Search

The Tibetan Plateau works as an important environmental and ecological barrier for the Asian continent. The researches on Tibetan environment and ecology are becoming extensive, but there is no systematic summary of research hotspots and trends in this field. Here, we analyzed 9180 publications retrieved from the WOS and CNKI during 2000 ~ 2020. The characteristics of publication, keywords with a 5-year interval and co-occurrence analysis were carried out so as to reveal the evolution and development trends of topics. The results show that articles increase dramatically since 2012. Except for common concerns like evolution, climate change, and precipitation, diversity was been studied more by Chinese scholars, while the USA, Germany, UK, and Australia researchers focused more on adaptability, basin western Tibet, lake, barley, and ore-related themes, respectively. Besides, China closely collaborated with the USA, Australia, and Germany in topics of evolution, climate change and degradation, precipitation, and diversity. The institutions located in Chinese different economic regions focused on different research keywords, such as vegetation, growth, trace elements, and geochemistry. The CAS contributed the most articles with 4254, showed advantages both in quantity and quality. Few articles were published by researchers affiliated to Free University of Berlin but with higher citations. It is the only one institute outside of China in the top 20. Main research hotspots include climate change, geology, and diversity. In future researches, ecological management and rehabilitation of mining area and tailings ponds, waste disposal, and changes of soil and water quality are worthy of attention and funding., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the geographic distribution and number of papers published in international and Science Citation Index (SCI)-indexed cytology journals based on their country of origin., Materials and Methods: A country-based geographic analysis of studies published over a 5.5-year period from January 2016 to June 2021 in 5 cytopathology journals indexed as SCI and SCI-E with an impact factor higher than 1 (Cancer Cytopathology, Cytopathology, Diagnostic Cytopathology, Acta Cytologica, and CytoJournal) and papers categorized as "original" and "other" was performed., Results: A total of 3,063 papers were found, with 1,466 (47.8%) categorized as "original" papers and 1,597 (52.1%) designated as "other" papers. These papers were submitted from 62 different countries. The five countries with the greatest number of papers were the USA (38.4%), India (16.8%), Japan (7.4%), Italy (5.5%), and Brazil (3.1%). A general subgroup analysis was also performed on the original studies without a country breakdown. Cytomorphological, cytomorphological-immunohistochemical, and molecular assessments compose 38.5%, 45.7%, and 15% of the subgroups, respectively., Conclusion: The number of academic papers originating from developing countries in the field of cytopathology has increased in recent years. Although most scientific papers are produced in developed countries, the rate in these countries is much lower than that in some developing countries as the rate of academic growth in developed countries has stabilized. Despite the widespread and sophisticated implementation of cytology in daily practice in Western European countries outside the UK, such as Germany and the Netherlands, and in Scandinavian countries and other developed countries, such as Australia and Canada, these countries rank in the middle to lower end of countries producing cytology papers. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in the number of cytology papers published by authors from Southern European countries, such as Italy (ranked 4th) and Spain (ranked 6th), and Turkey (ranked 8th). There is a remarkable increase in cytology papers originating from Asia, particularly India, Japan, and China., Summary: We aimed to present a basic survey of the geographic distribution of manuscript submissions to high-impact cytopathology journals and to point out emerging trends in cytology utilization and basic research. However, our results show that the landscape of cytology is changing and suggest geographic regions that are ripe for the production of novel "points of view" and new research findings., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

As humanity reaches the 5.0 industrial revolution, education plays a critical role in boosting the quality of human resources. This paper reports bibliometric research on emerging TiP during 1993-2022 in the educational field to analyse its development on any level of education during the last three decades. This study employed a Scopus database. The findings are that the trend of TiP publication in educational fields has tended to increase every year during the past three decades and conference paper became the most published document type, the USA is the country which produces the most publications; "Students" being the most occurrences keyword and total link strength. The publication of the TiP is ranked to the Quartile 1, which implies that a publication with the cited performance is a publication with credibility because the publisher has a good reputation. Researchers can find the topics most relevant to other metadata sources such as Web of Science, Publish, and Perish.

