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• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy evaluated microscopic damage of paper. • Three-dimensional mathematical models and calculation formulas of lighting damage to paper. • The minimum-damage LED spectrum suitable for Chinese paper cultural relics. • The method of spectral optimization for the lighting source of cultural relics. In museum lighting, Chinese paper cultural relics are prone to cracking, embrittlement and other photochemical damage after absorbing the spectral energy of light sources. Owing to the different absorption and reflection characteristics of paper for different bands, optimizing the spectrum compositions of light sources can provide effective protection, the basis of which is to clarify the influence rule of spectra on the paper. However, the methods of color difference and Raman spectroscopy, which are widely used in the current research, cannot scientifically measure the lighting damage. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used as the evaluation method, and 10 kinds of narrow-band lights were used as the experimental light source to conduct a 1440 h irradiation experiment on the samples of the ancient Chinese Xuan paper. The oxidation index was calculated as the evaluation index based on the infrared spectra measured every 240 hours, and a mathematical model for the response rate of paper to spectrum and exposure was established. 610 spectra were obtained with the 10 kinds of narrow-band lights combined and superimposed. The color rendering indexes of the above spectra were calculated, and 9,477 spectra that meet the requirements of viewing indicators were obtained. By calculating the damage degree of the above spectra with the model, the optimal LED spectrum with the minimum damage which met the visual requirements was obtained. Then it was input into the 10-channel spectral simulation system for spectral restoration. Two kinds of lights commonly used in lighting for paper cultural relics were selected to conduct a comparative experiment. The results showed that the optimal LED spectrum reduced damage degree by 49.4% and 59.7% respectively compared with the two kinds of contrast light sources, and was beneficial to energy saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of culture on non-kin cooperation has been singled out as critical for economic activity. However, causal evidence of culture's influence on cooperation remains scant. In this paper we provide such evidence, focusing on two key components of culture: preferences and beliefs. Adopting the view that culture is one aspect of an individual's multi-faceted self-concept (identity) we conduct a Prisoner's Dilemma experiment with first- and second-generation Chinese immigrants at a large US public university. In a two-by-two design, we exogenously vary: i) the salience of participants' American or Chinese cultural identities; and ii) the capacity for culture to affect beliefs by randomly providing previous-session cooperation-rate information. Comparing behavior across cultures and information conditions, our results suggest a prominent role for both preferences and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operation management, which has always been a hot topic in management research for seeking to increase the efficiency of the system using scientific methods. We use the Web of Science database to select the pertinent literature data from 2012 to 2022 with a focus on 10 significant international journals to perform the scoped literature on operation management in this paper. It then conducts a bibliometric analysis of operation management from two perspectives—main direction and development trend—using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. The analysis discovered that between 2012 and 2022, 22952 papers on operation management were published in significant international journals. Of these, 4398 were written by Chinese academics, making up 19.16% of the total. International Journal of Production Research, European Journal of Operational Research, and International Journal of Production Economics were the main venues for Chinese academics' publications. The National Natural Science Foundation of China supported 3446 papers in these journals, or 15.01% of all papers published. A variety of research hotspots are revealed by keyword analysis. The research's findings provide an excellent framework for describing the traits and developments in operation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding consumers' purchase behaviors is fundamental to the success of the dairy industry. With its economic importance, the Chinese market is critical to dairy producers in most countries around the world. However, understanding consumers in this market is particularly challenging, as these consumers often have a different relationship with dairy products than consumers elsewhere in the world, given the country's historical dairy-related scandals. This special relationship can be characterized by what consumer behavior researchers call "high involvement," indicating that Chinese dairy consumers often attempt to reduce the level of risk associated with buying dairy products. Surprisingly, although this relationship affects several important aspects of purchase behavior, examination of the concept of involvement in the dairy sector has not been widely considered. Of note, there is no understanding of how Chinese consumers vary in their involvement levels and their implications on their dairy purchase behaviors. Nor have there been involvement-based insights provided on how dairy companies can position their marketing strategy to suit the needs of these consumers better. Thus, this study proposes a new approach to understanding Chinese consumer dairy decisions by introducing "consumer involvement" as a segmentation tool through which individuals' behaviors can be predicated according to their involvement profile. Based on an online survey administered in Shanghai using 1,073 dairy consumers, principal component analysis confirmed involvement with dairy is a multidimensional construct with the following 4 factors: pleasure value, symbolic value, risk importance, and risk probability. A 2-step cluster analysis identified 4 consumer clusters based on their involvement profile: face-concerned dairy lover, carefree dairy consumer, cautious dairy lover, and confused dairy consumer. According to a one-way ANOVA test and cross-tabulation with χ2 test, these consumer segments behave differently in relation to the extensiveness of decision making, cue utilization, trust of information sources, and consumption behavior. The outcomes in this paper further explain why efforts to restore consumer trust for dairy products do not