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In the context of the resource allocation hypothesis regarding the trade-off between growth and defence, compared with native species, invasive species generally allocate more energy to growth and less energy to defence. However, it remains unclear how global change and nutrient enrichment will influence the competition between invasive species and co-occurring native species. Here, we tested whether nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition under elevated CO2 causes invasive species (Mikania micrantha and Chromolaena odorata) to produce greater biomass, higher growth-related compounds and lower defence-related compounds than native plants (Paederia scandens and Eupatorium chinense). We grew these native and invasive species with similar morphology with the addition of N and P under elevated CO2 in open-top chambers. The addition of N alone increased the relative growth rate (RGR) by 5.4% in invasive species, and its combination with P addition or elevated CO2 significantly increased the RGR of invasive species by 7.5 or 8.1%, respectively, and to a level higher than that of native species (by 14.4%, P  < 0.01). Combined N + P addition under elevated CO2 decreased the amount of defence-related compounds in the leaf, including lipids (by 17.7%) and total structural carbohydrates (by 29.0%), whereas it increased the growth-related compounds in the leaf, including proteins (by 75.7%), minerals (by 9.6%) and total non-structural carbohydrates (by 8.5%). The increased concentrations of growth-related compounds were possibly associated with the increase in ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase content and mineral nutrition (magnesium, iron and calcium), all of which were higher in the invasive species than in the native species. These results suggest that rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and N deposition combined with nutrient enrichment will increase the growth of invasive species more than that of native species. Our result also suggests that invasive species respond more readily to produce growth-related compounds under an increased soil nutrient availability and elevated CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As environmental conservation and sustainability gain prominence globally, modern timber structures are receiving increased focus. Nonetheless, the combustible nature of timber raises significant fire safety concerns. This review explores the recent advancements in fire safety engineering for timber structures, emphasizing both contemporary high-rise buildings and historical timber constructions. It covers topics like inherently safer design principles, fire risk prediction, and evacuation methodologies. The review emphasizes the criticality of selecting suitable materials, structural design, firefighting systems, and advanced sensor technologies for early fire detection. Additionally, we analyze and compares various evacuation strategies, offering insights into the challenges and future directions for fire safety in modern timber structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor tumour accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) severely hampers the therapeutic efficacy of NPs, which is mainly attributed to the inadequate drug distribution within tumour tissues. Developing an intracellular in situ assembling system (IIAS) that can form micro-sized aggregations as drug depots for the prolonged retention of drugs inside tumour cells and deeply penetrate tumour tissues owing to the initial small size of the NPs is a promising strategy for enhancing the tumour accumulation of drugs and improving their chemotherapeutic efficacy. Herein, smart in situ assembling nanoparticles (named DOX-uNPs) with an ultrasmall size of approximately 8 nm were prepared by encapsulating doxorubicin (DOX) into the hydrophobic domains of human serum albumin (HSA). After extravasating into tumour cells, the DOX-uNPs aggregated into micro-sized particles as drug depots through a thio-disulfide exchange reaction between neighboring nanoparticles triggered by the elevated level of reduced glutathione (GSH) to achieve the sustained release of DOX, which was visually confirmed by the fluorescent imaging of the sections of tumours after systemic administration. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-lymphoma results of the DOX-uNPs demonstrated a dramatic tumour reduction of approximately 71% when compared with free DOX. Thus, this smart in situ aggregating nanoparticles system provides a promising nanoplatform for both deep tumour penetration and prolonged tumour retention, which is a robust strategy for higher tumour accumulation of intracellular targeted drugs for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to aldehydes has been linked to adverse health outcomes such as inflammation and oxidative stress, but research on the effects of these compounds is limited. This study is aimed at assessing the association between aldehyde exposure and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Methods: The study used data from the NHANES 2013–2014 survey (n = 766) and employed multivariate linear models to investigate the relationship between aldehyde compounds and various markers of inflammation (alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and lymphocyte count) and oxidative stress (bilirubin, albumin, and iron levels) while controlling for other relevant factors. In addition to generalized linear regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analyses were applied to examine the single or overall effect of aldehyde compounds on the outcomes. Results: In the multivariate linear regression model, each 1 standard deviation (SD) change