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This paper initiates an investigation of the college students' MI (multiple intelligences) distribution in English class. The participants are a group of Chinese sophomores from different majors: city planning, tourism, software engineering, financial administration and arts of English. With a view to make the investigation more specified in students' English learning activities, the paper doesn't use other existing MI scales, but specifies research items on Chinese college students' activities in their EFL (English as a Foreign Language) class. The result reveals students' overall and comparative MI distributions among different majors, which provides English teachers in China with fundamental information about college students' varieties, as well as referential information for English teachers in other EFL countries.

Nature of science (NOS) is beginning to find its place in the science education in China. In a study which investigated Chinese science teacher educators' conceptions of teaching NOS to prospective science teachers through semi-structured interviews, five key dimensions emerged from the data. This paper focuses on the dimension, "NOS content to be taught to prospective science teachers." Among a total of twenty NOS elements considered by the Chinese science teacher educators to be important ideas to be taught, five were suggested by no less than a half of the educators. They are (1) empirical basis of scientific investigation, (2) logics in scientific investigation, (3) general process of scientific investigation, (4) progressive nature of scientific knowledge, and (5) realist views of mind and natural world. This paper discusses the influence of Marxism, a special socio-cultural factor in China, on Chinese science teacher educators' conceptions of NOS content to be taught to prospective science teachers. We argue the importance of considering ideological traditions (mainly those in general philosophy and religion) when interpreting views of NOS or its content to be taught in different countries and regions and understanding students' conceptual ecology of learning NOS.

In May 2008, the worst earthquake in more than three decades struck southwest China, killing more than 80,000 people. The complexity of this earthquake makes it an ideal case study to clarify the intertwined issues of ethics in engineering and to help cultivate critical thinking skills. This paper first explores the need to encourage engineering ethics within a cross-cultural context. Next, it presents a systematic model for designing an engineering ethics curriculum based on moral development theory and ethic dilemma analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data from students' oral and written work were collected and analysed to determine directions for improvement. The paper also presents results of an assessment of this interdisciplinary engineering ethics course. This investigation of a disaster is limited strictly to engineering ethics education; it is not intended to assign blame, but rather to spark debate about ethical issues. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Both the Mainland and Hong Kong have witnessed the trend of educational internationalisation since the handover. The recruitment of non-local students is regarded as an important strategy to internalise universities in Hong Kong. Within Hong Kong's western-style educational setting, an increasing number of Mainland students attracted by the English-medium education and widely adopted western-oriented pedagogy have become the majority non-local students. Studies explored the adjustment experiences of Mainland students to study in Hong Kong and found evidence that the adjustment of the host group was as difficult as the sojourning group did in classroom interaction. Nevertheless, limited research examines the role of teachers in promoting interaction between diverse learners from pedagogical perspective. Effective teaching strategies can enhance positive classroom interaction. There is substantial literature within disciplines, such as healthcare, economics, and teacher education, but there is little investigation of effective strategies in English that studies as a discipline, particularly, in the new context of the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), PRC (People's Republic of China). This paper attempted to investigate how lecturers' teaching strategies promoted productive interaction through surveys in the discipline of English. The results should have implications for other worldwide institutions other than Hong Kong involved in enhancing quality teaching and learning in higher education. (Contains 5 tables.)

Motivation is one of the most important factors affecting students' performance of English learning, which is widely concerned by foreign language teachers and researchers for a long time. However, how to promote students' motivation in learning English by knowing their English learning motivation types at the initial stages and the factors that influence their sustaining motivation in the long process of English learning is still in need of exploration in the Chinese context. The paper aims to investigate Chinese non-English majors' motivation in English learning to facilitate teachers' understanding of ways to increase it.

The paper presents a study investigating the net-based learner autonomy of the first-year non-English major students studying in West Anhui University (WAHU). Through questionnaires and interviews, the study shows the problems in learner autonomy and presents a new perspective for the development of an auto-learning environment. The study reveals that students had difficulty adapting to net-based learning mode. Some proposals that the college, teachers and students could unite to tackle the problems in learning have been put forth as the solutions to the problems.