work among some consumers, as individuals may exhibit diverse attitudes toward such information due to their heterogeneous involvement levels. The study also provides suggestions for market practitioners and organizations to develop effective target market strategies and policies according to different consumer clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years,the efficiency of news communication has been greatly improved with the advance of Internet technology, and whether investors should pay attention to multiple levels of news when making trading decisions is worth pondering. However, Chinese scholars have paid little attention to the news hierarchy, and do not bring different levels of news into the prediction system. Therefore, this paper studies the stock price trend prediction from this perspective. This paper selects the medical industry as the representative, and adds its sub industry news and industry news to form a multi-level news system on the basis of individual stock news. In order to make better use of and extract the information contained in different levels of news, the multi-kernel learning model is incorporated on the basis of using SVM. The results suggest that the use of multi-level news can improve the accuracy of stock price trend prediction. Compared with the SVM model solely considering individual stock news, the prediction accuracy of multi-kernel learning model based on multi-level news is improved by 10%, which is of great significance for investment decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thalassaemia is one of the most common genetic red blood cell disorders. • Frequent blood transfusions could cause alloimmunization leading to significant morbidity. • The types of alloantibodies formed in Chinese patients differ from the US and European patients. • A comprehensive matching strategy can be built to target the high-risk red blood cell antigens. The development of red blood cell alloimmunization intensifies transfusion complication in thalassaemia patients. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the existing evidence on the prevalence of erythrocyte alloimmunization in China by meta-analysis. We systematically searched cross-sectional studies regarding the alloimmunization of thalassaemia patients with regular blood transfusion in China from year 2000 to May 2021 in the Cochrane library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Chinese databases including CNKI, Wanfang Data, Vip and CBM. Data extraction and quality evaluation of the included studies were performed. Meta-analysis was performed using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models with inverse variance weighting. The presence of publication bias was tested by Egger's test, and the methodological quality of each included article was evaluated by the criteria specific to prevalence studies. A total of 1874 patients and 263 alloantibodies from 11 studies were identified and included in the meta-analysis. The proportion of alloantibodies against antigens belonging to the Rh, MNSs and Kidd systems were as high as 70.3%, 17.9%, and 6.5%, respectively. Meta-analysis showed that the overall prevalence of alloimmunization among transfusion-dependent thalassaemia patients in China is 11.4% (95%CI: 7.2%∼16.3%). The characteristics of red blood cell alloimmunization among thalassaemia patients with regular transfusion in China differ greatly from those in other countries. Therefore, transfusion strategies shall be actively adapted in line with thalassaemia patients in China to minimize the risk of alloimmunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the democratization process in China progresses, an increasing number of Chinese citizens have been participating in various political activities. This paper explores the impact of the political participation of Chinese citizens on their satisfaction with the local government (abbreviated as government satisfaction) and the possible heterogeneity of this effect across different groups. In this study, political participation is considered an intervening variable for government satisfaction. Based on data from the 2021 China Social Situation Comprehensive Survey (CSS 2021), political participation is operationalized as a three-level qualitative variable, including supportive participation, rights-defending participation, and mixed participation. The analysis shows that, on average, supportive political participants have the highest level of government satisfaction while rights-defending participants have the lowest. Furthermore, a modified causal forest model reveals that the effect of political participation varies across multiple covariates, with statistically significant heterogeneity observed in terms of citizens' gender. In detail, the effect of females is significantly higher than that of males. However, for some specific groups, it is still worth noting, such as men, young people under the age of 27, and people with low socioeconomic status and political trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric oxidizing capacity (AOC) is an essential driving force of troposphere chemistry and self-cleaning, but the definition of AOC and its quantitative representation remain uncertain. Driven by national demand for air pollution control in recent years, Chinese scholars have carried out studies on theories of atmospheric chemistry and have made considerable progress in AOC research. This paper will give a brief review of these developments. First, AOC indexes were established that represent apparent atmospheric oxidizing ability (AOIe) and potential atmospheric oxidizing ability (AOIp) based on aspects of macrothermodynamics and microdynamics, respectively. A closed study refined the quantitative contributions of heterogeneous chemistry to AOC in Beijing, and these AOC methods were further applied in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and key areas across the country. In addition, the detection of ground or vertical profiles for atmospheric OH·, HO 2 ·, NO 3 · radicals and reservoir molecules can now be obtained with domestic instruments in diverse environments. Moreover, laboratory smoke chamber simulations revealed heterogeneous processes involving reactions of O 3 and NO 2 , which are typical oxidants in the surface/interface atmosphere, and the evolutionary and budgetary implications of atmospheric oxidants reacting under multispecies, multiphase and multi-interface conditions were obtained. Finally, based on the GRAPES-CUACE adjoint model improved by Chinese scholars, simulations of key substances affecting atmospheric oxidation and secondary organic and inorganic aerosol formation have been optimized. Normalized numerical simulations of AOIe and AOIp were performed, and regional