Social network theories are used extensively to analyze the international migration of Chinese to overseas regions in the era of Market Economy Reform since 1978. Attention is paid especially on the role of social networks among overseas Chinese on disaster relief in China. Focusing on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this paper investigates how social networks work as a crucial mechanism through which Chinese immigrants in Germany initiated and delivered monetary and material donations to China in early 2020 and then organized self-help in their everyday lives in Germany in late 2020. Different from previous studies, this paper scrutinizes social networks for disaster relief on the macro, meso, and micro levels. Multi-site ethnographic fieldwork in China and Germany combined with online and offline data collected from focus group sessions, interviews with individuals, participant observations, surveys, analysis of news reports on the pandemic, and analysis on relevant policies are utilized comprehensively to collect data on the three levels. This research discovers that internet tools – represented by WeChat – have integrated tightly into the traditional social networks of Chinese immigrants and consolidated the cultural cohesion from overseas Chinese to their connections in China. This paper aims at contributing to present studies on Chinese new immigrants, social network, and disaster management theories with an updated ethnographic case on the COVID-19 pandemic from Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the German post‐reunification context dominated by economic uncertainty and structural change, this paper studies the effects of import shocks from China on the fertility decisions of individuals working in the German manufacturing sector between 1995 and 2016. While focusing on trade shocks related to Chinese imported goods, the paper explores individual fertility via the labor market outcomes of manufacturing workers, roughly a fifth of German employment. I investigate the gender‐specific effects of Chinese import competition on individual fertility and explain the channels mediating each of them. I find that globalization affects overall fertility negatively, but the effect is positive for women and negative for men. Results indicate a reduction in the employment opportunity of individuals, an increase in marginal employment and higher economic insecurity. There is a substitution effect in the labor supply of women, here prevalently concentrated in low‐technology sectors: as female earnings fall and their opportunity cost of work is lower, the prospect of having children possibly becomes a more rewarding alternative. Given concerns over low fertility in Germany, findings are particularly important for understanding the German social and economic structure that enabled the country's post‐reunification transformation but also allowed heavy labor market segmentation and atypical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaoFen-7 (GF-7) satellite mission is further expanding the very high resolution 3D mapping application. Carrying the first civilian Chinese sub-meter resolution stereo satellite sensors, GF-7 satellite was launched on November 7, 2019. With 0.65 meter resolution on backward view and 0.8 meter resolution forward view, GF-7 has been designed to meet the demand of natural resource monitoring, land surveying, and other mapping applications in China. The use of GF-7 for 3D city reconstruction is unfortunately restricted by the fixed large stereo view angle of forward and backward cameras with +26 and −5 degrees respectively which is not optimal for dense stereo matching in urban regions. In this paper we intensively evaluate the quality of the GF-7 datasets by performing a series of urban monitoring applications, including road detection, building extraction and 3D reconstruction. In addition, we propose a 3D reconstruction workflow which uses the land cover classification result to refine the stereo matching result. Six sub-urban regions are selected from the available datasets in the middle of Germany. The results show that basic elements in urban scenes like buildings and roads could be detected from GF-7 datasets with high accuracy. With the proposed workflow, a 3D city model with a visually observed good quality can be delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of China Tourism Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Yangtze Normal University is the property of Journal of Yangtze Normal University Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Forest products trade has a critical role to play in both global economic development and environmental protection. Based on the trade data of global forest products, raw forest products, and processed forest products from 2000 to 2020, this paper constructed a trade network and analyzed its pattern by using indicators such as density, average distance, out-strength, and in-strength. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the global trade network of forest products has been increasingly connected. Compared with the trade of raw material forest products, the trade network of processed forest products is more closely connected and its transport efficiency is higher. Countries with high GDP such as USA, China, and Germany are leading trading countries in forest products. Countries with abundant forest resources are the major exporters of raw forest products, while labor- and capital-abundant countries are major exporters of processed forest products. Countries with abundant labor and capital and high GDP are the main importers of raw forest products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the application of stochastic optimization principles for investment decision making. The authors present the investment management system based on an adequate portfolio model. For optimal portfolio construction and stock selection, the method of stochastically informative expertise and ranging is used. Investment portfolios in equity and currency markets are formed considering investor risk tolerance and risk preference level, as well as an individual utility function. Investment portfolios are constructed according to three criteria: return, risk, and reliability. The markets of Germany, the USA, and China, as well as foreign exchange markets, are analysed. The results reveal the efficient investment possibilities in the mentioned markets, allowing to reach investment return substantially exceeding market index return. Along with that, an innovative stochastic clustering methodology for investment assets is proposed. The obtained results are of great value for individual as well as institutional investors and are a suitable means to form efficient investment strategies in financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of novel energy vehicles, power generation, photovoltaics, and other industries, power electronic devices have gained considerable attention. Insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) have been widely used in those fields. With the emergence of intelligent manufacturing concepts such as Germany's "Industry 4.0" and China's "Made in China 2025", conventional manufacturing which needs to be upgraded with higher efficiency and yield is rapidly pivoting toward digitalization and intelligence. The digital twin methodology has been extensively used in various industries for constructing virtual models of physical entities, facilitating real-time data interconnection to reduce costs and improve efficiency. This study proposes a modular intelligent IGBT production line based on the digital twin. Real-time data are transmitted from a physical line to a digital line for storage and analysis. The digital line is visualized, and an intelligent management platform containing multiple functions is developed. Additionally, a process simulation database is established to obtain the optimal process parameters. Numerous quality issues that can arise during each process of IGBT packaging are addressed using a problem-solving approach based on the digital twin methodology. Consequently, this digital-twin-based IGBT intelligent production line effectively enhances yield rates and efficiency. IGBT modules with various packaging forms such as ACF, ACE, and ACD are manufactured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While promoting the economic growth, energy has also brought pollution problems to the world environment, which has gradually become a bottleneck impeding sustainable economic development. In view of the rapid evolution of urbanization and industrialization, economic growth is increasingly dependent on the energy consumption, the development of the two is difficult to coordinate, and the internal contradictions are becoming increasingly serious, which hinders the sustainable development of economic growth. This study establishes the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth according to the energy Kuznets curve and studies the future trend of China's sustainable development through the comparative analysis of the energy Kuznets curve of the United States and Germany. The results show that, at the turning point of energy consumption, China's energy economic rate is higher than that of Germany and the United States. In addition, in terms of urbanization rate and industrial structure, although China's tertiary industry has made a breakthrough, it is still lower than that of the United States and Germany, but the level of urbanization rate has made significant progress. In short, China has obvious advantages in future economic development and has a late developing advantage compared with the United States and Germany. This paper makes an empirical analysis of the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in OECD countries and finds out the turning point of energy consumption, so as to provide a theoretical basis for coordinating China's energy consumption and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify the most prolific countries in the field of special education and to discuss the widespread impact of their papers by taking into account the country's h-index. Through a bibliometric analysis, the data were collected in the Web of Science Core Collection category "Education, Special" in the Social Science Citation Index during 2011-2020. The 25 most prolific countries in the field of special education were determined in terms of paper productivity, and it was seen that the leading country was undisputedly the USA (54.42%). Meanwhile, a strong positive correlation was found between the h-index and the number of papers published by the countries (r=0.864). On the other hand, when the ranking in terms of the number of papers was reconfigured by the h-index, it was relatively changed. The possible reasons for this change for the countries with the most changing rankings were discussed by considering some definitive criteria such as the journal quartiles, the percentage of international and domestic, and the percentage of open access papers. This study reports a positive correlation between the quality and quantity in the field of special education for the publications of countries. It has been shown that where the positive correlation deviates, then especially, the journal quartiles, the percentage of international collaboration and the percentage of open access papers have a significant effect. The bibliometric findings may be useful to enrich the discussion about the widespread impact of papers and debate whether the use of h-index is acceptable for cross-national comparisons.

Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies have elevated the capabilities and possibilities of improvement and efficiency in the energy sector. This paper interrogates how energy companies in South Africa, Germany and China apply 4IR technologies. A total of 26 energy companies in those countries were surveyed. An analysis was carried out using the Cronbach Alpha, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Survey results indicate that 85% of companies acknowledge good levels of participation in the 4IR, and were clear about which 4IR technologies are important, although few companies develop these themselves. Technologies enabling access to big, real-time data (BRTD) and BRTD analysis software, are valued the most in measured importance, efficiency, reliability and ability to be integrated across the energy system. The transfer of data using the Internet of things ranked highly as a 4IR technology, whereas artificial intelligence, robotics and machine-human integration (also referred to as machine-human interaction) are considered less important, efficient, and reliable. China rates 4IR technologies as more important than South Africa and Germany do. For South Africa to be competitive in the global energy sector it needs to engage with and embrace 4IR technologies to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the rising geoeconomic competition between the USA and China, no suggestions are offered in the contemporary literature as to what geoeconomic strategy middle powers can use towards the great powers in the face of the currently emerging bipolar world structure. In this paper, three ideal-typical models of geoeconomic strategies for middle powers are developed with the help of terminology borrowed from strategic studies: the concepts of balancing, bandwagoning and hedging lead to the concepts of geoeconomic balancing, geoeconomic bandwagoning and geoeconomic hedging. Further, the behaviour of Germany towards China is tested, and it is argued that Germany has chosen geoeconomic hedging as its strategy towards China. By simultaneously promoting and restricting economic relations with China, Germany seeks to protect its commercial interests in China and at the same time strengthen its partnership with the USA and EU members to avoid falling into the Chinese sphere of influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The higher education efficiency evaluation model using the data envelopment analysis method has interested many researchers. This paper uses bibliometric analysis on publications extracted from the Scopus database to provide a comprehensive overview of research publications on the measurement of higher education efficiency based on data envelopment analysis: its growth rate, major collaboration networks, the most important and popular research topic. A total of 169 related publications were collected and analyzed from 1988 to 2021. The analysis results show that: Publications published every year have increased sharply in the last six years; The quality of publications is relatively high as publications tend to be published in journals with high-ranking indexes; Countries with the most influence in studies on this topic are: Italy, China, Spain, the USA, and the United Kingdom; Authors with the most influence in this research direction are Agasisti T., Abbott M., Doucouliagos C., Avkiran N.K., and Johnes J.; The research cooperation among countries and among affiliations is not strong. Finally, the paper has provided recommendations for future studies based on the findings.

The worldwide transformation of electricity production goes hand in hand with increasing use of wind energy. The German 'Energiewende' project is no exception and relies heavily on the construction and use of an ever-increasing number of wind turbines. While the operation of wind turbines does not lead to the emission of pollutants (in contrast to, e.g. coal, oil or gas), the production processes of the construction materials do. Since the raw materials' production primarily takes place outside Germany, radioactivity and doses related to these processes occur at remote places in the world. This effect might be called an 'export of doses'. In the present paper, we perform a life cycle analysis of wind turbines, investigating the mining and production of the construction materials. We focus on rare-earth elements needed for the generator magnets and assess the associated releases of radioactive materials during mining and processing, primarily in China. Estimates of dose to the public in selected Chinese cities are calculated. Different electricity generation techniques are compared by the use of the quantity (collective) dose per GW per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Standard Design is the property of Railway Standard Design Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to substantiate the influence of approaches to the economic mechanisms formation for managing supply chains on export and import volumes as well as local cargo transportation. Design/methodology/approach: The study outlines that the information technology use, in particular, highly specialized supply chain management (SCM) software, is necessary for the effective functioning of global supply chains (GSCs). For the purposes of the one-factor regression models of the relationship between the signs for the analyzed factors, volume of external cargo transportation, volume of internal cargo transportation and amount of investment in SCM software were built, and the correlation coefficients were also determined. The research was based on data of the Russian Federation, China and Germany. Findings: According to the results, for local cargo transportation for all three counties (Russian Federation: R² = 0.3679, China: R² = 0.441, Germany: 0.441), the correlation coefficients indicated no connection between the factors under study, while for external ones, they denoted a strong direct relationship: Russian Federation: R² = 0.906, China: R² = 0.8692, Germany: 0.926. It is statistically confirmed that external transportations are carried out by enterprises involved in GSCs, while the local ones are mainly performed by the domestic market-oriented companies. Originality/value: The study presents a model for the formation of economic mechanisms of SCM from the perspective of a systemic approach. It allows for structural analysis of the SCM strategy's impact on the functioning of participants within three management levels (corporate, business and functional). The study contributes to the practical domain of SCM: the results of the study can be applied by top managers of companies in developing SCM strategies, as well as by officials in developing