Nowadays, with the rapid progress of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the integration of ICTs in education has attracted more and more attention of educators and researchers. However, there are different situations between developed and less-developed nations both in ICT application and in ICT research. PowerPoint is a readily available and most popular tool for teaching in some less-developed countries. Under this particular circumstance, it is not an outdated issue to explore teachers' use of PowerPoint in teaching. Thus, this paper systematically looked at teachers' PowerPoint use in the setting of Chinese kindergartens. Specifically, four questions were explored: (i) the status of PowerPoint-related infrastructures in the kindergartens; (ii) teachers' use of PowerPoint in teaching; (iii) teachers' design, competences and training related to PowerPoint; (iv) teachers' perceptions and attitudes toward PowerPoint in teaching. A sample of 62 kindergarten teachers was investigated with a self-created questionnaire. Finally, it was found that the kindergartens had been well equipped with PowerPoint-related equipments; teachers frequently implemented teaching activities with PowerPoint and in an intelligent manner; the majority of teachers had positive perceptions and attitudes toward PowerPoint's general effects, but there was an imbalance of perceptions and attitudes toward children' emotional-social aspects and children's cognitive aspects. Besides, the influencing factors of the availability and access to PowerPoint equipments in kindergartens, PowerPoint's location, teachers' using years of PowerPoint, teachers' knowledge and skills, teachers' training were also emphasized by this study.

The promotion of educational equity and improvement of educational quality in China are contextualised in tenets of Confucianism and policy directives, inspiring educational research and practice. In this paper, we first explore the historical and cultural roots of educational equity and quality through Confucianism and elaborate on the current policy priority that aims to address educational equity and quality. We then present an overview of research on equity and quality in Chinese education. Informed by Confucianism, policy, and research, we pose a framework to structure our investigation and analysis of three illustrative examples, namely the Special Post Teacher Plan, amalgamation of rural schools, and schooling of floating children. Drawing insights from Confucianism, policy, research, and practice, we conclude that the promotion of educational equity through high quality provision of education for disadvantaged groups can help to narrow the gap in educational quality currently existing in China.

The importance of students' problem-posing abilities in mathematics has been emphasized in the K-12 curricula in the USA and China. There are claims that problem-posing activities are helpful in developing creative approaches to mathematics. At the same time, there are also claims that students' mathematical content knowledge could be highly related to creativity in mathematics, too. This paper reports on a study that investigated USA and Chinese high school students' mathematical content knowledge, their abilities in mathematical problem posing, and the relationships between students' mathematical content knowledge and their problem-posing abilities in mathematics.

Considerable research has been undertaken into the issue of Sino foreign strategic alliances in the area of higher education, particularly since the late 1990s, when universities in China signed an increasing large number of alliance agreements with foreign universities (Willis 2000, 2005a). Although there has been considerable research regarding various aspects of these alliances, including the types of activities undertaken, and the levels of alliances formed in this sector (Hayhoe 1989, 1996; Willis 2000), there has been less evaluation of the factors which have motivated the majority of Chinese universities to actively seek suitable foreign partners for collaboration particularly in regard to the delivery of activities and programs within China. This research identifies a range of factors driving the Chinese desire to form alliances with foreign universities. These in general relate to the special and somewhat idiosyncratic role of universities as agents of social and economic change in China. To effect this change they have often sought foreign partners who are able to assist China to develop a market economy. Universities within the Chinese top 100 university system have become increasingly selective in their choice of foreign universities and are requiring far higher levels of commitment than hitherto. It is now not unusual for foreign universities to deliver degree programs in China, and not just via study abroad and distance means. Gradually, over time, Chinese universities have become more discerning, particular and careful in the selection of foreign university partners. To this end, this paper identifies three distinct phases of Chinese university selection of foreign partners, dating back to 1978. The current phase, which emerged around 2000-2001 underscores the growing desire on the part of Chinese universities to select better quality, more committed and longer-term foreign partners-partly an issue of signing agreements with fewer, but better universities than in the past when a more "scattergun" approach was utilised. (Contains 2 tables.)