coordination of AOC was adjusted. An optimized plan for controlling O 3 and PM 2.5 was analyzed by scenario simulation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes has become the most common chronic disease threatening the health of people in China and even the world. Consumers are paying more and more attention to the glycemic index (GI) of food, especially staple foods. As a traditional staple food, rice noodle has been popular with Chinese consumers. Therefore, the strategies to reduce the GI of rice noodles attract increased research attention. Starch is the most abundant component in rice noodles. The rapid digestion of starch can lead to a significant increase in post prandial blood glucose levels. This review summarizes the effects of material characteristics, exogenous additives and processing methods on starch digestibility of rice noodles. Additionally, strategies to reduce the GI of rice noodles are discussed. The variety of material species, due to the structural differences of starch and other components, will lead to large differences in the GI of rice noodles. The ordered multiscale structure and crystal structure of starch provide resistance to enzyme attack, inhibiting the digestion of starch. Some bioactive phytochemicals, such as dietary fiber and polyphenols, can also inhibit starch digestion, which are more abundant in coarse cereals. The deficiency of these phytochemicals can be supplemented by exogenous addition. In addition, processing methods such as extrusion and retrogradation can induce crosslinking of biopolymers or reassembling ordered structures of starch, thereby slowing down the digestion. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the exploration of nutritious rice noodles suitable for consumption by people with diabetes and hyperglycemia. [Display omitted] • The research on low GI staple foods for certain special populations has become an important sub field of future food. • Controlling material characteristics, exogenous additives and processing methods effectively fabricate low GI rice noodles. • Selecting raw materials high in functional ingredients or adding them into rice noodles can slower starch digestion. • Starch structure can be changed by appropriate processing methods to lower the GI of rice noodles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for beef products grows in the Chinese market, understanding consumer preferences for beef, especially those related to quality labelling, is essential. The recent agreement between China and the European Union to promote Geographical Indications (GIs) provides a new insight into preferences for beef with quality labelling. This paper assesses consumer preferences for beef products with GIs and other attributes. A nationwide survey is conducted including 1210 respondents in China by a choice experiment attributing GI label, 'green', 'hazard-free', and 'organic' labels, feeding regimes (grain-fed, grass-fed), country of origin (China, Ireland, Australia, Brazil), and price (30, 40, 80, 100 ¥/500 g). The random parameter logit model with error component reveals that Chinese consumers have a significant preference for grain-fed beef and domestic beef, and they are willing to pay a premium price for GI-labelled beef compared with other attributes. The interaction between GIs and country of origin is included to indicate the positive price impact of GIs on imported beef products. Demographic factors such as place of residence and occupation are found to affect consumer preferences for GIs. • Geographical indications are appealing to Chinese beef consumers. • Geographical indications increase the preference of consumers for imported beef products over domestic beef products. • Willingness-to-pay for geographical indications are affected by place of residence. • Chinese consumers prefer grain-fed beef. • The effectiveness of geographical indications is influenced by product origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chinese university English teachers accepted cultural deficit discourses about CT. • Contradictions exist in the acceptance of deficit discourses and actual CT capacity. • Reductive assumptions about the ownership of CT need to be critically interrogated. • Professional development that challenges the deficit discourses is required. Critical thinking (CT) is established almost universally as a core goal in education, but continued association of practices involved in CT with education in the global north has constructed a discourse of deficit that underpins flows in higher education to institutions in the north, especially in the Anglosphere. The study presented in this paper is based on an analysis of the evidence of CT skills by a group of Chinese academics interviewed at the end of a short professional development program at an Australian university. Findings revealed that although participants voiced deficit discourses in relation to their own CT capacities and those of students and academics in China more generally, their responses to questions about any potential transfer of their learning to practice offered evidence of CT. We conclude that reductive assumptions assigning ownership of CT to particular groups or education systems need to be critically interrogated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food quality and safety incidents occurring continually in China are greatly sapping consumers' confidence in the food industry. Accordingly, this paper sets four characteristics (quality and safety, traceability information, traceability information authenticity certification, and price) with different levels of these characteristics for traceable pork as an example food product. The rational preferences and irrational characteristics of consumers were studied based on a survey of 636 consumers in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, using the hierarchical Bayesian estimation method and mixed Logit choice model. The results of the choice experiment (CE) based on the assumption of rational preferences indicated that Chinese consumers have the highest preferences for pork with a green certification mark, complete traceability information, and government-certified traceability information authenticity on the whole. In contrast, the findings of the irrational characteristics model built based on the CE showed that Chinese consumers have a higher degree of dependence on slaughtering and processing information than on complete traceability information, indicating that there may be differences in influence on consumer behaviors between consumers' rational preferences and irrational characteristics. The contributions of this paper are as follows: on the one hand, it tries to construct a suitable theoretical basis for irrational characteristics of