in propanaldehyde and butyraldehyde was significantly associated with increases in serum iron levels (beta and 95% confidence interval, 3.25 (0.24, 6.27) and 8.40 (0.97, 15.83), respectively) and the lymphocyte count (0.10 (0.04, 0.16) and 0.18 (0.03, 0.34), respectively). In the WQS regression model, a significant association was discovered between the WQS index and both the albumin and iron levels. Furthermore, the results of the BKMR analysis showed that the overall impact of aldehyde compounds was significantly and positively correlated with the lymphocyte count, as well as the levels of albumin and iron, suggesting that these compounds may contribute to increased oxidative stress. Conclusions: This study reveals the close association between single or overall aldehyde compounds and markers of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which has essential guiding value for exploring the impact of environmental pollutants on population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Administration of long-acting injectable suspensions is an increasingly common approach to increasing patient compliance and improving therapeutic efficacy through less frequent dosing. While several long-acting suspensions have recently been marketed, parameters modulating drug absorption from suspension-based formulations are not well understood. Further, methods for predicting clinical pharmacokinetic data from preclinical studies are not well established. Together, these limitations hamper compound selection, formulation design and formulation selection through heavy reliance on iterative optimization in preclinical and clinical studies. This article identifies key parameters influencing absorption from suspension-based formulations through compilation and analysis of preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetic data of seven compounds marketed as suspensions; achievable margins for predicting the clinical dose and input rate from preclinical studies as a function of the preclinical species, the clinical injection location and the intended therapeutic duration were also established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political elites have a tremendous influence on past, present and future socioeconomic and political developments in both western and non-western countries. Unsurprisingly, the analysis of China's elites has been crucial in the study of politics there. A large body of literature has examined the members of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, a stronghold of the nation's political elites. Given the growing interest and research on elite politics in the PRC in recent years, this paper reviews studies of the pathways to political power and the personal qualifications of the members of the Central Committee that are central to studies of elite Chinese politics. This review paper is organized both chronologically and thematically. It shows a shift away from the study of demographics of Central Committee members toward theorizing of how recruitment into the Central Committee works. Some scholars have theorized succession politics in China as the rise of technocracy, while others have used institutionalization and factional politics to explain how China's leaders are selected. This paper summarizes and identifies several theoretical and methodological issues in existing studies as an effort to advance research on succession politics and political evolution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energetic materials (EMs) are the core materials of weapons and equipment. Achieving precise molecular design and efficient green synthesis of EMs has long been one of the primary concerns of researchers around the world. Traditionally, advanced materials were discovered through a trial-and-error processes, which required long research and development (R&D) cycles and high costs. In recent years, the machine learning (ML) method has matured into a tool that compliments and aids experimental studies for predicting and designing advanced EMs. This paper reviews the critical process of ML methods to discover and predict EMs, including data preparation, feature extraction, model construction, and model performance evaluation. The main ideas and basic steps of applying ML methods are analyzed and outlined. The state-of-the-art research about ML applications in property prediction and inverse material design of EMs is further summarized. Finally, the existing challenges and the strategies for coping with challenges in the further applications of the ML methods are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental legislation is a key component of environmental governance. However, there is limited research on environmental law-making by legislators in non-Western countries in general and in authoritarian countries in particular. I develop a policy regime account of climate change legislation and use a rare source of data on environmental bills (N = 253,882) from Chinese deputies to narrow this knowledge gap. I discuss stakeholders, institutions, and discourse on policy purpose and examine three climate policy regimes in China for the period of 1992–2016. I argue that local leaders comply with the new version and related policy initiatives when a new leader comes to power in China, and deputies submit environmental bills in relation to the changing local policy priorities. Data analyses show the extent of environmental bill submissions and the changing roles of state intervention and citizen activism in environmental bill submissions in the three climate policy regimes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire accident is one of the significant threats to the urban utility tunnel (UUT) during operation, and the