Dynamic coopetition game between private label and national brand under carbon trading policy.

The increasing environmental concerns have changed the coopetition behavior between private-label (PL) retailers and national-brand (NB) manufacturers, which needs firms to reconsider their competitive and cooperative strategies to cope with this change. To address this need, we incorporate carbon trading policy into dynamic coopetition game models between a PL retailer and an NB manufacturer. We examine their dynamic evolution trajectories of state variables, decision variables, and profit value functions by using numerical simulation. The sensitivity analysis shows that: (i) some key parameters affect the steady-state values of variables and profit value functions; (ii) the relative strengths of the NB manufacturer and the PL retailer affect decision variables and profit value functions. The results indicate that the carbon trading policy significantly affects dynamic coopetition between the PL retailer and the NB manufacturer.

Quantification of human embryonic ζ-globin chains in Southeast Asian deletion (--SEA) carriers.

AIMS: Reactivation of embryonic ζ-globin is a promising strategy for genetic treatment of α-thalassaemia. However, quantification of ζ-globin as a quantitative trait in α-thalassaemia carriers and patients remains incompletely understood. In this study, we aimed to set up a reliable approach for the quantification of ζ-globin in α-thalassaemia carriers, followed by a population study to investigate its expression patterns. METHODS: ζ-globin was purified as monomers from cord blood haemolysate of a Hb Bart's fetus, followed by absolute protein quantification, which was then tested by in-house ELISA system and introduced as protein standard. It was then used for large-scale quantification in peripheral blood samples from 6179 individuals. Finally, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) introduced as an independent validating approach by measuring ζ-globin expression in a second cohort of 141-SEA/αα carriers. RESULTS: The ELISA system was proved sensitive in distinguishing individuals with varied extent of ζ-globin. Large scale quantitative study of this --SEA/αα carrier cohort indicated the high diversity of ζ-globin expression ranging from 0.00155 g/L to 1.48778 g/L. Significant positive correlation between ELISA and LC-MS/MS (R=0.400, p<0.001) was observed and it is more sensitive in distinguishing the samples with extreme expression of ζ-globin (R=0.650, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study has reported reliable approaches for the quantification of ζ-globin and presented the expression patterns of ζ-globin among the --SEA/αα carrier population, which might lay a foundation on subsequent genotype-phenotype studies on mechanisms of delayed haemoglobin switch in α-thalassaemia.

Self-assembled two-dimensional gold nanoparticle film for sensitive nontargeted analysis of food additives with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

The use of different food additives and their active metabolites has been found to cause serious problems to human health. Thus, considering the potential effects on human health, developing a sensitive and credible analytical method for different foods is important. Herein, the application of solvent-driven self-assembled Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) for the rapid and sensitive detection of food additives in different commercial products is reported. The assembled substrates are highly sensitive and exhibit excellent uniformity and reproducibility because of uniformly distributed and high-density hot spots. The sensitive analyses of ciprofloxacin (CF), diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), tartrazine and azodicarbonamide at the 0.1 ppm level using this surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate are given, and the results show that Au NP arrays can serve as efficient SERS substrates for the detection of food additives. More importantly, SERS spectra of several commercial liquors and sweet drinks are obtained to evaluate the addition of illegal additives. This SERS active platform can be used as an effective strategy in the detection of prohibited additives in food.

Hemoglobin H disease due to a de novo mutation at the α2-globin gene and an inherited common α-thalassemia deletion found in a Chinese boy.

Hemoglobin (Hb) H disease is a moderate form of α-thalassemia resulting from various genetic defects. A novel frameshift mutation cd 43/44(-C) at the α2-globin gene was identified in a Chinese boy with hemoglobin H disease by sequencing. The proband's mother carries a common α-thalassemia deletion while his father was normal both in the hematological phenotype and α-globin genotype, which suggested that it occurred as a de novo mutation. Molecular studies revealed a compound heterozygote for the Southeast Asian α-thalassemia deletion and this novel spontaneous mutation (-/α(T)α) and the patient exhibited the clinical manifestation of classic hemoglobin H disease. Based on the results of excluding the possibility of a somatic mosaicism of a point mutation in the α2-globin gene, we progress that this de novo single-base deletion should have arisen during the spermatogenic process or earlier embryonic stage. The present study provides information in determining a supplementary model of inheritance for α-thalassemia, which should be useful in genetic counseling.

Analysis of alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) gene as a genetic modifier to the phenotype of beta-thalassemia in Southern China.

alpha-Hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) is a molecular chaperon binding specifically to free alpha-globin. It is considered to be a potential modifier of beta-thalassemia. In order to find out if AHSP affects the phenotype of beta-thalassemia carriers in southern China, we analyzed AHSP gene in 365 beta-thalassemia subjects which was identified in 5789 consecutive blood samples from southern China. 8 SNPs were detected including two rare SNPs which were reported by us for the first time and two novel missense mutations. One missense mutation, A to T transversion at gene position 12750, substituting aspartic acid for valine at amino acid position 29 (AHSP D29V), was detected in three beta-thalassemia carriers respectively. The other AHSP missense mutation, 12831 A>T, which substitutes valine for glycine at amino acid position 56 (AHSP V56G), was identified in only one sample. Neither of the two missense mutations leads to obvious phenotypic change to the beta-thalassemia carries. A genetic association study between AHSP gene and the phenotype of beta-thalassemia subjects was conducted simultaneously. No significant association has been found between specific AHSP alleles or haplotypes and the disease severity of beta-thalassemia. Our study suggested that AHSP is not a significant genetic modifier of beta-thalassemia in southern China.