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to conduct an exploratory empirical examination to determine if factors (e.g. demographic, human capital, motivational, and organizational) associated with career success in Western countries are also related to the career outcomes of Chinese managers. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were obtained from 139 managers working in China. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship among common predictors of career success and the actual outcomes of Chinese managers. Findings: Predictors of two career outcomes were explored: total compensation and career satisfaction. Although some of the findings were similar to the findings of studies on the career outcomes of managers in Western countries, there were some surprising differences. The results showed that women and top-level decision makers had higher total compensation. Furthermore, holding a middle management (as opposed to a line management) position, and perceptions that one's organization was successful were associated with greater career satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: The difficulties of conducting research in another country, especially one under communist rule, resulted in a relatively small sample size, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications: Knowledge of the career processes of Chinese managers is important for the growing number of Western firms investing in and conducting business in China as well as for Chinese firms in their attempts to increase their efficiency and productivity. Originality/value: Although there have been calls to expand research on careers outside the West, to date there are few published studies on the career experiences of those in Asian countries, especially in China. This research highlights the importance of country context in the study of careers in non-western settings and tests the generalizability of Western findings on career success. (Contains 2 tables.)

The mitigation of CO2 emissions requires a global effort with common but differentiated responsibilities. In this paper, we identify clusters of CO2 emissions across 72 countries. First, using the stochastic version of the IPAT and employing the dynamic common correlated effects technique, we identify three key determinants affecting CO2 emissions (non-renewables, population, and real GDP). In the second step, both hierarchical and non-hierarchical clustering methods are considered to identify the optimal number of clusters. We identify two to four clusters with different member countries, and in particular establish that in most cases, a 2-cluster solution appears to be optimal. The contents of clusters vary slightly according to the clustering methods for each period. The clustering results from using only the overall CO2 emissions indicate that the countries we consider form three clusters, with China and the USA each within a single member cluster. The remaining 70 countries form the third cluster. Our findings reflect the prominent roles of China and the USA in overall CO2 emissions. Analyses with sub-period and largest emitters reflect a different clustering structure. Some policy recommendations in setting emission reductions are made, considering different clusters across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how social value orientation and domain knowledge affect cooperation levels and transcription quality in crowdsourced manuscript transcription, and contribute to the recruitment of participants in such projects in practice. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a quasi-experiment using Transcribe-Sheng, which is a well-known crowdsourced manuscript transcription project in China, to investigate the influences of social value orientation and domain knowledge. The experiment lasted one month and involved 60 participants. ANOVA was used to test the research hypotheses. Moreover, inverviews and thematic analyses were conducted to analyze the qualitative data in order to provide additional insights. Findings: The analysis confirmed that in crowdsourced manuscript transcription, social value orientation has a significant effect on participants' cooperation level and transcription quality; domain knowledge has a significant effect on participants' transcription quality, but not on their cooperation level. The results also reveal the interactive effect of social value orientation and domain knowledge on cooperation levels and quality of transcription. The analysis of the qualitative data illustrated the influences of social value orientation and domain knowledge on crowdsourced manuscript transcription in detail. Originality/value: Researchers have paid little attention to the impacts of the psychological and cognitive factors on crowdsourced manuscript transcription. This study investigated the effect of social value orientation and the combined effect of social value orientation and domain knowledge in this context. The findings shed light on crowdsourcing transcription initiatives in the cultural heritage domain and can be used to facilitate participant selection in such projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era of Industrial 4.0, open innovation, and the sharing economy, innovation ecosystems are formed through government-industry-university (triple helix) interaction. The concept of responsible innovation