consumers, and on the other hand, it can take the consumers' degree of dependence on safety characteristics as a point of penetration to improve food quality and safety in practice. • Construct a suitable theoretical basis for irrational characteristics of consumers. • Consumers have the highest degree of dependence on slaughtering information. • Rationality and irrationality have different effects on consumer choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the survey-experiment data from 2014 to 2020, this paper investigates the effect of media coverage on the Chinese people's anti-corruption perceptions. Propensity Score (PS) method is used for remedying covariate imbalance between trial treatment groups and control treatment group and for analyzing the main effect of media factor, and then Qualitative Interaction Tree (QUINT) method is used for estimating high-order treatment-subgroup interactions. The result shows that media coverage has a positive effect on the people's anti-corruption perceptions, while direction and degree of media influence significantly depends on the contents of media coverage and the traits of individuals, which means there exists significant main effect and high-order treatment-subgroup interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's empowerment fundamentally shifts power relations, a systematic process of removing deeply embedded unequal power structures. Drawing upon qualitative data from Grameen Bank China (GBC) and an inductive case study, this paper asserts an empowering methodology based on preconditions for membership and three mechanisms through which traditional gendered hierarchical power relations shift: relational justice, self-governance, and repetitive praxis. Women's empowerment, to achieve equal and shared relationships, is neither imposed on women nor naturally occurring among poor rural Chinese women. The findings suggest a development intervention and the crucial front-line worker who facilitates empowerment by "nudging" GBC women borrowers to empower themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shipping industry has traditionally been male-dominated. Although tangible progress has been made toward gender diversity and inclusiveness, women seafarers worldwide still face difficulties and challenges. This paper aims to explore women's struggles in their pursuit of a seafaring career on ocean-going cargo ships. Taking Chinese women seafarers as the research subjects, the study first analyses their current situation and points out that compared with global figures, only few STCW-certified Chinese women work as officers or ratings on the ocean-going cargo ships. Then five major types of difficulties and challenges Chinese women seafarers face, i.e., limited access to vocational education and training, employment difficulty because of stereotypes, prejudices and sexual distinction, safety and healthcare concerns, bullying, abuse and sexual harassment, as well as traditional ideas of family and childbirth, are presented by the data drawn from questionnaires and interviews given to current and future-to-be seafarers from both genders. At last, suggestions from the aspects of the provision of educational and training resources and guidance, the improvements in relevant legal system and policy, the establishment of support groups and report system, the promotion of occupational health, safety and well-being, as well as the creation of a friendly social and cultural atmosphere are given to advance gender equality, empower women seafarers in their careers and reach a barrier-free environment in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sky is the area above the Earth in which the clouds, the Moon, the Sun, and the stars can be seen. It means the region consists of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the Earth. In the ancient time, people only knew "sky" instead of "inner space" and "outer space", and they always dreamed travelling to the celestial object nearest to the Earth, the Moon. Traditionally, it is the same globally, the Chinese people respect the Earth, the Moon and the Sun with adorations. Therefore, there were many ancient Chinese legends about the sky and space. In this paper, five ancient Chinese legends related to the sky and space are described at first: the story of sky lantern (天燈), the story of Kuafu (夸父), the story of Chang E (嫦娥), the story of ancient Chinese astronaut Wan Fu (萬戶), and the story of Nüwa (女媧) who patched up the sky. Then, three contemporary arts and designs related to the current space explorations are introduced for comparisons: the Museum of the Moon, the worldwide tour of the Earth model Gaia, and the Chinese Suzhou embroideries of Sun spots and Horsehead nebula. Through the presentations, it is very interesting to see the addition to each other's splendour in the ancient mythologies and the modern space arts. • Five ancient Chinese legends related to the sky and space are studied. • Three modern arts and designs related to the current space explorations are investigated. • Obvious addition to each other's splendour in the ancient mythologies and the modern space arts. • The philosophies and possible complementarities behind need further exploration. • Hope that more space related arts and designs can be created to enrich human's life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the controversies surrounding the " niangpao " (effeminate men or "sissy boys") in the context of the debates surrounding Asian values, Confucianism and family values. These debates are ostensibly about what constitutes correct Chinese male behaviour. But the vehemence with which they are expressed betray their inherent patriarchal bent. Traditional masculinist mindsets cannot be practiced so easily now, partly because gender roles are changing and Chinese women and young activists are more assertive, and they have large followings on social media. For example, the resurrection of Confucian ideals saw the return of emphasis placed on educational achievements. But whereas traditionally successful examination candidates (always men) were guaranteed good careers, both male and female graduates now feel short-changed. It is in this environment that the niangpao polemics are carried out. I argue that despite sanctions from authorities, much of public opinion continues to uphold notions of gender diversity and respect. • Analyses the recent niangpao (sissy men) controversies in China. • Contextualizes these controversies in the changing ideological and social superstructures in China. • Such superstructures include "Chinese characteristics" (new Confucianism), the family and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pearl River Delta in South China is today associated with one of the