocclusion. Material e Method: It was used in the three chapters, lateral 45 degree cephalometric radiographs of Class II division 1 children with mandibular deficiency, followed without treatment or during the treatment with the orthopedic appliance bionator of Balters. Mandibular superposition using tantalun metallic implants as fixed and stable references positioned in the anterior and posterior mandibular body were used for evaluation of the growth modifications of the mandible (condyle, ramus and base of the mandible) and of the eruption changes of the deciduous and permanent teeth. Chapter I: Three groups of children with Class II division 1 malocclusion were evaluated. Two of them were treated for one year with the bionator of Balters appliance in different skeletal ages (Group 1: 6 children 7 to 8 years old and Group 2: 10 children 9 to 10 years old) and the other one was followed without treatment (Control Group: 7 children 8 to 9 years old). Chapter II: Four groups of children with Class II division 1 treated with the bionator of Balters were evaluated: Groups 1 and 2 - Patients with skeletal age ranging from 7 to 8,5 years(10patients) and 9,3 to 10,7 years(10patients) respectively, treated for the first year with the appliance... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The objectives of the study are to assess the fiscal sustainability and development impacts of Ghana’s fiscal rule for allocating petroleum revenues to the annual budget against alternative fiscal rules - the permanent income and the bird-in-hand rules. Fiscal sustainability is measured by government long-term fiscal space in proportion to non-oil GDP, whilst development impacts are measured through a dynamic CGE model of Ghana. Generally, the study makes four important findings on how fiscal policy triggered by the inflow of new petroleum revenues could affect the long-term fiscal sustainability and growth of the economy. One, Ghana’s fiscal rule is neither fiscally sustainable nor provide higher impacts of petroleum revenues on economic development relative to the permanent income and the bird-in-hand rules. Two, fiscal sustainability does not necessarily lead to greater development outcomes. The bird-in-hand rule is the most fiscally sustainable, but the permanent income rule provides higher development outcomes and can move Ghana’s transformation towards a full middle income status. Three, institutional quality in a country could lead to efficiency gains in government spending. Four, efficiency in government spending could improve on development outcomes. Ghana could therefore benefit from its petroleum revenues by adopting the permanent income rule; and with temporary petroleum revenues, the focus of the country should be on current investment of petroleum revenues in building the country’s asset base to support short-term and long-term growth of the economy. However, this should be complemented with strengthening the quality of institutional arrangements to enhance efficiency in government spending.

Despite the abundance of theoretical literature on and qualitative analyses of relocating manufacturing production, consequences of offshoring on labor markets, and foreign trade policy, very little empirical analysis has been conducted in order to examine the trends and patterns in economic variables that led to the rise in manufacturing offshoring in the first place. Focusing on the U.S. manufacturing offshoring to China, this thesis uses a comprehensive dataset of labor compensation costs and labor productivity for 20 manufacturing industries across 27 years for China and the United States to investigate the relationship between U.S. offshoring and productivity per wage for a unit of labor (α) in China vis-a-vis the U.S. I find that the effect of α on growth in offshoring across industries is not only positive but also statistically significant. Further, this thesis also attempts to combine empirical findings with a qualitative analysis of the prominent trends in the data that might help understand the S-shape of the offshoring curve over three periods (or states of the curve): rise (1990-1999), rule (2000-2008), and graduation (2009-2016).

Mexico’s education system ranks among the lowest in terms of quality and achievement levels. Given the importance of education for a country’s economic development, it is crucial to understand how improvements in Mexico’s education quality can result in economic growth for the country. This thesis aims to create awareness about how the quality of learning rather than total schooling can result in improving Mexico’s economic development. First, a general literature review provides significant findings of the quality of education, the difference between learning and schooling, and educational equity, and its effects on economic development. Moreover, a detailed overview of the Mexican education system demonstrates critical aspects that distinguish Mexico’s public education system. Finally, various issues facing Mexico are introduced, including violence and corruption, that can impact Mexico’s economic underperformance by enhancing education quality. This thesis concludes with three policy recommendations for tackling Mexico’s poor education quality while being strategic on their potential economic benefits.

This paper investigates factors that affect gender-based differences in intra-household bargaining power that are reflected in consumption decisions regarding the adoption of green technology. Using data from the Indian Human Development Survey-II and a probit regression analysis, I find that increasing the level of a woman’s education (a proxy for increasing bargaining power) increases the likelihood of her household adopting LPG, the cleanest fuel option available. I also create an experimental design to serve as a next step for future research and target data collection on individual-level factors and environmental outcomes. The setup is for a potential intervention that assesses whether there are gender-based differences in the propensity for men and women to purchase improved cookstoves, given increased access to credit as a means to increase bargaining power in the household.