has emerged to explore how innovation can be conducted in a transparent, trustworthy, and sustainable way so as to respond to the public interest. While current literature provides a conceptual framework, details of how responsible innovation can be formed, developed, and sustained in the sharing economy, in particular in developing countries, have been under-explored. This paper aims to explore factors of responsible innovation, linking dimensions with business practice, and identify the dynamic stages of the industry life cycle. Through an in-depth case study of China's shared bicycle industry and the firm Hellobike, this paper has prioritized factors which lead to responsibility, such as user safety and friendliness in product design, real-time operations combined with big data, collaboration between industry and local government for industry standardization, and user credit systems. It has enriched key dimensions based on literature and case studies and proposed dynamic interaction models for industry, government, users, and universities at different stages of responsible innovation in the shared bicycle sector. From this empirical study, future research areas have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports have shown that Taiwan and China are attractive targets for cybercriminals. The special political situation between the two countries has encouraged numerous cyber-attacks across the Taiwan Strait. Establishing an efficient investigation and prosecution system is important to deter criminals from further exacerbating this unsatisfactory situation. This paper discusses issues of cybercrime investigation and prosecution across the Taiwan Strait. Based on interview data collected in 2008 and 2009, in both China and Taiwan, this paper concludes that the current manpower dedicated to cybercrime investigation is insufficient. In addition, there is insufficient incentive to attract investigators to devote their time to cybercrime investigation, and prosecutors and judges' knowledge of cybercrime and information security is lacking. Informal relations, such as Guan-xi and Mo-chi, may help in mutual cooperation between crime investigation agencies. However, these rely heavily on the political situation existing at any one time, and can only be effective when relations between Taiwan and China are not tense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, there is a strong demand of the medium-energy proton accelerators for proton therapy. A compact superconducting cyclotron named CYCIAE-230 is currently under construction at CIAE to provide 230 MeV proton beam. In this paper, the investigation and quantitative simulation of beam physics for CYCIAE-230 will be presented in detail, which mainly include: 1. The beam dynamics behavior in the ultra compact central region and the design challenges including the micro PIG ion source, the tips of magnetic poles and RF cavities; 2. the numerical simulation and optimization of the phase slip and tune diagram in acceleration region; 3. the orbit simulation in the extraction region, emphasizing on increasing the turn separation and the resonance study; 4. the fast intensity modulation, control of beam stabilization by a closed-loop feedback, and the basic algorithm for controlling the beam intensity, adjusting the phase and their implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper performs an in-depth investigation and analysis on a catastrophic hazardous chemical accident involving domino effects in China based on an emerging accident causation model—the 24Model. The triggers and roots of the incident from the individual and organizational levels have been identified and several useful lessons have been summarized to avoid similar mistakes. This accident began with a leak of vinyl chloride caused by the failure of the gas holder's bell housing and the operators' mishandling. Leaked vinyl chloride was ignited by a high-temperature device in the process of diffusion and the fire quickly spread to the illegally parked vehicles. Several organizations were involved in this accident, and the chemical company should bear the main responsibility for it, and shall establish and implement an effective safety management system in its organizational structure and staffing, facilities management, hazards identification, emergency disposal, etc., to improve safety performance in a systematic way. Enterprises in the chemical industry park shall enhance the communication to clarify major hazard installations in their domains, and conduct regular safety evaluation for the plant as the external environment changed. Government agencies shall plan the layout of the chemical industry park scientifically and ensure safety starts with the design stage. The case study provides a practical procedure for accident investigation and analysis, and thus, preventive measures can be made according to the various causations at different levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current paper discusses the conservation and restoration of the Guang Sheng Si Pagoda of the Liao Dynasty in Liaoning Province, China. The Southeast University, together with the Conservation Center of Liaoning Province, the Sapienza University of Rome, and the IUAV University of Venice, organized a workshop on the current project, which consists of a preliminary investigation, the restoration design, and