world's largest megaregions. Even though scholarship often treats the Pearl River Delta as a natural region and unit for analysis, this area has only recently been regionalised. This paper undertakes a critical rewriting and remapping of the Pearl River Delta's history, starting in precolonial times in which the Chinese population saw the area as composed of islands and waterways, moving through the period when colonial powers saw the area as a pathway up from the colonial island enclaves of Hong Kong and Macao and into China's interior, and ending in the Reform and Opening Up era when the modern Chinese state has implemented a succession of planning-oriented conceptions of the region. As the area has moved conceptually from a world of islands to a delta and now to the Greater Bay Area, perceptions about what the area means have changed as well. From a position in urban island studies and critical reflexivity, this paper troubles taken-for-granted colonial, technocratic, and governmental visions and regionalisations, focusing on how physical and cultural geographies develop in tandem. The notion of the interstitial island is used to help understand how the Pearl River Delta's island geography has influenced the area's conceptual development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Log analysis, as one of the less overtly intrusive ways to study information seeking behavior online, has been used to closely monitor patterns of user system usage looking at activities and actions since the 1980s (Villén-Rueda et al., 2007). However, to date there have been limited studies discussing its usage in respect of information seeking behaviors of cultural groups in the academic library context. With the growth in international student numbers, the increasing remote use of the library service and a globally connected digital environment, the particular needs and behaviors of different cultural groups, when studying in different settings, merits far greater attention. This paper uses a library log analysis in order to explore international Chinese users' usage of an academic library in the UK and discusses the implication of it as a research method in Library and Information Studies (LIS) research, reflecting on the potential for greater analysis of different cultural groups. The findings demonstrate that log analysis can be used as a method to better understand particular cultural groups information seeking behaviors; it also discusses the limitations of log analysis and gives suggestions for future research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FoMO is positively associated with IGD in Chinese adolescents. • Metacognitive beliefs and anxiety are positive correlates of IGD. • Metacognitive beliefs and anxiety serially mediate the effects of FoMO on IGD. • Three maladaptive metacognitive beliefs significantly mediate the effect of FoMO. Given the vulnerability to and prevalence of emotional problems and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) in adolescents, this study aimed to test the effects of fear of missing out (FoMO) on IGD and the mediating roles of metacognitive beliefs and anxiety symptoms based on the self-regulatory executive function (S-REF) model. At a Chinese high school, 283 participants (M age = 16.89 years old; girls = 42.0%) with past-year gaming experience voluntarily completed an anonymous paper-and-pencil questionnaire. FoMO showed significant, positive associations with IGD, anxiety symptoms, and metacognitive beliefs. Results of path analysis showed a significant direct effect of FoMO on IGD, whereas anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between FoMO and IGD. The indirect effects of FoMO on IGD via serial mediations of three negative metacognitive beliefs (i.e., negative beliefs about worry, low cognitive confidence, and beliefs regarding need for control) and anxiety symptoms were also statistically significant. These findings demonstrated that maladaptive metacognitive beliefs and anxiety are risk-enhancing mediators in the relationship between FoMO and IGD. Therefore, metacognitive therapy, particularly for regulating those three specific significant metacognitive beliefs, is recommended for treating IGD and anxiety, especially for those with higher levels of FoMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Study explores mindset expression in talent shows in China, Poland, and the USA. • Cultural differences in mindset expression by show participants and judges were found. • Chinese participants expressed the growth mindset the most, US participants the least. • The fixed mindset was predominantly articulated by judges in the Polish version. Media impact people's beliefs and reflect shared cultural values. One of the most popular TV and online program formats are talent shows , where people present skills from different domains and are assessed by a panel of celebrity judges. This kind of media content is rich in information about the presumed nature of abilities. In the paper, we examine how mindsets—the implicit theories regarding the innate or malleable nature of abilities—are expressed in talent shows in three countries differing in individualism and collectivism: China, Poland, and USA. Through quantitative thematic analysis, we found significant differences across cultures in how often each mindset (fixed, growth, and mixed) was shared by participants, judges, and other people who appeared in the shows. While the growth mindset was most strongly underlined by participants from China and least strongly by those from the USA, the fixed mindset was mainly articulated by judges in the Polish version of the show. We discuss results in the light of collectivism/individualism and modernization theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land consolidation (LC), as an effective instrument to relieve rural land issues and promote rural sustainability, has already attracted the attention of the Chinese government and academia. Some Chinese scholars have proposed strategies to promote the development of LC by investigating cases in European countries and comparing them with that in China. However, the introduction of LC in Europe as a whole and China has not been done systematically from a comparative perspective. This paper aims to offer a broader view of the development of LC in China and Europe and identify points for improvement based on the current Chinese political system and European experience. Given the special sociocultural background of Europe, it has been divided into Central, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe in the comparison and analysis. The comparison of LC, therefore, was conducted from the aspects of historical background, political will, legislation, procedure, and public participation. This