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The fiber of paper mulberry, which is mostly grown in the East Asian region, varies in both length and width—even if from the same species—depending on the country, soil, and climate where it is grown. This accounts for differences in the quality of handmade paper between domestic and imported products. Once handmade paper is manufactured as sheets, its origin cannot be determined from a morphological perspective, regardless of macroscopic and microscopic observations. Therefore, this study attempted to determine the origin of Korean and imported products using mulberry bast fiber and handmade paper from a chemometrics perspective. The inorganic components of wood are absorbed from the soil and exist in the bark of trees; thus, metal and rare-earth elements in the bast fibers and handmade papers were quantitatively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectrometry (ICP-AES/MS). Following this, a prediction model of their origin was constructed by applying multivariate statistical analysis, i.e., a partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) loading plot was constructed, which helped in identifying the discrimination factors resulting from their origin. According to the ICP-AES results, Pb was only detected in the Gyeongbuk Mungyeong dak sample of the Korean bast fibers. The Chinese bast fiber sample had high contents of Ca, and B and Zn were detected only in the Chinese bast fiber samples. Bast fiber samples from China, Japan, and Thailand showed relatively high contents of Al, Ca, and Na. Meanwhile, Cu and Zn were detected in the handmade paper manufactured from the imported materials. According to the ICP-MS results, among the Korean handmade papers, the products from Gyeongbuk Mungyeong, Andong, and Chungbuk Goesan exhibited a high U content and that from Gapyeong had high Sc, Rb, Sr, and Ba contents. Thus, the elemental analysis employed in this study effectively identified the origin of the papers. The origin prediction by PLS-DA for the domestic and imported products revealed an accuracy of 86.4% and 72.7% for ICP-AES and ICP-MS methods, respectively, which is deemed acceptable to assess the origin. We believe this method significantly contributes to determining the origin of paper mulberry bast fiber and handmade paper manufactured in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 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]

• Transition from "separation of two rights" to "separation of three rights" in Chinese homestead was reviewed. • There is pronounced synergy between the number of published academic papers and policies. • Typical cases for the separation of three rights need to be conducted in combination with the latest reform strategies. • It needs to build a research framework based on a comprehensive perspective. Rural to urban migration under China's rapid urbanization has created inefficient use of rural homestead land. To address these issues, there is increasing interest in rural homestead system reform in China. Although several reforms have been implemented in pilot areas, reviews of the related accumulated literature are rare. The objectives of this study are the following: (i) to discuss the research transition from the "separation of two rights" to the "separation of three rights" in homestead management and (ii) draw conclusions on current research conditions, hot topics, and trends. This study provides a reference for further and deeper rural homestead system reform in China and regions worldwide. We collected and sorted 640 research papers on the topic of the separation of three rights in homestead (hereinafter referred to as STRH) or the homestead land use rights from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and used CiteSpace and VOSviewer to visualize and map knowledge domains. The results show that: (1) From the study of the homestead land use rights to the study of the STRH, there is pronounced synergy between national policies and the number of published papers. The STRH has become a popular research field since 2018. (2) Most researchers are experts and scholars engaged in the study of agricultural economics, civil and commercial law, administrative law, or local legal systems. (3) Current and future studies on the STRH are and will be conducted in terms of the definition of concepts and connotations, confirmation of rights and registration, implementation paths, rural homestead system reform, rural revitalization strategy, reform challenges and countermeasures, risk control, and overall planning. (4) The studies on the STRH have integrity, and show characteristics of inheritance between it and studies on the homestead land use rights. (5) Studies on typical cases for the STRH should be conducted in combination with the latest strategic requirements such as rural land system reform, rural revitalization strategy, and integrated urban and rural development. [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]