and implementing governmental supply chain-related policies. In terms of scientific contribution, the research can also be of use: its methods and results can be applied by scientists in researching approaches to the economic mechanisms formation for managing supply chains on export and import volumes, as well as local cargo transportation in various countries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Western cultural context, grandiose (overt) narcissism has been shown to be either unrelated or negatively related to negative mental health (depression, suicide ideation). Grandiose narcissism may be differently related to depression and suicide ideation variables in Eastern cultural contexts. The current study therefore aims to investigate associations between grandiose narcissism, depression, and suicide ideation in a sample of metropolitan Chinese students as well as in a sample of German students. A total of N = 935 Chinese students (73.3% female; Mage = 22.62, SDage =.89) and of N = 389 German students (75.6% female; Mage = 23.13, SDage = 2.94) completed paper-and-pencil and/or online measures of grandiose narcissism, depression, and suicide ideation. Grandiose narcissism was positively associated with depression and suicide ideation in Chinese students. Depression fully mediated the association between grandiose narcissism and suicide ideation – controlling for gender, age, and survey method. In contrast, in the German sample, no significant associations could be found. Grandiose narcissism obviously has different consequences in China than in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of a German-Chinese comparative research project on the provision of services by non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the field of migration. It argues that NPOs and local governments deploy similar strategies in their joint attempt to tackle social problems, regardless of their political backgrounds. From a top-down perspective German and Chinese local governments show similar outsourcing modes, while from a bottom-up perspective NPOs show similar practices of network governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Involving the global issues as listed in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education is necessarily done in the education process, especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Exposure to global issues is known to improve students' understanding, awareness, and ability to solve urgent issues faced by global society. This paper aims to find out the trend of research on the coverage of SDGs in students' learning process. This systematic literature analysis was done by applying Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Method. A total of 25 studies were recognized through a systematic search by using Sustainability, SDGs, and EFL as keywords. The result shows that the trend of associating SDGs with EFL settings was done mostly in Indonesia. In the recent year 2022, it reached the highest number of studies in the particular matter with 7 total of research. It was also found that the study involving SDGs on EFL learning was mostly done in the tertiary setting, compared with K-12, junior high school, secondary, high school, and other educational institutions. It was also discovered that the specific area of study enhances EFL students' learning achievement, environmental awareness, global citizen values, as well as students' levels of self-norms, beliefs, and self-value.

Objective: Circular RNA (circRNA) is of significant interest in genetic research. The aim of this study was to assess global trends in circRNA research production in order to shed new light on future research frontiers. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we conducted a literature search using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database on March 21, 2019 to retrieve publications from 2007 to 2018. Excel 2013, CiteSpace V, and VOSviewer were used to evaluate bibliometric features that included publication output, countries/regions, institutions, journals, citation frequency, H-index, and research hotspots. Results: Global cumulative publication output on circRNA consisted of 998 papers with a total citation of 28595 during 2007-2018. China, the US, and Germany were the most prolific countries. China ranked first in H-index (60 times) and citations (13333 times). The most productive institution was Nanjing Medical University with 73 papers. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (impact factor [IF]2017:2.559) ranked first among journals in the number of publications (64 papers). The keywords shifted from "sequence", "intron", and "splice-site" to "transcriptome", "microRNA sponge", "exon circularization", and "circRNA biogenesis" overtime. The burst keywords "transcriptome", "microRNA sponge", "exon circularization", and "circRNA biogenesis" were the latest frontiers by 2018. Conclusion: This is a relatively novel bibliometric analysis to inspect research related to circRNA. The results show that publications have continuously increased in the past decade. China, the US, and Germany were the leading countries/regions in terms of quantity. Recent studies on topics related to circRNA biogenesis and function should be closely followed in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Mechanical Engineering is the property of Editorial Board of China Mechanical Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Much psychological research depends on participants' diligence in filling out materials such as surveys. However, not all participants are motivated to respond attentively, which leads to unintended issues with data quality, known as careless responding. Our question is: how do different modes of data collection--paper/pencil, computer/web-based, and smartphone--affect participants' diligence vs. "careless responding" tendencies and, thus, data quality? Results from prior studies suggest that different data collection modes produce a comparable prevalence of careless responding tendencies. However, as technology develops and data are collected with increasingly diversified populations, this question needs to be readdressed and taken further. The present research examined the effect of survey mode on careless responding in a repeated-measures design with data from three different samples. First, in a sample of working adults from China, we found that participants were slightly more careless when completing computer/web-based survey materials than in paper/pencil mode. Next, in a German student sample, participants were slightly more careless when completing the paper/pencil mode compared to the smartphone mode. Finally, in a sample of Chinese-speaking students, we found no difference between modes. Overall, in a meta-analysis of the findings, we found minimal difference between modes across cultures. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This paper explores the social connectedness experiences among older migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. Data were collected via two rounds of semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic and cluster analysis. Participants were 40 migrants aged 66-91 years, of German, Dutch, Romanian, Chinese, and Vietnamese origin. They identified a range of factors affecting their social connectedness experiences: personal preferences, individual efforts to connect with others, English language proficiency, driving ability, and length of residence. Data analysis also revealed four groupings of experience: the isolated, family, ethnic community, and multicultural cluster. These patterns of connectedness were experienced differently across the ethnic groups. The findings suggest the benefits of providing culture-specific social connection opportunities to help older migrants to stay socially connected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of COVID-19 contact tracing apps (CTAs) has been proposed as an important measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Based on a cross-national dataset, this article analyzes public perceptions toward CTAs and the factors that drive CTA acceptance in China, Germany, and the United States. We find that public acceptance of CTAs is significantly higher in China as compared with Germany and the United States. Despite very different sociopolitical contexts, there are striking similarities in the factors that drive CTA acceptance in all three countries. Citizens are willing to accept digital contact tracing despite concerns about privacy infringement and government surveillance, as long as the apps are perceived as effective in lowering infection rates and providing health information. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem for CTAs in Germany and the United States where CTAs are voluntary: a high citizen adoption rate is necessary for CTAs to be effective, but CTAs are only effective if adoption rates are high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in various fields, understanding its impact on liver cancer research is paramount. This scientometrics project aims to investigate publication trends and topics in AI-related publications in liver cancer. Materials and Methods: We employed a search strategy to identify AI-related publications in liver cancer using Scopus database. We analyzed the number of publications, author affiliations, and journals that publish AI-related publications in liver cancer. Finally, the publications were grouped based on intended application. Results: We identified 3950 eligible publications (2695 articles, 366 reviews, and 889 other document types) from 1968 to August 3, 2023. There was a 12.7-fold increase in AI-related publications from 2013 to 2022. By comparison, the number of total publications on liver cancer increased by 1.7-fold. Our analysis revealed a significant shift in trends of AI-related publications on liver cancer in 2019. We also found a statistically significant consistent increase in numbers of AI-related publications over time (tau = 0.756, p < 0.0001). Eight (53%) of the top 15 journals with the most publications were radiology journals. The largest number of publications were from China (n=1156), the US (n=719), and Germany (n=236). The three most common publication categories were "medical image analysis for diagnosis" (37%), "diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers modeling & bioinformatics" (19%), and "genomic or molecular analysis" (18%). Conclusion: Our study reveals increasing interest in AI for liver cancer research, evidenced by a 12.7-fold growth in related publications over the past decade. A common application of AI is in medical imaging analysis for various purposes. China, the US, and Germany are leading contributors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate reputation is important for all types of banks across the world, despite these countries differing culturally. Building on an extended corporate reputation model, we identify the key drivers of customer-based reputation and sustainable customer satisfaction in two culturally different countries, namely China and Germany. We also consider two reputation dimensions—perceived competence and likeability—and their effects on the target construct. Empirical data from 625 German and 734 Chinese commercial bank customers allow us to estimate the corporate reputation model with the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method, and by substantiating the relationships by means of a necessary condition analysis (NCA) and a predictive power analysis. By comparing the two countries' results, we identify their cultural differences. Overall, we confirm the model's relevance for the two cultures, finding that banks' perceived attractiveness is the most important driver of both cultures' customer-perceived bank reputation. By means of an importance-performance map analysis, we identify a large overlap between the two cultures' set of important constructs, likeability's much greater importance in Germany, and the perceived quality construct's relevance in both countries. We contribute to research and scientific knowledge about corporate reputation models by identifying the similarities in and differences between two countries' markets with respect to the banking sector, all of which have implications for international banks' management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although concepts such as research without borders have become more commonplace in recent decades, few studies have investigated the capabilities that global researchers require to cross both cultural and disciplinary borders. This paper explores global capabilities along with strategies and spaces that may facilitate academic researchers' acquisition and development of global research competence. The study's dataset comprises responses of 26 participants across 15 countries -- all of whom are members of a specific comparative education society -- who contributed their views via e-questionnaire. Findings indicate that research capacity building is a dynamic process and global competence calls for complex skills and conscious attitudes. Commitment to expand scientific curiosity beyond one's own culture and academic discipline appears to be a main criterion in achieving global competence. Results of this study are not meant to be prescriptive but rather exploratory and informative for a broad group of academic stakeholders.