is the first attempt to compare LC between Europe as a whole and China in literature. It identifies reasons behind the differences between China and Europe, and considers possible lessons that China might learn from the experience of LC in Europe. Based on these, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions for the development of LC in China. • The approaches of land consolidation between China and Europe are compared. • The five elements cover politics and technical perspectives are included in the comparison. • The possible lessons to be learned for policy improvement are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initiative of Building a Maritime Community with a Shared Future (MCSF) has gained widespread attention domestically since it was proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2019. This article selects and reviews 269 academic articles published from 2019 to 2022 and classifies them according to their subjects. The paper, in four parts, makes reflections on building the MCSF from Chinese Academia. The introductory section describes the background of the MCSF. The second part explores a theoretical outlook of the literature on building the MCSF. Chinese scholars have examined the definition and specific contents of the MCSF. In addition, scholars further delve into the theoretical roadmaps of the MCSF including its theoretical foundation and promotion of international ocean governance theory. The third part analyses how to adopt a series of pragmatic approaches to build the MCSF in diverse ocean-related fields from both international and domestic perspectives. The fourth part gives concluding remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore whether vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms are associated to the risk of chronic and aggressive periodontitis in the Chinese population. The electronic databases PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database were searched without language restrictions to find available publications about the association between Bsm I, Taq I, Fok I, and Apa I polymorphisms of VDR gene and the risk of periodontitis listed up to December 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of eligible publications and those with a score of ≥ 6 were considered to be of high quality. The strength of associations was evaluated using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). 16 eligible studies including 6106 participants were finally selected for pooled analyses. The NOS score of eligible papers ranged from 6 to 8, showing that all analyzed studies were of high quality. VDR Bsm I polymorphism under the allele (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.1–1.9, P = 0.008) and dominant (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.06–2.12, P = 0.022) models was significantly associated with the risk of severe periodontitis in South China. VDR Fok I polymorphism under the allele (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.3–2.9, P < 0.001), dominant (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.14–4.23, P = 0.018), and recessive (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5–5.5, P = 0.001) models showed a significant association with the risk of aggressive periodontitis in whole Chinese population. There was a protective effect of the Apa I polymorphism against the development of severe periodontitis in the North Chinese people; indeed, a significant negative association was found between Apa I polymorphism under the dominant model and the risk of severe periodontitis in North China (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 019–087, P = 0.021). However, VDR Taq I polymorphism showed no significant association. The present meta-analysis detected a significant association between Bsm I, Fok I, and Apa I polymorphisms in the VDR gene and the risk of severe periodontitis in China. • Bsm I polymorphism in vitamin D receptor elevates periodontitis risk in South China. • Fok I polymorphism in vitamin D receptor elevates acute periodontitis risk in China. • Apa I polymorphism in vitamin D receptor decreases periodontitis risk in North China. • Taq I polymorphism in vitamin D receptor does not affect periodontitis risk in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This research combines data of multiple sources on publication, aviation, and city features to investigate the impact of nonstop US-China flights on Sino-US collaborated research. • US-China international nonstop flights boost the coproduction of influential research at the level of Chinese cities. However, such effects vary, with cities with less human capital garnering more benefits. • No evidence is found in support of the crowding-out effect of US-China international nonstop flights on other Chinese scholars' collaboration types. The tacit nature of knowledge suggests that face-to-face interactions in international academic collaborations are irreplaceable. Yet, such anecdotal evidence has not been adequately examined in the extant literature. Using the difference-in-differences estimation strategy, this paper investigates the causal effect of international nonstop flights on the quantity of high-impact Sino-US joint publications over the period between January 2009 and December 2018. We find that, on average, US-China international nonstop flights boost the production of influential articles aggregated at Chinese cities, with cities with less human capital earning more benefits. We do not find evidence in support of the crowding-out effect indicating this positive effect comes at the expense of domestic and international collaboration opportunities with other countries. These findings remain robust with various specifications. Policy implications for promoting global collaboration through face-to-face communication are discussed in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Age moderated the effect of perceived severity on hearing protection device usage. • Perceived severity drove HPD usage only among younger workers. • Seniority moderated the effects of response efficacy and self-efficacy on HPD usage. • Response efficacy and self-efficacy drove HPD usage more among senior workers. • Self-efficacy motivated HPD usage consistently. Previous research identified perceived severity and efficacy beliefs (including response efficacy and self-efficacy) as two major predictors that affected the usage of hearing protection devices (HPD). However, whether the relative effects of perceived severity and efficacy beliefs on HPD usage varies across different populations remains unknown. Drawing upon the construal level theory of psychological distance, the present study aims to examine whether age and seniority, which were related to psychological distance, might