The paper explores the performance of face-threatening speech acts by Chinese and Japanese in BELF emails, focusing on the genre structure and the linguistic realizations of mitigation. Based on a corpus of 469 emails, the study identifies a five-move structure, i.e., openings + reasoning supportive moves (RSMs) + head acts + mitigating supportive moves (MSMs) + closings, for performing FTAs in business emails and finds that the major difference between Chinese and Japanese move structures lies in that Chinese tend to use more MSMs than Japanese. Both Chinese and Japanese exhibit a preference for the "RSMs + head acts" sequential pattern. In terms of the mitigating devices in MSMs, Chinese demonstrate a preference for the expression of gratitude as a mitigating strategy while Japanese prefer to use tag questions and apologies. The findings of the research can be explained from the perspectives of mode of thinking, language education and cultural identities. The study aims to shed some light on BELF communication by raising our awareness of certain taken-for-granted patterns in email interactions between two seemingly similar cultures to avoid possible communicative breakdown. In addition, the paper offers some pedagogical implications for business English teaching. • A five-move structure for the performance of FTAs in business English emails has been identified. • Both Chinese and Japanese exhibit a preference for the "RSMs + head acts" sequential pattern. • Japanese prefer to use tag questions and apologies to mitigate FTAs. • Chinese demonstrate a preference for gratitude expressions as a mitigating device [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses impression management related theory knowledge to analyze the questionnaire collected from 4464 students and the interview data. In addition to online impression management, influential factors for individual's ability of network impression management, such as personal, domestic, and scholastic, were also categorized and studied. Through prudently research and analysis, middle school students' average network impression management ability score is 2.92 points. Influential factors for network impression management ability are studied from aspects including personal factors, domestic factors and scholastic factors. Based on the research results, this paper put forward the following suggestions: to improve the ability of middle school students in managing network impression, we should continue to adjust related policies and take measures from individual, family and school level. Only with the combined effort can we improve the network literacy of middle school students. [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]

• Academic staff often experience pedagogic dissonance when first teaching in another country. • They adopt classroom and curriculum strategies to address these challenges. • These strategies are shaped by their own experiences, student diversity and institutional context. Drawing on material from qualitative research with Chinese academics in a UK university and British academics in the Chinese branch campus of that university, this paper places pedagogy at the centre of geographical debates about mobility and the internationalisation of higher education. In particular, it moves beyond the usual focus on the mobility of pedagogy in schools or the teaching of international students in higher education to consider how pedagogic practices are embodied in mobile academic staff, within particular classroom and wider institutional environments. These individuals bring their prior experience of teaching and institutional cultures to a new environment where they come up against approaches and pedagogic practices which may clash with their beliefs about good teaching. This pedagogic dissonance may create feelings of frustration or insecurity, but may also provide opportunities for creativity and self-reflection. The paper focuses on three aspects of pedagogic practice: classroom interactions, language and assessment. The focus on the embodied nature of pedagogic practice extends geographical debates around academic mobility, hierarchies of knowledge, and the internationalisation of higher education. [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]

Background: The etiological factors of mood disorders and psychopathologies are understudied. In this paper, we explored whether social psychological strains are related to depression, anxiety, and stress in non-clinical populations.Methods: 6,305 college students (39.3% men; 60.7% women) from six Chinese provincial-level jurisdictions completed a paper-and-pencil survey with Psychological Strain Scales (PSS-40) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), both validated in Chinese populations.Results: Both PSS-40 and DASS-21 have high internal consistency reliabilities, and are highly correlated with each other. Hence, Chinese college students with greater psychological strains (value, aspiration, deprivation, or coping) have greater depression, anxiety, and stress. These results still held after controlling for relevant socio-demographic variables in the multiple regression models.Limitations: This was a cross-sectional study, and the sample only included several provinces in mainland China, not a representative sample of all of them.Conclusions: Mood disorders and psychopathologies are linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The results of this study extend the Strain Theory of Suicide from explaining the risk factors of suicidality to mood disorders and psychopathologies. Hence, these findings can inform prevention measures among college students, and possibly the general population. [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]