With the rapid development of China's economy, the problem of environmental pollution has become increasingly serious. Given that China's current environmental quality threatens its long-term sustainable economic development, certain attention must be paid to curb environmental pollution in China. As a developed country with a high level of environmental quality in the world, Germany has experienced "Treatment after Pollution". To promote China's environmental quality, this study considers the historical lessons offered by Germany and examines the relationship between environmental pollution and economic development as well as the effective environmental governance mode in Germany and China. Based on the panel data of 30 provincial administrative regions in China and 16 states in Germany from 2000 to 2017, this study quantitatively investigates the nexus of economic growth and environmental pollution in the two countries. Empirical results demonstrate that, during the sample period of 2000–2017, the emissions of four pollutants in both countries increase initially and then decrease as the economy grows. The levels of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) that correspond to the emission peaks of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are comparable in the two countries. Some economic and industrial policies may help to accelerate the occurrence of the turning point, including the following: decreasing the importance of a secondary industry; taking full advantage of the structural and technical effects brought about by foreign trade; reducing the reliance on non-clean energy; and carrying out more effective energy policies. In this regard, coordinating environmental policies with economic growth, formulating strict environmental policies, improving industrial structure, optimizing energy structure, and improving the quality of foreign trade are pivotal for China's sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to determine which country has technological superiority in the field of industry by analysing the strategic approaches to the industrial development of three leading industrial countries (Germany, China, and the US), as well as selected indicators of industrial development. The results of the research show that China has the most ambitious approach and pretension to take a leading position in a large number of high-tech industries. Since 2014, China has become the second-largest industrial power, right after Germany, while the US has been in fourth place since 2017. China leads in terms of the share of industrial products in global trade and the share of manufacturing value added in the total world gross domestic product. Since 2015, China and Germany have developed intensive cooperation in the area of hi-tech industrial production, while bilateral relations between China and the US are tight due to the trade war. While the US, as the third-largest bilateral trading partner of Germany (after China and the Netherlands), is generating a trade deficit, China is making a breakthrough towards the European market, which is in line with the strategy of taking the position of a global leader in high technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: YOLO (You Look Only Once) is an algorithm based on deep neural networks with real-time object detection capabilities. This state-of-the-art technology is widely available, mainly due to its speed and precision. Since its conception, YOLO has been applied to detect and recognize traffic signs, pedestrians, traffic lights, vehicles, and so on. Objective: The goal of this research is to systematically analyze the YOLO object detection algorithm, applied to traffic sign detection and recognition systems, from five relevant aspects of this technology: applications, datasets, metrics, hardware, and challenges. Method: This study performs a systematic literature review (SLR) of studies on traffic sign detection and recognition using YOLO published in the years 2016–2022. Results: The search found 115 primary studies relevant to the goal of this research. After analyzing these investigations, the following relevant results were obtained. The most common applications of YOLO in this field are vehicular security and intelligent and autonomous vehicles. The majority of the sign datasets used to train, test, and validate YOLO-based systems are publicly available, with an emphasis on datasets from Germany and China. It has also been discovered that most works present sophisticated detection, classification, and processing speed metrics for traffic sign detection and recognition systems by using the different versions of YOLO. In addition, the most popular desktop data processing hardwares are Nvidia RTX 2080 and Titan Tesla V100 and, in the case of embedded or mobile GPU platforms, Jetson Xavier NX. Finally, seven relevant challenges that these systems face when operating in real road conditions have been identified. With this in mind, research has been reclassified to address these challenges in each case. Conclusions: This SLR is the most relevant and current work in the field of technology development applied to the detection and recognition of traffic signs using YOLO. In addition, insights are provided about future work that could be conducted to improve the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is a follow-up of a prior study examining a broad range of longitudinal predictors of dimensional positive mental health (PMH) and negative mental health (NMH), using cross-cultural data from the Bochum Optimism and Mental Health (BOOM) study. The present study sought to expand prior findings on positive mental health predictors to a longer longitudinal timeframe. The analysis, specifically, tests our prior model using a third time point, The following positive constructs were examined in relation to later positive mental health: resilience, social support, social rhythm, family affluence, physical health and expectations for fertility. Negative predictors depression, anxiety, and stress were also examined in relation to time 3 positive mental health. Participants included university student samples from Germany (N = 591) and China (N = 8,831). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of predictors on mental health. In China, three of the six salutogenic predictors (social rhythm regularity, positive mental health, resilience) at baseline were predictive of positive mental health at both follow-ups with generally small, but significant effects. Social support at baseline predicted more, and stress and anxiety predicted less positive mental health at follow-up 1, with generally small effects. Depression at baseline predicted less positive mental health at follow-up 2. In Germany, two of the six salutogenic predictors (positive mental health, social support) at baseline were predictive of positive mental health at both follow-ups, with generally small effects. Pathogenic predictors were not predictive of positive mental health at either follow-up. According to multi group analysis, the paths from positive mental health baseline to positive mental health follow-up 1 (FU1) as well as the path positive mental health FU1 to positive mental health follow-up 2 (FU2) were found to differ between Germany and China. All other paths could be seen as equivalent in Germany and China. Results indicate prediction of positive mental health over an extended period of time, and in particular by salutogenic predictors. Pathogenic predictors were also (negatively) predictive of PMH, but with more mixed results, underscoring the differential prediction of PMH from salutogenic and pathogenic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to compare Turkish novice teacher induction system with China, New Zealand, and Germany in terms of assignment to teaching, duration of induction, and opportunities provided in programs. Those countries selected are known to have the best practices for induction training. Despite their differing policies regarding novice teacher training, they provide novice teachers with many exemplary aspects of support. The comparison shows that collaboration activities are formalized in three countries, except Türkiye. While novice teachers in Türkiye have the same workload as experienced teachers, novices in the other three countries have a reduced workload and have more free time for education. A mentoring program is being conducted in all countries, including Türkiye. Türkiye has weekly seminars on liberal education topics, while the other three countries have mostly branch-specific seminars. The paper concludes with a discussion of the educational implications of the induction programs.