moderate the effect of perceived severity of noise damage, response efficacy, and self-efficacy on HPD usage by Chinese workers at noise-exposure positions. A paper–pencil survey was conducted face to face with 449 Chinese workers in five factories who were exposed to noise at work. Age moderated the effect of perceived severity on HPD usage such that its positive effect was only significant for younger workers. In addition, seniority moderated the effects of both response efficacy and self-efficacy on HPD usage such that both types of efficacy beliefs exhibited stronger effects on HPD usage among senior workers compared to junior workers. Therefore, campaign messages targeted at younger workers should emphasize the severe consequences of noise exposure, whereas messages targeted at senior workers should elevate their response efficacy and self-efficacy in HPD usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has tested whether culture moderates the relationship between head tilt and perceptions of a cooperation-relevant construct. In this paper, we replicated the effects of head posture on perceived traits and compared Chinese and American participants to explore whether difference in cultural background (collectivist and individualist) affects perceptual attribution. Specifically, we investigated how head posture (level, up or down) affects perceptions of cooperativeness. In Experiment 1, Chinese and American participants rated Asian and Caucasian faces in three postures for perceived cooperativeness on a seven-point Likert scale. In Experiment 2, participants ranked the cooperativeness of the three postures of the same faces. In Experiment 3, participants scrolled through face images and manually manipulated vertical head angle to maximise apparent cooperativeness. We found that for both Chinese and American participants a neutral head level posture was perceived as more cooperative than head up and down postures. The optimal head posture for maximised apparent cooperativeness was close to level but with a slight downward rotation. While there was cross-cultural consistency in perceptions, Chinese participants exhibited greater sensitivity to postural cues in their judgments of cooperation compared to American participants. Our results suggest a profound effect of posture on the perception of cooperativeness that is common across cultures and that there are additional subtle cross-cultural differences in the cues to cooperativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• V de O clefts can be classified into specificational V de O clefts and predicational V de O clefts. • The development of specificational V de O clefts involves constructionalization. • The development of predicational V de O clefts involves constructional change. • The focus change of predicational V de O clefts is governed by the Focus-Shift Principle. Previous studies of Chinese V de O clefts mainly focus on the function of shì and attribute the meaning of the V de O clefts to the focus marking feature of shì without considering their functions and developments as independent constructions. This paper classifies V de O clefts into specificational V de O clefts (Variant 1) and predicational V de O clefts (Variant 2) and analyzes the formation and development of these two types of Chinese V de O clefts with a diachronic constructionist approach. The constructionalization of specificational V de O clefts undergoes a series of function shifts from membership-inclusion to properties-predicating and then to value-specifying. It is the micro-step changes that finally lead to the mismatched pseudo-modifer V de O element. The context-absorption of contrastive context is the source for the construction meaning specifying an exclusive value for the variable. In contrast, the development of predicational V de O clefts only involves constructional changes from V-focus to V de O-focus and then to O-focus. The change of focus is governed by the Focus-Shift Principle, according to which, the focus of a sentence tends to fall on the more complicated and specified information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We included a large number of studies with Chinese participants. • Forty randomized controlled trials were pooled in a meta-analysis. • rs4570625 (T allele, T/T genotype) and rs17110747 (A allele) may be significant protective factors against depression. • rs120074175 (A allele, A/A genotype), and rs4290270 (T allele) may be significant risk factors for depression. • rs11178997 (A/A genotype) may be a significant risk factor for Chinese subjects. Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) plays a crucial role in the human brain. Although the association between the TPH2 gene and depression has been suggested in previous meta-analyses, studies based on Chinese subjects are often neglected. Therefore, we included some previous studies based on Chinese subjects to explore the relationship between TPH2 polymorphisms and depression via conducting an extensive meta-analysis. We reviewed 40 research papers that included data on TPH2 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 5766 patients with depression and 5988 healthy subjects. The analysis showed an association between polymorphisms in the TPH2 gene and depression, and some results were significant in 24 studies that included Chinese Han study participants. The results of our meta-analysis showed that rs4570625, rs17110747, rs120074175, rs4290270, rs120074175, and rs4290270 may be significantly associated with depression, and that rs11178997 (A/A genotype) may be a significant risk factor for depression in the Chinese subjects. Based on the results of this study, biological experiments should be performed in the future to explore how different SNPs affect depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the urgent concern for seafood safety, the traceability of seafood has drawn attention to the public. In recent years, China is actively establishing the traceability platforms to ensure the traceability of seafood information on the whole supply chain. By reviewing the policy evolution and the status quo of seafood traceability development in China, this paper aims to investigate the Chinese consumers' purchase intention towards traceable seafood by adopting an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. Apart from three traditional influencing factors, we consider three novel factors as trust, face consciousness and policy support in the TPB model. The results find that all factors have significant positive effects on the purchase intention and further impact the behavior of purchasing traceable seafood. And the face consciousness is the most positive factor which acts on the purchase