This paper investigates a grassroots Chinese movement called the New Rural Reconstruction Movement (NRRM). Drawing on field visits, surveys, interviews and social media posts regarding a NRRM project and relevant literature I link the NRRM to the degrowth movement. This is likely the first research analysing a Chinese grass-roots movement from a degrowth theoretical perspective. This link is designed to bring greater awareness of the NRRM to western environmentalists and greater awareness of degrowth to Chinese scholars, in the expectation that the two movements will find it beneficial to engage in collaborative research. This paper demonstrates similar progressive environmental based arguments are being debated in places with different geographical and socio-political contexts. It suggests there is the possibility that the NRRM and degrowth could work together to help achieve shared goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article intends to conduct a corpus-based study on the correlation between technicality and two typical ideational metaphors in English texts, i.e., nominalization which is typical experiential metaphor and verbalization which is typical logical metaphor. A general distribution pattern of the typical ideational metaphors within the contexts of genre and discipline was investigated in the BNC. Based on this general pattern, the use of typical ideational metaphors was investigated, both in the academic papers of natural sciences and social sciences written by Chinese users of English as a foreign language (EFL) and those by native English users. The first investigation based on the BNC shows that typical ideational metaphors are not only genre sensitive but also discipline sensitive, and the technicality of text is determined by the use of verbalizations rather than by that of nominalizations. The second investigation based on the research papers shows that native English users write more technical English than EFL Chinese users, and among the four groups of research papers, the EFL Chinese science papers are farther from the native English science papers than the EFL Chinese linguistic papers from the native English linguistic papers in technicality. This research is of implication to the discipline-based English training of the non-native English learners. [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]

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]

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]

This paper discusses the derivation of fake nominal quantifiers in Chinese, including both duration phrases and frequency phrases found in attributive positions. The paper argues that the appearance of fake nominal quantifiers is due to the demand for Case. Fake nominal quantifiers, semantically, are verbal quantifiers, which are to be assigned (oblique) θ -roles, but they first should be assigned Cases so as to be visible. In order to satisfy that, they either enter positions governed by verbs to grab the Cases that are assigned by the verbs to their objects (thus forcing the verbs’ objects to retreat or enter verb-copying constructions), or appear in the attributives of NPs, where they may get Cases, if necessary, through agreement. If the latter is chosen, fake nominal quantifiers are obtained. Therefore, fake nominal quantifiers involving duration phrases and frequency phrases are mainly the results of syntactic operations. [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]

It is well attested that teasing is a vehicle for criticising others which is prototypically accomplished through diminishing, ridiculing or denigrating the target. In this paper, we examine a form of teasing that occurs through elevating others, or what we term "jocular flattery". Our study focuses on instances of jocular flattery in a context that has largely been neglected, namely, multi-party, instant messaging interaction in (Mandarin) Chinese, thereby also contributing to the growing body of work on teasing across different linguistic and sociocultural contexts. We examine how jocular flattery is interactionally accomplished in multi-party chat groups, focusing, in particular, on what occasions jocular flattery, and how the target and audience respond to it. We suggest that jocular flattery is a vehicle for delivering mild reproaches of the target for "overdone", "unfulfilled" or "out-of-place" actions, as well as a vehicle for taunting the target for the amusement of the group. However, we also propose that due to the cultural value traditionally placed on denigrating self and elevating other, jocular flattery is also a vehicle for accomplishing interactional rapport in the Chinese sociocultural context. • Jocular flattery is a form of teasing through elevating others. • It has not been studied in its own right. • It may be occasioned by overdone or unfulfilled or "out-of-place" actions. • It involves both transgressions and a flatterable. • It contributes to accomplishing interactional rapport. [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]

Respondents of online surveys may exhibit some answering behaviors, which lead to inconsistent survey results between online surveys and traditional paper surveys. Extant research has not yet devoted sufficient effort to the mechanisms of different answering behaviors on the inconsistent results, especially in cross-cultural survey contexts. For this reason, this study examines how shirking behavior (i.e., a form of disengaged behavior that the respondents expend insufficient mental effort on the questionnaire) and socially desirable responding result in incomparable responses between online surveys and paper surveys. We especially investigate how the cultural constructs of individualism and collectivism relate to shirking and social desirability. Our results reveal two different pathways leading to inconsistent results across different survey modes. Respondents from collectivistic cultures are more likely to shirking in online surveys. Consequently, they are more likely to provide varying responses than respondents from individualistic cultures. Collectivists are more likely to engage in impression management in paper surveys than in online surveys, while individualists have a greater tendency to provide inflated assessments of their skills and abilities in both survey modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of revenue uncertainty, the static capital structure predefined in the feasibility stage of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) cannot satisfy the need of dynamic adjustment in the capital structure of Chinese PPPs during project operation, thus deteriorating project financial viability in the long run. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a Monte-Carlo optimization model that can enhance the requirement of the dynamic capital structure of PPPs in the uncertain environment regarding the Chinese bridge sector. By quantifying the adjustment cost derived from changes in equity and debt, the proposed model can make a comparison analysis of dynamic capital structures of a specific project in different scenarios with three capital structure adjustment strategies adopted, respectively. In particular, the before-and-after effects and effectiveness derived from the use of government subsidies, capital market financing, and debt financing in adjusting capital structures of a PPP project, respectively, can be compared and evaluated. Based on historic data of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (HBB) case, the imbalanced roles of the three strategies are unveiled that the strategy of government subsidies has a stronger effect as compared with the other two strategies, thereby enhancing project financial viability and sustainability. The simulation results of the HBB case further indicate that the debt financing strategy, which is the actual strategy applied to HBB can alleviate the short-term project operation pressure, but it may affect the project revenue in the long term, and aggravate the repayment risk of the project. These analyses have uncovered the strategic role of dynamic capital structure in maintaining financial viability and avoiding project bankruptcy. This model fills a gap when we need to deal with changes through dynamic capital structures in PPP projects. Several policy implications are provided in the end for transport PPP projects to improve the survival of PPPs during project operation under revenue uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we address 'ordinary' Chinese buyers in London's residential real estate market. We argue that current academic and policy analysis, particularly of elites, has focused on the higher-end of the market and over-emphasised the detached nature of international buyers. In contrast, building on, but departing from, existing analyses of the multiple classes of Chinese investors evident in London (see Glucksberg, 2016), we reveal the tactics and motivations of buyers with budgets of less than £500,000. We show that they are motivated by good schools, easy commutes and use similar technologies to mediate and understand the market to local buyers. Such aims and approaches, we argue, show the ordinariness of many Chinese buyers. Underpinning their aims is an aspirational, class-defined desire based on making sacrifices so their children can have a 'normal British life'. This becomes an elective belonging, as they integrate into the norms of London's housing market. In demonstrating how the realities of ordinary buyers contrasts with existing narratives of Chinese investors, we highlight plurality of experiences, strategies and aims of Chinese people buying homes. We argue such an understanding forces us to rethink the form and character of Chinese investment practices in western cities by de-centring London's prime areas and purchasers when analysing property acquisition's internationalisation. In turn this evidences the false binary of local and international demand and shows the complexities hidden behind narratives of international capital. [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]

• We present a new measure of political ties, the political position generator. • We find discriminant validity vis-a-vis demographics and social networks. • We find concurrent validity for political participation and political attitudes. This paper proposes a novel instrument – the political position generator - for measuring individuals' political ties, or personal, affective connections to state officials and other political actors. It adopts and adapts the more general position generator framework in social capital research to capture three key dimensions of political ties – upper reachability, network diversity, and tie strength. The measure is validated with data from a representative survey of the Chinese population and three scales representing the three political ties dimensions are created. In correlational and multivariate regression analyses, we find initial evidence of the instrument's criterion-related (discriminant and concurrent) validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise positioning of a lander is a key issue during in situ planetary exploration. This paper proposes an optimal weighting algorithm based on a Helmert-variance component estimation applied to VLBI phase delay data. We validated our algorithm on Chang'e 3 lander VLBI phase delay from the Chinese VLBI Network. We consider that the lander positioning accuracy achieved with our new algorithm is at least 53 % better, compared to previous estimations based on the same observations. The position of the lander based on continuous 4-day observations was estimated to be 44.1215 ° N (± 21.9 m), −19.5135 ° E (± 4.2 m) and −2632.7 m (± 18.9 m) with respect to a moon reference system. This result agrees well with the position derived from images taken by the Narrow Angle Camera on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To validate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the THINC-it tool in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).Methods: Subjects aged 18 to 65 years (n=117) with MDD were evaluated and compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n=124). Subjects completed the THINC-it, four criteria-related objective cognitive subtests, and the paper version of Perceived Deficits Questionnaire for Depression-5-item (PDQ-5-D).Results: There were significant differences in Spotter [Mean difference (MD) Standard errors (SE)=-0.40 (0.17), P=0.018; 95% Confidence intervals (CI) (-0.73 to -0.07)]; Codebreaker [MD (SE)=-0.39 (0.14), P=0.006; 95% CI(-0.67 to -0.11)]; and the overall performance of four objective tests (including variants of IDN, OBK, DSST, and TMT-B) [MD (SE)=-0.30 (0.12), P=0.013; 95% CI (-0.53 to -0.06]) between the two groups. In the HC group, PDQ-5-D retest reliability was good (ICC = 0.841), and the test-retest reliability of the objective cognitive test was relatively low (ICC ranging from 0.123 to 0.545). In the MDD group: Cronbach's α of PDQ-5-D=0.704; all the THINC-it subtests had good concurrent validity (r ranging from 0.343 to 0.835, all P<0.01).Limitation: The test-retest sample size was relatively small, the educational level and IQ of the control and MDD groups were not completely matched.Conclusion: The Chinese version of the THINC-it tool exhibits good reliability and validity in adults with MDD. There is a need to incorporate cognitive assessment of adults with MDD broadly. The THINC-it tool is the first tool validated to assess cognition of MDD in a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mockery is pervasive in conversational humour. However, little research has been conducted to explore the influence of localised sociocultural constraints on the linguistic choices of interlocutors during jocular mockery acts, especially in non-English-speaking contexts. This paper was written with a focus on examining the jocular mockery strategies that speakers of Mandarin Chinese use to amuse others and the extent to which the speakers adapt themselves to a playful frame. Data were collected from the jocular episodes of 'The Smiling Proud Wanderer' (' Xiao'ao Jianghu '), a television show that was broadcast in standard Mandarin Chinese at the national level in 2016. Based on a detailed analysis of the data, we classified jocular mockery strategies into four categories: jocular depreciation, jocular criticism, jocular directive, and jocular praise. The results indicate that the Chinese prefer using face-threatening strategies (rather than face-saving strategies) to construct a playful frame while mitigating the denigrating force of jocular mockery in the RTV show context. In addition, while the Chinese with high institutional status tend to contextualise the playful frame in an other-denigrating manner, those with low status tend to construct the frame in a self-denigrating way. • This study examines how Chinese manage conversational humour through jocular mockery in interactions. • Four types of jocular mockery strategies are identified: jocular depreciation, jocular criticism, jocular directives, and jocular praise. • The Chinese prefer using face-threatening strategies to construct a playful frame. • Chinese with a high institutional and social status tend to frame other-directed playfulness. • Chinese with a low institutional and social status generally frame playfulness in a more self-directed way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has entered a new economic age, with the government leading economic transformation. Many laborers, such as rural laborers and migrant workers, have developed serious mental health issues. These issues, such as depression, are a significant obstacle to sustainable development in China.Methods: We use data from the 2016 China Family Panel Survey, a survey that collected data from a large and nationally representative sample of the Chinese population, to construct a sample of 18,300 laborers from 25 provinces, and then use statistical analysis to gain insight into the prevalence of depression among laborers.Results: The distribution of depression varies among laborers. Specifically, we find that the prevalence of depression is significantly lower in the population of urban laborers than in migrant laborers or rural laborers. Our results also show that laborers who are women, divorced, widowed, ethnic minorities, low income, low education, long work experience, or who lack medical insurance are more likely to be depressed than other laborers are.Limitations: Our research has several weaknesses. First, the CFPS dataset only used self-diagnosed depressive symptoms, which limited us to examining depressive symptoms, rather than medical diagnoses. Also, this paper was unable to explore the causal relationship between depression and other factors. Future research examining the causality between depression and other factors in China is necessary.Conclusion: We propose that there is correspondingly high prevalence of depression among laborers in rural areas compared to urban areas in China. This study can help government leaders make targeted programs for depressed adults in the future, especially those who are members of marginalized groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to investigate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and explore the associated risk factors in a very elderly southwest Chinese population. From September 2015 to June 2016, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to obtain a representative sample of 1,326 participants over 80 years old living in Chengdu. The presence of DM was based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h plasma glucose (2-hPG) levels during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratios (OR s) and 95% confidence intervals (CI s) of the potential associated factors. The participants' mean age was 83.5 ± 3.1 years. The overall prevalence of DM was 27.4%. The prevalence was higher in males (30.2%) than females (24.7%) (P = 0.02). The prevalence of DM increased with body mass index (BMI) and decreased with aging. The multivariate analysis suggested that male sex (OR = 1.433; 95% CI , 