Destructive events such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks occur not only in developing economies but also developed economies. Consequently, the response of these economies has been observed in case of both type of events. This dissertation is a collection of essays regarding natural disasters, terrorist attacks and the macroeconomy. Specifically, I examine the response of local labor markets that reflect a wide spectrum of economies, but also have a safety-net in the form of being part of a developed country in the aftermath of a violent tornado. Further, I explore the heterogeneity in the economies response to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Additionally, I investigate the effects of terrorism on growth and its disaggregated value added components. The first chapter focuses on the effects of tornadoes on local labor markets. I examine the change in local labor markets caused by extreme tornadoes that occur in counties of the contiguous United States. I also investigate the effect these tornadoes have on neighboring counties and evaluate the labor market response in urban and rural counties separately as well. Using a generalized difference-in-difference approach on quarterly data spanning from 1975 to 2016, I find that counties experience persistently higher wages per worker two years following a violent tornado. The effects on urban county can be observed on employment, while the effect in the rural county is observed on wages per worker. Further, evaluating the response of labor markets by sectors reveals the industrial sectors that experience increased labor market activity. The second chapter evaluates the long-run effects of natural disasters and terrorist attacks on growth and the channels through which they affect growth. Using the conceptual framework of a Solow-Swan model I examine an unbalanced annual panel of 125 countries spanning from 1970 to 2015 and find that domestic terrorist attacks, floods, and storms have a similar negative effect on growth, while transnational terrorist attacks and earthquakes have no significant effect on growth. Examining the channels through which they affect growth brings to the forefront the differences between these different types of events. I find that domestic terrorist attacks lead to increased military expenditures in their wake, while floods lead to increased non-military expenditures in their aftermath. Reviewing the data by developed and emerging economies reveals that developed economies are better able to absorb the shock of terrorist attacks as well as natural disasters. I find that although emerging economies are able to absorb the shock of transnational and domestic terrorist attacks, they experience some adverse effects from floods and storms. The third chapter examines the path of GDP growth and its disaggregated industrial, service, and agricultural sector value added components in the aftermath of two types of terrorism - transnational and domestic terrorism. Using a panel VAR model on cross country annual data from 1970 to 2015 I find that fatalities caused by neither domestic nor transnational terrorist attacks lead to a significant change in GDP growth. Examining the disaggregated industrial, service, and agricultural sector components of GDP growth reveals that even disaggregated the value added components of GDP growth experience no adverse effects from the deaths caused by transnational and domestic terrorist attacks. I also distinguish the emerging economies from the entire sample to find that GDP growth in emerging economies experience no significant effects due to the casualties of transnational and domestic terrorist attacks.

This dissertation explores the effects of factors such as industrial policy and listing on the stock market on manufacturing firms’ profitability and productivity. The second chapter investigates the effect of industrial policies on misallocation using a rich data-set of Chinese firms. Using a difference-in-difference approach, I provide evidence that government policies (i.e. the 10th Five Year Plan) favoring particular industries lead to increased misallocation (i.e., an increase in the dispersion of revenue productivity across firms in four-digit industries). Moreover, the differential changes between industries supported and not supported by the 10th Five Year Plan are quantitatively large and indicative of a substantial negative impact on aggregate TFP. Using a changes-in-changes model, I find evidence that the Five Year Plan had a positive and significant effect for most of the TFPR distribution while the effect was negative for the lowest quintile of TFPQ and positive for the highest TFPQ quintile. The results suggest increased misallocation is related to the way in which the Chinese government doled out support through the increase of subsidies and the improvement of credit conditions for a subset of firms. In the third chapter, I study the heterogeneous effects of an industrial policy -the 10th Five Year Plan on misallocation, profitability and real technology in Chinese provinces with different mix of supported intensities. I find that the 10th Five Year Plan increased misallocation, profitability and technology of supported industries in provinces with higher supporting intensities. After controlling the effects of China’s state-owned enterprise (SOE) reforms and joining into World Trade Organization (WTO), the results are still robust and consistent. In the fourth chapter, I investigate the effects of listing on the stock market on firm’s profitability and technology. Using Chinese firm level data, I identify listing firms, and compute revenue productivity and physical productivity to measure profitability and technology, respectively. To deal with the endogenous problem of listing, I use the number of investment banks as instrument variable. With a difference-in-difference model, I find that listing increases firm’s profitability and technology. Empirical findings also reveal that listing changes characteristics of firms, such as asset, liability and capital structure.

The purpose of this study is to present a descriptive analysis of the active participants in a voluntary association concerned with community development. This analysis will focus upon description and discussion of the socio-demographic characteristics of the active members of the organization. Some of the attitudinal factors which operated to motivate and sustain participation in the organization will also be examined. Before proceeding with discussion of the theoretical background for the study, the community and its history relative to development of the organization will be described.