intention. Furthermore, subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavior control (PBC) also have positive effects on attitude. In addition, some suggestions to promote the development of traceable seafood are proposed, aimed at providing a reference for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Provides a framework for analysing the relationship between conventionalised expressions and speech acts. • Operationalises the framework in a contrastive study involving Chinese and English corpora. • Captures linguacultural differences and similarities in the expression–speech act interface. This paper provides an analytical framework for studying the relationship between conventionalised expressions and speech acts. In certain languages, such as Chinese, the relationship between expressions and speech acts tends to be straightforward. In other languages, such as English, this relationship is more casual. Notwithstanding this linguacultural difference, expressions associated with particular speech acts in these two languages can fulfil other pragmatic functions than simply indicating the speech acts that are conventionally associated with them. To capture such alternative uses of these expressions, we propose the superordinate category of 'altered' speech act indication which consists of a system of three analytical pairs. We investigate such altered speech act indication from a contrastive pragmatic angle by drawing on English and Chinese corpora. In particular, we study the expressions that are associated with the speech acts Thank and Greet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cassava juice showed high levels of cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs) • A significant difference of CNGs among cultivars was found. • Dietary intake of cyanide not posing chronic risk to Chinese consumers but acute risk. • The MRL of CNGs was proposed as 200 mg/kg in cassava. • Cyanide risk assessment should be based on CNGs quantification rather than CN– The intake of cassava would probably induce adverse health effects since there are toxic cyanide in cassava. However, the risk assessment of cassava consumption has not been reported in China. Therefore, this paper aimed to evaluate the dietary risks of cassava cyanide and proposed a maximum residue limit (MRL) for cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs) in cassava. The retention rate of CNGs and CN– were 61% and 11% after boiling, respectively. The acute dietary exposure of CN– and CNGs were 0.6-fold and 1.7-fold of acute risk reference dose, respectively. There was no chronic health risk across all populations concerning cassava consumption. The MRL of CNGs was proposed as 200 mg/kg in cassava. Risk assessment of cyanide for foods rich in CNGs was suggested to be based on CNGs quantification rather than that of CN–. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluntary carbon offsetting (VCO) is an important means of controlling rapidly growing household consumption emissions. To design an effective VCO system, consumers' willingness towards VCO and its relevant determinants are of crucial importance, but are still rather insufficiently studied, especially in developing countries and among high‑carbon-emitting consumers. This paper adopts an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to explore the influencing mechanism of Chinese consumers' willingness to offset. Willingness to pay(WTP) is also estimated to provide monetary value of willingness. Using K-means clustering based on consumption behaviours, high‑carbon-emitting consumers are identified and further investigated. The proposed model was tested empirically using survey data (N = 905) collected from different areas in China. The results show that on average, Chinese consumers are willing to pay 419.2 RMB (61.2 USD) per year for carbon offsetting. The major influencing factor is subjective norm, followed by attitude and personal moral norm. High‑carbon-emitting consumers have better knowledge, stronger perceived control and greater WTP for VCO, and their willingness to offset is directly influenced by subjective norm rather than personal moral norm. The findings shed light on the offsetting behaviours of Chinese consumers and recommendations on the design of a VCO system are further proposed. • We analyzed consumers' willingness towards voluntary carbon offsetting in the Chinese context. • An extended theory of planned behaviour was developed to study the influencing mechanism. • Subjective norm is the most decisive factor for willingness to offset among Chinese consumers. • High-carbon-emitting consumers pay primary attention to social pressure and are willing to pay more to offset. • Special carbon offsetting products should be designed for high-carbon-emitting consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has evolved into the largest public health event in the world. Earlier COVID-19 studies have reported that the pandemic caused widespread impacts on mental health and sleep in the general population. However, it remains largely unknown how the prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbance developed and interacted in adolescents at different times in the epidemic.Methods: 831 teenagers (aged 14-19) underwent a longitudinal follow-up study to evaluate the prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbance among adolescents before, during, and after the COVID-19 breakout in China and to explore the interaction between mental health and sleep across the three measurements. The chronotype, anxiety and depression level, sleep quality, and insomnia were investigated during each measurement.Results: The adolescents had delayed sleep onset and sleep offset time, longer sleep duration during the quarantine than before and after the epidemic, whereas their chronotype tended to morning type during the epidemic. Yet, the highest prevalence of anxiety, depression, poor sleeper, and insomnia symptoms were observed before but not during the COVID-19 breakout. The females and adolescents who were eveningness type showed significantly higher anxiety and depression levels, poorer sleep quality, and severe insomnia status than the males and the intermediate and morning types. Sleep disturbance was positively associated with mental problems among three measurements. Pre-measured depression level significantly predicted sleep disturbance level at follow-ups.Conclusion: These findings suggested that adolescents' high prevalence of mental health and sleep problems occurred before the COVID breakout and decreased during and after the epidemic. Gender and chronotype were significant risk factors associated with affective and sleep disturbances. Depression positively predicted later sleep problems, but not vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]