1.116–1.843), hypertension (OR = 1.439; 95% CI , 1.079–1.936), overweight or obesity (OR = 1.371; 95% CI , 1.023–1.834), high heart rate (≥ 75 beats/min; OR = 1.362; 95% CI , 1.063–1.746), and abdominal obesity (OR = 1.615; 95% CI , 1.216–2.149) were all significantly positively correlated with DM. However, age was negatively correlated with DM (OR = 0.952; 95% CI , 0.916–0.989). The prevalence of DM and newly diagnosed DM in a very elderly southwest Chinese population was high. OGTT screening should be performed regularly in people aged ≥ 80 years to ensure timely diagnosis of DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parenting self-efficacy and parental involvement mediated family SES and children's cognitive competence. • The direct and indirect pathways of SEMs varied between migrant and non-migrant families. • The study highlights the unique pathways from specific components of SES to young children's cognitive competence. • The study reveals parental beliefs and practices differences between young higher- and lower-SES children. This study explores how family socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to the cognitive competence of very young children (i.e., less than 3 years of age) in migrant and non-migrant Chinese families. It also investigates the mediating role of parenting self-efficacy (PSE) and parental involvement in these associations. Based on a sample of 748 migrant and non-migrant families residing in urban areas, the results from structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that young Chinese children from higher-SES families exhibited stronger cognitive competence. Moreover, this connection was partially mediated by PSE and parental involvement; in particular, higher-SES parents had higher PSE and greater involvement in their children's home-based activities, which explained their children's stronger cognitive competence. However, these direct and indirect pathways varied between migrant and non-migrant families. This paper offers valuable insights into the parental beliefs and practises behind SES-related differences in cognitive competence between very young children from migrant and non-migrant Chinese families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel mutations identified in this study enriched the SMN1 mutation database. • Revealing a distinct ethnic specificity in the SMN1 mutational spectrum. • Provided a new option for the detection of Chinese common mutation c.22dupA. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by homozygous deletions of the SMN1 gene in approximately 95% of patients. The remaining 5% of patients with SMA retain at least one copy of the SMN1 gene carrying insertions, deletions, or point mutations. Although molecular genetic testing for most SMA patients is quite easy, diagnosing "nondeletion" SMA patients is still compromised by the presence of a highly homologous SMN2 gene. In this study, we analyzed the SMN1/SMN2 copy number by quantitative PCR and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Further, common primers for both SMN1 and SMN2 sequences were used to screen DNA intragenic mutations. To confirm whether the identified mutations occurred in SMN1 or SMN2 , we improved the traditional RT-PCR method by only amplifying SMN1 transcripts using an allelic-specific PCR (AS-RT-PCR) strategy. We identified six SMN1 point mutations and small indels in 8 families, which included c.683T>A, c.22dupA, c.815A>G, c.19delG, c.551_552insA and c.401_402delAG. To the best of our knowledge, the latter three have never been previously reported. The most common mutation in Chinese patients is c.22dupA, which was identified in three families. In this work, we demonstrated AS-RT-PCR to be reliable for identifying SMN1 subtle mutations, especially the prevalent mutation c.22dupA in Chinese SMA patients. By reviewing published papers and summarizing reported SMN1 mutations, a distinct ethnic specificity was found in SMA patients from China. Our research extends the SMN1 mutation spectrum. [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]

Abstract: This paper estimated returns to education of Chinese residents using the optimal instrumental variables selection method based on simulated annealing algorithm. First, we introduced 38 excluded instrumental variables as the possible endogenous explanatory variable of years of education based on the rules of instrumental variables in current literature and then to get a two- stage least-squares (2SLS) regression with those variables. With this regression, we found out that there are weak instruments in the model. Then, based on simulated annealing algorithm, we chose spouses’ education years (edus) as the most appropriate instrumental variable and others as redundant instruments and weak instruments. Furthermore, a heteroscedasticity test was conducted on the regression residual of the structural equation and got a heteroscedastic result among disturbance terms. After applying generalized method of moments (GMM) and a series of model specification tests, we finally got six exact excluded instrumental variables. Last but not least, after the final GMM estimation based on the selected optimal instrumental variables, the conclusion of this paper was that the returns to education of Chinese residents are 9.96%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]