While ChatGPT has recently become very popular, AI has a long history and philosophy. This paper intends to explore the promises and pitfalls of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) AI and potentially future technologies by adopting a speculative methodology. Speculative future narratives with a specific focus on educational contexts are provided in an attempt to identify emerging themes and discuss their implications for education in the 21st century. Affordances of (using) AI in Education (AIEd) and possible adverse effects are identified and discussed which emerge from the narratives. It is argued that now is the best of times to define human vs AI contribution to education because AI can accomplish more and more educational activities that used to be the prerogative of human educators. Therefore, it is imperative to rethink the respective roles of technology and human educators in education with a future-oriented mindset.

In this work, a bibliometric analysis of the investigations of the last 54 years focused on the teaching of topology and its applications in the learning of other areas of knowledge was carried out. The articles that appear in the SCOPUS database were taken into account under the search criteria of the words topology and teaching, connected with the Boolean expression AND in the search field ABS. As a result, 329 articles were obtained which, based on the PRISMA methodology, were reduced to 74 papers. In them publication trends, impact of publications, citation frequencies, among others, were compared. In addition, its use was identified for learning topology at different levels of training, areas of knowledge where this discipline is most applied and strategies used to teach these applications.

Professional team sport brands are increasingly striving to conquer markets abroad. However, little is known about promising brand positioning strategies in international markets. In the context of U.S. team sport brands' efforts to attract satellite fans in two different target markets (i.e., Germany and China), this research uses three experimental online studies to test the relative effects of two foreign brand positioning strategies (purely foreign vs. locally integrated foreign) on satellite fans' attitudes toward the strategy and brand interaction intentions. Findings suggest that fans' responses depend on the target market. While German fans respond more favorably to purely foreign brand positioning, Chinese fans prefer local adaptations of the U.S. brands to Chinese customs. These diverse effects can be explained by different underlying mechanisms: purely foreign brand positioning increases perceptions of authenticity among German fans, while locally integrated foreign brand positioning increases perceived customer orientation and pride among Chinese fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to investigate how drivers use assisted and automated driving systems (DAS), more specifically their usage of SAE Level 1 and Level 2 systems, in different situations. An online survey was distributed to 2500 respondents in China, Germany, Spain, and the USA. The final dataset consisted of 549 respondents, all non‐professional drivers, with access to a minimum of a Level 1 system. A subset, 159 in total, had access also to a Level 2 DAS. The survey included questions on the attitude towards, access to, and usage of Level 1 and Level 2 systems in nine different situations respectively. The data was analysed on an individual and a national level. A cluster analysis showed two main groups: frequent and non‐frequent users. On an individual level, the reported usage of Level 1 and Level 2 DAS respectively differed depending on traffic situation, weather and daylight conditions and driver state. Reports by respondents with access to both Level 1 and Level 2 systems did not reveal any statistically significant differences in usage between situations. The Spanish sample was the only one that showed a consistently different usage pattern compared to samples from China, Germany, and the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that currently has an unknown cause and pathogenesis, and is associated with many complications and a high disability rate. The neutrophil extracellular trap network (NETs) is a newly discovered mechanism that allows neutrophils to capture and kill pathogens. Multiple studies in recent years have highlighted its relevance to the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Despite the growing number of studies indicating the crucial role of NETs in RA, there has been no bibliometric review of research hotspots and trends in this area. In this study, we retrieved articles related to NETs in RA from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 1985 to 2023 and used visualization tools such as Citespace, VOSviewer, Tableau Public, and Microsoft Office Excel 2021 to analyze the data. After screening, we included a total of 416 publications involving 2,334 researchers from 1,357 institutions in 167 countries/regions, with relevant articles published in 219 journals. The U.S., China, and Germany are the top 3 countries/regions with 124, 57, and 37 publications respectively. Mariana J. Kaplan is the most published author, and journals such as Frontiers in Immunology and International Journal of Molecular Sciences have had a significant impact on research in this field. The clinical application of PAD enzymes and their inhibitors, and the drug development of NETs as therapeutic targets for RA is a trend for future research. Our study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and summary of NETs in RA publications, which will aid researchers in conducting further scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study was conducted to understand the research hotspots, research trends and research frontiers for hypothermia in surgical patients and provide a reference for developing effective measures to reduce the incidence of hypothermia in these patients. Design: Using CiteSpace software, a visual analysis of 1288 included articles related to hypothermia in surgical patients was performed. Methods: CiteSpace software is a Java application that supports knowledge research, data visualization and analysis of literature databases. The following data were retrieved: title, abstract, year, keywords, author, academic institution, journal and citations. The included literature was analysed using CiteSpace visualization software, knowledge mapping, collaborative network analysis, cluster analysis and highlighting keywords for visualization. Results: A total of 1288 articles related to hypothermia in surgical patients were included, with the largest number of articles published in the United States (448), followed by in Germany (104) and China (102). The top three institutions, journals and authors were from the United States. The most common keywords were perioperative 'hypothermia', 'risk factors' and 'anesthesia'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0, initiated by Germany in 2013, focuses on digitization and process optimization in manufacturing. China's 'Made in China 2025' plan, aligned with Industry 4.0, was introduced in 2015. Motors are pivotal in industrial manufacturing, necessitating robust quality control. To enable real-time adjustments and enhance product quality, we propose an Online Quality Feedback (OQF) system using MySQL and big data. Implemented in H company's motor production line, this system gathers real-time data from sensor-equipped stations, processes it through MySQL and big data analysis, and presents outcomes on a web interface. This empowers process and equipment engineers with concise insights for effective decisionmaking, ultimately improving the manufacturing process. Results affirm the effectiveness of our method in enhancing production management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genesis and spread of COVID-19 around the world since 2020 have caused severe impacts in every aspect of people's lives, from work life to recreation, social activities to physical health. Higher education has not been excluded. Universities have altered curriculum, changed delivery methods, provided more counseling, purchased new technology, and altered attendance policy for classroom, athletic, social and artistic events (Hamlin, 2021). To assess the impacts of these changes on college students, the authors created a questionnaire to ask students about their perceptions of these COVID-related impacts on their own personal lives. The survey had 56 questions about how the virus affected their academic, social, financial, physical and emotional lives. Over 800 students responded with objective input and subjective comments. Due to the volume of data, the authors have split the study into two parts. The survey results for the first part, academic and social aspects of the survey, were published in "Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on College Student Academic and Social Lives," Research in Higher Education Journal Volume 41 (see http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/213347.pdf). It will sometimes be referred to herein to provide clarity to the reader. The actual survey itself can also be found at that site. This paper focuses on the impact of the coronavirus on student financial and physical well-being, which have become major stressors to this age group and have contributed to higher levels of anxiety and depression. It also examines how the virus has affected their social and emotional well-being. Lastly, recommendations are made to help educators understand the severity of the problem, and to take action to provide assistance for those students who have been adversely affected.