emergency response is challenging due to the compact tunnel structure and potential hazard sources involved. Traditional fire detection techniques are reviewed in this study, and it has been determined that their performance cannot satisfy the requirements for early fire incident detection. Integrating advanced sensing technologies and data-driven anomaly detection has recently been regarded as a feasible solution for intelligent safety system implementation. This article proposed an approach that utilized a fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) system and deep anomaly detection models to monitor the fire exotherm during the early stages of accidents. The variable fire exotherm is simulated with an embedded-system controlled electrical heating platform. Moreover, autoencoder (AE) based and convolutional neural network (CNN) based methods have been designed for anomaly detection. The temperature data collected from the FO-DTS in the experiment was employed as the training set for the data-driven models. Furthermore, the anomaly detection models were tested, and the results showed that the proposed CNN model can achieve a higher accuracy rate in detecting the simulated fire exotherm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and nitrogen (N) deposition are changing plant growth, physiological characteristics and chemical compositions; however, few studies have explored such impacts in a heavy metal-contaminated environment. In this study, we conducted an open-top chamber experiment to explore the impacts of 2 years of elevated atmospheric [CO2] and N addition on the growth, physiological characteristics and chemical compositions of five subtropical tree species in a cadmium (Cd)-contaminated environment. Results showed that N addition significantly increased concentration of leaf N and protein in five tree species and also decreased payback time (PBT) and leaf carbon:nitrogen ratios and increased tree relative height growth rate (RGR-H) and basal diameter growth rate (RGR-B) in Liquidambar formosana Hance and Syzygium hainanense Chang et Miau. Elevated [CO2] increased leaf maximum photosynthetic rate (A max) and concentration of total non-structural carbohydrates and shortened PBT to offset the negative effect of Cd contamination on RGR-B in Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. The combined effects of elevated [CO2] and N addition did not exceed their separate effects on RGR-H and RGR-B in Castanopsis hystrix Hook. f. & Thomson ex A. DC. and Cinnamomum camphora (L.) presl. The addition of N significantly increased the concentration of leaf Cd by 162.1% and 338.0%, and plant Cd bio-concentration factor by 464% and 861% in C. hystrix and C. camphora , respectively, compared with only Cd addition. Among the five tree species, the decrease in PBT and the increase in A max, RGR-B and concentrations of leaf protein in response to N and Cd addition under elevated [CO2] were on average 86.7% higher in A. auriculiformis than other species, suggesting that the mitigation of the negative effects of Cd pollution by elevated [CO2] and N addition among five species was species-specific. Overall, we concluded that N addition and elevated [CO2] reduced Cd toxicity and increased the growth rate in A. auriculiformis , S. hainanense and L. formosana , while it maintained the growth rate in C. hystrix and C. camphora by differently increasing photosynthetic rate, altering the leaf chemical compositions and shortening PBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plants rapidly spread in habitats with low soil phosphorus (P) availability and have triggered a sharp decline in the diversity of native species. However, no studies have explored how widespread invasive species acclimate to low soil P availability via changing foliar P fractions, especially under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) and nitrogen (N) deposition. Here, an open‐top chamber experiment was conducted to explore the effect of nutrient addition and elevated [CO2] on leaf traits and foliar functional P fractions (i.e., Pi, metabolite P, lipid P, nucleic acid P, and residual P) of two aggressive invasive species (Mikania micranatha and Chromolaena odorata). We found that foliar N/P ratios were more than 20, and P addition significantly increased plant biomass. Both results indicated P‐limited plant growth at our studied site. Elevated [CO2], N and N + P addition greatly increased plant biomass, photosynthetic rates, and photosynthetic P‐use efficiency (PPUE) in invasive species, but PPUE decreased with increasing P addition. Nitrogen addition slightly decreased the concentration of leaf total P, decreased foliar residual P, but increased metabolite P concentrations in invasive species. Similar changes in foliar P fractions were found under N + P addition. Phosphorus addition increased foliar P concentrations, which was strongly correlated with an increase in metabolite P concentrations in invasive species. Elevated [CO2] alleviated these effects and increased PPUE. The present results suggest that future elevated [CO2] and N deposition allow the invasive species to acclimate to low soil P availability and support their successful invasion by greatly reducing P allocation to non‐metabolite foliar P fractions (i.e., nucleic acid P and residual P) to meet their demand of metabolite P for photosynthesis and exhibit a high PPUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to develop a physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to describe and predict whole‐body disposition of doxorubicin following intravenous administration. The PBPK model was established using previously published data in mice and included 10 tissue compartments: lungs, heart, brain, muscle, kidneys, pancreas, intestine, liver, spleen, adipose tissue, and plasma. Individual tissues were described by either perfusion‐limited or permeability‐limited models. All parameters were simultaneously estimated and the final model was able to describe murine data with good precision. The model was used for predicting doxorubicin disposition in rats, rabbits, dogs, and humans using interspecies scaling approaches and was qualified using plasma and tissue observed data. Reasonable prediction of the plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution was achieved across all species. In conclusion, the PBPK model developed based on a rich dataset obtained from mice, was able to reasonably predict the disposition of doxorubicin in other preclinical species and humans. Applicability of the model for special populations, such as patients with hepatic impairment, was also demonstrated. The proposed model will be a valuable tool for optimization of exposure profiles of doxorubicin in human patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chengguan (城管) is part of the stability maintenance regime specializing in civil law enforcement in China. Many protests today have occurred in reaction to Chengguan harsh enforcement rather than police action. Using survey data (n = 1,721) from China, the authors found both severity and leniency in Chengguan law enforcement. The authors also found that Chengguan enforcement styles are largely conciliatory rather than legalistic, and that Chengguan officers are more likely to be harsh during politically important periods than during politically unimportant periods. The authors explain the temporal variation in Chengguan severity and leniency with three institutional factors of autocracy: resource constraints, upward accountability, and the politics of ritual events. This study offers a new account of law enforcement in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to develop a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to characterize the whole-body disposition of paclitaxel (formulated in Cremophor EL and ethanol—Taxol®) in mice and to evaluate the utility of this model for predicting pharmacokinetics in other species. Published studies that reported paclitaxel plasma and tissue concentration-time data following single intravenous bolus administration of Taxol® to mice were used; and the PBPK model included plasma, liver, lungs, kidneys, spleen, heart, gastrointestinal tract, and remainder compartments. The final model resulted in a good description of the experimental plasma and tissues data in mice, where all tissues were represented by a single compartment, except the remainder that included two sub-compartments. The predictive performance of the PBPK model was assessed by evaluating its utility in predicting pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel in rats and humans. The relationship between species body weights (mice, rats, rabbits, and humans) and plasma clearance was determined by power-based regression, and resulting allometric exponent was 0.86. The model demonstrated reasonable predictions of plasma and tissue paclitaxel concentration-time profiles in rats and plasma profiles in humans. The proposed PBPK model represents an important basis that can be further utilized for characterization of novel formulations of paclitaxel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study of the state frontline workforce breaks new ground by conducting an institutional analysis of rule abidance in the People's Republic of China ( PRC). We draw upon a survey ( n = 1,721) of Chengguan officers, the main players in regulatory enforcement of civil law in urban China, to explore the influence of autocratic one-party rule on the meaning of and variation in rule abidance in China. The majority of Chengguan officers are rule followers, and demographic differences show little deviation from this norm. However, institutional factors associated with one-party rule, particularly upward accountability, the privilege of administrative rank, and unequal access to power and resources, are significant in shaping differences in rule following among Chengguan officers. We conclude with a discussion of the similarities in institutional pressures on urban regulatory policing in China and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional analyses of the developmental state claim that the principal source of state capacity is internal cohesiveness, which is defined as the tendency for the rank and file of the civil service to be in unity while working together towards national goals. In the literature on the China model, the strong capacity of the Chinese state has been taken for granted, and internal cohesiveness in the Chinese bureaucracy has not been problematized. This knowledge gap is narrowed by studying data on the Bureau of Urban Management (i.e. Chengguan) in China. Recent studies are reviewed of bureaucratic logics and behaviour that question the extent of collaboration between higher authorities and their subordinates (i.e. vertical cohesiveness) in China. Next, the essay theorizes about how these bureaucratic logics may also undermine collaboration among government bureaus (horizontal cohesiveness). Background information is offered about Chengguan and reports on the challenges identified by Chengguan officers to work with people in other bureaus. The research does not find any solid evidence of horizontal cohesiveness in the Chinese bureaucracy. This calls for an effort to reassess the validity of the China model. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have cited socioeconomic status, cultural tastes, and group reference as the major determinants of class identification. Few have conceptualized minority ethnicity as a vital source of class subjectivities, however. I address this knowledge gap in this paper by examining Uyghur subjective class status in Ürümchi, China. I show that income and occupational attainment are not correlated with Uyghur choices of class labels. I also show that Uyghur ethnic identity affects their choices of class labels. I argue that Uyghurs think that they are a dominated group and compare themselves with Han Chinese unfavourably when defining their subjective class positions in Ürümchi. As a result, intergroup competition overshadows the variability in socioeconomic attainments among different Uyghur groups. The implications of these findings for research on class identification in multi-ethnic societies are discussed. Data are drawn from a survey (N = 900) conducted in Ürümchi in 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have shown that cadre status is associated with cadre earnings advantages in rural China. What is less clear from the published research is how political power is used by rural elites to generate personal gains. We narrow this knowledge gap by studying three main mechanisms whereby cadre privileges are reproduced in rural China. Using ethnographic data from three rural townships in Guangdong province, we show that local economies have been differentiated in the post-1978 era, leading to three different mechanisms with which village leaders in each of the three townships have maintained their earnings advantages respectively, i.e. local corporatism, informal bargaining and opportunistic parasitism. We predict that local corporatism will be the dominant model of the reproduction of cadre privileges in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising Uyghur ethnic consciousness in the post-1978 era is believed to cause tense Uyghur-Han relations and conflicts in Xinjiang. There are different accounts linking rising Uyghur consciousness with variables such as Han migration into Xinjiang, ethnic inequalities, Uyghur language, and Islamic religiosity. Yet there is no concrete effort to summarize, elaborate, and verify these accounts. Nor is there a quantitative study of the levels of Uyghur ethnic consciousness in Xinjiang. Using data from a survey (N = 799) conducted in Ürümchi in 2007, this paper shows a high level of ethnic consciousness among Uyghurs. It also shows that Uyghur consciousness is based more on cultural and psychological properties than on instrumental sentiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the inter-group difference in social leverage ties between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in Ürümchi, China. Social leverage ties refer to high-status ties such as professionals and managers who can provide egos with information or access to education, training, employment, etc. Existing studies have suggested three hypotheses (i.e. retention of culture, homophily and neighbourhood poverty) for the mechanisms of ethnic differences in network composition. Based on the survey data the author collected in 2005, this paper suggests another main mechanism – state policies – in explaining the ethnic variations. State policies have led to in-group association and ethnic inequalities, which have limited Uyghur access to high-status individuals. Data analysis shows the Uyghur–Han difference in social leverage ties controlling for key background characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper asks: do most Uyghurs perceive themselves to be middle class or lower class? What are the major determinants of their perceptions? Data are drawn from a 2007 survey (N = 900) conducted in Ürümchi in China. This paper focuses on individualized and subjective hierarchical differentiation and reports three main findings about class identity among Uyghurs. Firstly, class identity is not closely linked to occupational attainment and income among Uyghurs. However, education is a key determinant of Uyghur class identification. Secondly, psychological well-being measures are not predictors of the choice of class label by Uyghurs. Thirdly, ethnic consciousness is closely related to class identification among Uyghurs, holding main background characteristics constant. Uyghurs give more attention to their group concerns (discrimination, prejudices, intergroup inequality, etc.) than to their individual worries (such as unemployment or stress) when choosing a class label. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using survey data gathered in 2005, this paper examines Uyghur religiosity in Ürümchi, Xinjiang. Religiosity is defined in terms of religious self-identification and the frequency of prayers. I provide data on the distribution of religiosity and discuss some possible determinants of religiosity among Uyghur respondents in Ürümchi. Data analyses show that young Uyghurs, better educated Uyghurs, Uyghur professionals, and Uyghur state workers are less religious than other Uyghurs. The data also show a relationship between ethnic neighborhood composition and Uyghur religiosity. Uyghurs who live in areas either as the relative minority or as the relative majority are more religious than Uyghurs who live as the absolute minority or absolute majority in their neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have examined how human capital, geography, etc. have shaped patterns of ethnic inequality in China. This paper studies the role the state plays in producing inter-group disparities in China. It discusses the link between the state and minority threat and explains how the linkage produces ethnic variation in entry into the Chinese Communist Party. Data are drawn from two surveys (N = 3,619) on Han Chinese, Hui, and Uyghurs conducted in two Chinese cities in 2001. Controlling for background characteristics removes the Han–Uyghur difference in CCP membership attainment. In contrast, no similar patterns are found when Han Chinese are compared with Hui. This contrast is explained with reference to state reaction to ethnic variation in perceived group threat. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the effect of gender roles on earnings differentials between Han Chinese and Uyghurs in Ürümchi, China, using survey data (N = 1,600) from Ürümchi in 2005. It finds sizeable earnings differentials between Han Chinese and Uyghurs. However, the differences in income between Uyghur men and Han men fade away when socioeconomic variables are controlled for. No similar patterns are found among women. Earnings differentials between Uyghur women and Han women and between Uyghurs and Han Chinese disappear after the measures for family responsibilities are introduced into the earnings equation. The differences in socioeconomic status and family responsibilities between Uyghur women and Han women underlie the aggregate income inequality between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a dataset (n = 4,012) from a 2001 survey in Xinjiang, I examine the effect of minority status and social status on neighbouring behaviour in urban China. Data analysis indicates that Uyghur Muslims are more neighbouring than Han Chinese. However, there is no evidence that the Uyghur approach to neighbourhood interaction can be attributed to Uyghur culture as many inter-group differences fade away once ethnic parity in social status is attained. I use my study to consider some methodological approaches used in research on ethnic behaviour in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Elite formation in state socialism is a key issue in both comparative mobility research and political sociology. Several perspectives have been proposed to explain the relative role of political loyalty and education in political mobility: a dual career path model, a party-sponsored mobility hypothesis, and a technocracy thesis. I propose an alternative approach, emphasizing the role of functional differentiation and its effect on elite recruitment in China. Using a data set on top Chinese leaders (n =1588), I find that effects of political loyalty and technical training on elite recruitment are patterned by institutional arrangements. Data analysis supports my explanation of elite selection in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

I examine the role of network resources in job search in urban China between 1988 and 2000. Data are from a recent survey in a Chinese city. I show that personal networks still contribute positively to job search in the post-1988 period. Network resources are mobilized to influence both access to job information and assistance in job attainment. However, job seekers without university education have greater incentives than college graduates to use network resources in job search. These findings allow me to reflect upon four issues in network research: (1) the use of social contacts for job search in a competitive labour market, (2) the relationship between the use of network resources and the distribution of such resources in society, (3) the relationship between social status and the use of social contacts, and (4) strong ties and information gathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the general consensus on the importance of university degrees in leadership selection, researchers in elite studies have not focused on how education differentiates and stratifies elites. Many important questions remain unanswered, for example: Are the returns to education linear in different political institutions? Is the payoff to education allocated among different dimensions of educational attainment? Using a 1994 data set on top Chinese leaders, I show different effects of educational credentials on elite stratification in two major bureaucratic structures in China. I conclude with a discussion of the nature of the political elite in China and the implications of my study for future research on educational credentialism and elite stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) elected at the party's 14th Congress held in October 1992. Technocracy paradigm; Political technocracy as an alternative to the technocracy paradigm for the study of the post-Mao elite transformation; Political-technocratic leadership in post-Mao China; Demographic characteristics, geographic distribution and career patterns of the committee members.

Examines ethnic representation in the current Chinese leadership, while analyzing a longitudinal data set on demographic achievement and career paths of non-Han Chinese leaders. Ethnic representation in the Post-Mao Chinese leadership; What was the most important promotion criterion before the Cultural Revolution; Provincial origins of leaders of ethnic background.

Examines changes in labor management systems and management ideologies in China between 1966 and 1989. Ideological foundation of the post-Mao management reform; Justification of changes; Impact on Chinese industry and society.

Presents an analysis of 224 top Chinese Army leaders' biographies. Questions as to whether there was a need for military leadership transition in the 1980s; Main criteria for advancement to leadership positions; Method used to conduct the analysis; Findings and conclusions.

Presents the results of a study on the housing or residential choices of immigrants in Australia. Indications from other studies; Use of survey for National Housing Strategy of Department of Health, Housing and Community Services; Main reasons for residential choices; Importance of affordability, closeness to work and neighborhood services in choices; Assessment of regional differences.