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The increasing integration of the globalised financial market and real estate has resulted in growing levels of international investment in property markets. Yet research on the factors driving international housing demand remains limited. This paper examines the underlying drivers encouraging the involvement of Chinese developers and individuals in the global property market, focusing on the interface between both ‘push’ factors and ‘pull’ factors driving them ‘overseas’. Ostensibly, domestic policy settings, such as China's anti-speculation measures (introduced between 2004 and 2014) might be expected to displace housing investment to other markets. This paper examines the relative influence of such measures along with other domestic ‘push’ and international ‘pull’ factors through in-depth interviews with real estate agents, developers, and a Chinese local government official. In exploring the intersection between ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors, the focus is specifically on international investment in Sydney, Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are common bacteria that colonize the human and animal gastrointestinal tract, where they help maintain a balanced microbiome. However, some E. coli strains are pathogenic and can cause serious infectious diseases and life-threatening complications. Due to the overuse of antibiotics and limited development of novel antibiotics, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains has threatened modern medicine, whereby common infections can become lethal. Phage therapy has once again attracted interest in recent years as an alternative treatment option to antibiotics for severe infections with antibiotic-resistant strains. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize phage against multi-drug resistant E. coli isolated from clinical samples and hospital wastewater. For phage isolation, wastewater samples were collected from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Adelaide, SA, Australia) followed by phage enrichment as required. Microbiological assays, electron microscopy and genomic sequencing were carried out to characterize the phage. From the 10 isolated E. coli phages, E. coli phage APTC-EC-2A was the most promising and could lyse 6/7 E. coli clinical isolates. APTC-EC-2A was stable at a broad pH range (3–11) and could lyse the host E. coli at temperatures ranging between 30–50 °C. Furthermore, APTC-EC-2A could kill E. coli in planktonic and biofilm form. Electron microscopy and genomic sequencing indicated the phage to be from the Myoviridae family and of lytic nature. In conclusion, the newly isolated phage APTC-EC-2A has the desired properties that support its potential for development as a therapeutic agent against therapy refractory E. coli infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]