Objective: To visualize and analyze the published literature on diabetes mellitus and pyroptosis based on a bibliometric approach, so as to provide a comprehensive picture of the hot research directions and dynamic progress in this field. Methods: This study was based on the web of science core collection database to conduct a comprehensive search of the published literature in the field of diabetes mellitus and Pyroptosis from January 1985 to August 2022, including the published research literature in this field, as well as a visual analysis of the number of citations, year of publication, journal, author, research institution, country, and research topic. Results: A total of 139 literature on research related to diabetes mellitus and cellular scorch from 2011 to 2022 were retrieved, with a total of 3009 citations and a maximum of 255 citations for a single article, which had a first author Schmid-Burgk, JL The first author of this article is from Germany; among 20 publishing countries, China leads with 100 articles; among 222 publishing institutions, Harbin Medical University leads with 18 articles and 184 citations; among 980 authors, Chen, X from China tops the list of high-impact authors with 5 articles and 29 citations. Among the 98 journals, "CELL DEATH DISEASE" ranked first in both volume and high-impact journals with 4 articles and 29 citations. Among 349 keywords, "pyroptosis" ranked first with a cumulative frequency of 65 times. The cluster analysis was divided into three categories, chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and pyroptosis (67 articles), diabetes mellitus and pyroptosis (60 articles), and diabetes mellitus combined with other diseases and pyroptosis (12 articles), and the number of articles related to diabetes mellitus and its chronic complications increased rapidly from 2019, among which, diabetic cardiomyopathy (27 articles) had the highest number of articles. Conclusions: Based on a comprehensive analysis of published literature in the field of diabetes mellitus and pyroptosis from 2011 to 2022, this study achieved a visual analysis of studies with significant and outstanding contributions to the field, thus framing a picture showing the development and changes in the field. At the same time, this study provides research information and direction for clinicians and investigators to conduct diabetes mellitus and pyroptosis-related research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imports are necessary to satisfy consumer demand for a varied organic food assortment. In developed economies, consumers generally prefer domestic products, while consumers in developing and emerging economies tend to prefer imported. Underlying reasons for these organic food preferences are explored in an emerging and a developed economy, China and Germany, employing a comparative mixed-methods approach consisting of in-store interviews, focus groups, and an online survey. Contrary to prior research, we find a domestic country bias for organic foods in China, but smaller than in Germany, and Chinese consumers trust the organic standards of developed countries more than their own. Chinese consumers' primary reasons for preferring organic foods are food quality and safety concerns. German consumers prefer domestic products and imports from geographically close countries and environmental concerns are the primary reasons for this and for preferring organic foods. Results suggest that higher consumer trust in institutions in developed ("WEIRD") countries is a competitive advantage for producers in these countries, not only on the domestic market, but also in the world market for organic food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to analyze structural characteristics and the evolution of "international trade-carbon emissions" network in the equipment manufacturing industry. To do so, we construct four kinds of networks, namely export trade network (E network), export implied carbon emission network (EC network), foreign value-added network (FVA network), and foreign value-added implied carbon emission network (FVAC network) for the said industry. The data obtained from world-input-output table and social network analysis method was used for empirical analysis. The results indicate that (1) the four types of networks show a trend of denseness, which also has the characteristics of trade clustering effect and small-world network. As the equipment manufacturing industry in various countries is increasingly embedded in the global value chain, the value chain is extended globally, which leads to the complexity of the international carbon transfer network. (2) The four types of networks' pattern are basically stable. Germany plays an important intermediary role. Whereas China is deeply involved in the division of global value chain and has achieved the shift from the edge to the core in all four types of networks, but there is still a big gap compared with Germany. (3) The E network and EC network have the obvious core-edge feature, and the two kinds of networks can be divided into developed countries block represented by Germany, Japan, the USA; developing countries block represented by China and India; and European Union block represented by Spain and France. The developing world receives carbon emission transfer from the developed world. Finally, (4) the division of FVA network and FVAC network segment shows that the global value chain under the current international division of labor is characterized by multi-regionalization. Therefore, actively embedding in the regional value chain has become an important way for China's equipment manufacturing industry to upgrade to low carbon.