Background/Purpose: Most reports about oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) have been contributed by occidental countries, and most of the victims of this disease are racially white. In contrast, this disorder is rarely seen in Asians and has only one African report. Consequently, OPMD has been regarded as a disease of the Western world. The purpose of this paper is to challenge the accuracy of this concept. Methods: In a Chinese immigrant family, 3 patients manifesting signs related to OPMD were examined. Electromyography, nerve conduction studies, muscle biopsy and genetic analysis were performed on the proband. All the 322 papers about OPMD were reviewed and their country of origin was labeled to perceive the approximate prevalence of OPMD. Countries were categorized into groups according to the continents to which they belonged. Results: The proband''s muscle histopathology showed small angulated fiber with rimmed vacuoles, ultrastructural pathology exposed filamentous intranuclear inclusions, and genetic analysis of the polyadenylate binding protein nuclear 1(PABPN1) gene revealed 13 GCG trinucleotide repeats in one allele (GCG)13 while being normal in the other. The survey of the country of origin of OPMD reports showed that 80% of these papers were contributed by occidental countries and that the number of publications of OPMD among countries of Americas and Asia were unequal, when compared to those of European countries, which were fairly proportioned. An epidemiologic review of the literature is presented and the prevalence of OPMD is discussed. Conclusion: This is a China-born Chinese patient with both morphologically and genetically proven of OPMD. The very low OPMD report rate in developing countries of East Asia is due to the unfamiliarity of medical workers to OPMD and the unavailability of medical supplies to confirm the diagnosis. In addition, the present and previous reports provide clear evidence that OPMD in these areas is underdiagnosed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the last decade, flexible citizenship has contributed much to our understandings of how contemporary Chinese migrate across the world in late capitalism. This corpus has not only called attention to the manifold strategies that these migrants adopt to inhabit multiple spaces, but has also elucidated how transnational migration can be deployed for the purposes of capital accumulation and enhancement of one’s lifestyle. This paper argues that the current fixation on the flexible strategies of the Chinese ‘shuttling’ between the East and West inevitably occludes other logics of mobilities that may be more germane for other (neglected) segments of the ‘new Chinese diaspora’. Through its consistent rehearsal, the present preoccupation may have led to an inadvertent reification of flexible citizenship, as the paradigmatic model of modern-day Chinese mobilities. In an effort to move the discussion forward, this paper weaves a deliberately dissonant story with the narratives of 50 Singaporean Chinese migrants who are living in, or who have returned to Singapore from, New York or the Californian-Bay Area. The viewpoints offered by these less ‘conventional’ Chinese subjects not only diverge from the usual ‘strategic’ or ‘calculative’ storylines among the Hong Kongers and Taiwanese, but also uncover distinctive assemblages that span across multi-sited and transcultural contexts. Although this paper has no intentions to discredit flexible citizenship, it hopes to have begun the process of decentring the locus of our knowledge pertaining to the subject, drawing attention to the possibility of alternative realities within many Chinese transnationalisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In view of the growing concern of Chinese stock fluctuation, this paper forecasts the Chinese stock volatility by extracting global stock information by combining forecasts of time-varying parameter (TVP) volatility models. First, we construct individual constant coefficient (CC) models and TVP models across 27 global stock markets, and then use several strategies to combine their forecasts. The results show global stock information does forecast the future volatility of Chinese stock market. Both the forecast accuracy and economic values can be further improved by using strategies combining TVP models with global stock information. Specifically, the median combination shows its superiority for the volatile Chinese stock market. Our findings are robust to different estimation window sizes, volatility proxies, and evaluation criteria. • We forecast the Chinese stock volatility across twenty-seven global stock markets. • Combinations of TVP models can significantly outperform those of CC models. • The median combination of TVP models is the best for the Chinese stock market. • Combinations of TVP models can generate sizeable economic gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper offers new, significant insights into the Church engagement experiences of Chinese international students in the UK. Based on a mixed-method research and focusing on a group of international Chinese students participating in local Christian churches, it explores the motivations (for), dynamics and types of connections students establish and maintain with the church communities, and the implications for stakeholders in facilitating intercultural engagement with the local community. The limited cross-cultural interactions alongside other structural and contextual factors often deprive meaningful engagement between international students and host nationals within the campus. According to the research participants, internationalised university is promising and promoting intercultural experiences but not delivering them. Chinese students of usually non-Christian background gravitate towards Christian churches as alternative places to gain desired intercultural experiences. The findings encourage universities to reflect on the quality of intercultural engagement for international students and draw from the reciprocal and respectful intercultural connections that some students discovered through engaging with Christian churches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper demonstrates the value of child-centred migration studies which highlight children’s role in shaping the migration journeys of their families, as well as their own projected journeyings. It examines the case of children from China who move to Singapore, an aspiring global education hub, expressly for the purpose of an overseas education that will facilitate longer-term migrationand life goals. Focus is given specifically to the children of ‘study mothers’ or peidu mama (literally: ‘mothers accompanying their children who are studying’). Through interviews with the teenagers and the conceptual optic of ‘social navigation’, our paper demonstrates that children are resilient and creative beings able to navigate the twists and turns of their immediate trajectories, as well as develop their own goals and projected destinations for their futures. The paper calls for a refinement in the way we understand children’s mobilities. First, in arguing that their spatial journeying across the terrains of transnational education cannot be decoupled from their process of social becoming and emotional development from passive followers to active negotiators, we wish to disrupt hegemonic discourses and dominant representations of children in migration as simply ‘migrant’s children’ and restore them to the status of ‘migrant children’. Second, adopting the concept of social navigation as an analytical lens allows us to highlight the fluid ways that young people think about their futures and the different pathways by which they can get there. This leads us to conceive of social and cultural capital accumulation through transnational education as a process with many more degrees of provisionality than what is often presented in the literature as a ‘strategic project’ with a fixed and abstract goal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper explores regional gender differences in information systems adoption based on a sample of 496 Chinese individuals from four universities and one firm, by a lens of theory of planned behavior. It enriches the literature by explaining and examining the moderating effects of gender on the relationships between antecedents and behavioral intention of using information systems for Chinese users. Contrary to prior findings in the US-based research, Chinese women were found to be more strongly influenced by their computer attitudes whereas Chinese men were found to be more strongly affected by their subject norms. Perceived behavior control was important for both sexes without significant difference. The results were robust across prior experience, ages, educational levels, as well as academic disciplines and job occupations. Meanwhile, the paper uncovers under what conditions perceived behavior control and subject norms will be salient determinants of Chinese user acceptance of information systems. Practical implications about gender sensitivity in information systems adoption are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Few epidemiological studies have investigated associations of exposure to multiple metals with thyroid hormone homeostasis, especially for the pregnant women. Methods Among all the 1644 participants enrolled in Hangzhou Birth Cohort Study (HBCS) at baseline, a total of 915 pregnant women with complete data of interest were analyzed. Eleven metals were measured in blood samples collected around 25 weeks gestation. Serum levels of thyroid hormones including free triiodothyronine (FT3), total triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine (FT4), total thyroxine (TT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were abstracted from the medical records. Relationships between tertiles of metal levels (setting the lowest tertile as the reference) and percent changes in thyroid hormones were estimated by multivariable adjusted linear regression models. Results Five metals [arsenic (As), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), antimony (Sb)] were significantly linked to decreased levels of one or more thyroid hormones based on trend tests in the single-metal models. Percent changes [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] in thyroid hormones for the third tertiles of metals remained significant between FT3 and As [−3.53% (−5.48%, −1.54%)]; and between TT3 and As [−4.19% (−7.00%, −1.31%)]; and between FT4 and Mn [−2.05% (−3.49%, −0.58%)], Sb [−1.99% (−3.44%, −0.52%)] in the multiple-metal models. Conclusions Thyroid hormone concentrations were reversely related to the levels of blood metals of As, Mn and Sb among Chinese pregnant women. Additional prospective studies are warranted to confirm the causality. Paper capsule: Exposure to multiple metals was reversely associated with one or more thyroid hormones in the Chinese pregnant women. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Associations of multiple metals with thyroid hormones were examined at pregnancy. • Both single- and multiple-metal models were employed for data analyses. • Blood metals of As, Mn and Sb were reversely linked to thyroid hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the rhetorical organization of the introduction sections of English and Chinese research articles in the field of educational psychology. The study reported in this paper adopts framework of move analysis. In general, the findings of the present study reveal that there are similarities and differences between English and Chinese research article introductions in terms of the employment of moves and steps. It is suggested that the rhetorical differences reflect some of the distinctive characteristics of the two different cultures, English and Chinese. The findings of the present study have both theoretical and pedagogical implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]