on-site construction. The current study attempts to introduce the expressing procedure through precise on-site investigations and the rendering of restoration drawings based on the integral definition of the structural damages. This project is a new technique in the field of traditional restoration in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stress-dependent permeability (SDP) of naturally fractured tight gas reservoir (NFTGR) has drawn considerable attention in recent decades. The SDP of natural fracture (NF) is quite different from that of the rock matrix (RM) due to the variance NF width and NF filling degree. The SDP of naturally fractures can be obtained by conducting permeability measurement experiments on naturally fractured core plugs (NFCP). However, it is usually impossible to obtain downhole NFCPs due to economic and technical limitations. Our research group obtained various types of naturally fractured downhole core plugs from a NFTGR (Tarim filed, China) and make it possible to investigate the effect of NFs on SDP. The NF types of the downhole core plugs include RM core plug (RMCP), unpenetrated-ring fractured core plug (URFCP), penetrated-vertical fractured core plug (PVFCP), penetrated-incline fractured core plug (PIFCP), unpenetrated-U-type fractured core plug (UUFCP), and multiple fractured core plug (MFCP). We conducted SDP experiments through the application of pressure-pulse-decay (PPD) method. Results showed that the initial permeability of RMCP and MFCP were higher than that of others, and the permeability vanished stress of them were also highest, indicating that the flow resistance of RMCP and MFCP were lower than those of others. It is also shown that the degree of permeability stress-dependent (DPSD) varied from NF types. A modified exponential permeability model was derived to evaluate DPSD of natural fractured core plugs. Two parameters (γ σeff and γ σeff ') were used to describe the DSDP in NFTGR, and the range of which were obtained from the experimental data by regression analysis. The reasonable γ σeff and γ σeff ' range of NFCP were also proposed in this paper. Sensitivity analysis showed that the influence γ σeff ' on SDP was more significant than that of γ σeff. The proposed model can be integrated to reservoir simulators and help to improve of oil and gas production prediction accuracy in NFTGRs. • Real downhole core plugs were used to evaluate the stress dependent permeability. • The degree of stress dependent permeability was evaluated by types of natural fractures. • An analytical model was proposed to assess the stress dependent permeability of naturally fractured reservoir. • Key parameters that control of the stress dependent permeability were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimental studies of the slotted-in dowelled bamboo-to-steel joint with/without infilling grout. • Failure behaviours and load-displacement curves for various specimens were predicted by FEM. • Analytical design models were proposed based on the results from test and FEM for the joints. Bamboo has been widely used for structural and non-structural purpose, for example as scaffolding and cladding for many centuries in South East Asian countries such as China and India, due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, low price and recyclability. In today's trend of sustainable development, there is a renewed interest in the use of bamboo for modern prefabricated structures. In this paper, dowel-type bamboo joints are introduced for prefabricated bamboo structures. An experimental study has been undertaken to investigate the structural behaviour and the failure mechanisms of the dowelled joints with varying configurations. Test results reveal that the ductile failure mode of the bamboo occurred when large end spacing was applied, and the infilling grout can significantly increase the load-carrying capacity of the dowelled joint. Three-dimensional finite element models were established and validated using available experimental data. Extensive parametric studies were carried out based on the simulation approach to investigate the effects of key influencing variables involved, i.e. hole clearance, friction coefficient, bolt strength, bamboo thickness, grout strength and end spacing. Moreover, analytical models for designing the dowelled joints are proposed and compared with the current codified approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of energy-intensive and high-emission industries has underpinned China's economic boom over the past few decades. Since her economic development entered the new normal phase in 2013, China has faced the challenge of mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while achieving medium-high economic growth. Transforming the economic development pattern and restructuring the economy is a principal solution, and one important prerequisite is discerning great sectoral disparities of GHG emissions and corresponding environmental costs because the diversity of characteristics among different sectors causes the pollutants that are discharged to vary. Hence, this paper aims to assess the environmental costs of China's total and sectoral GHG emissions. Based on the System of Environmental and Economic Accounts and using the economic input-output life cycle assessment model, this study calculates the green GDP and green output value of 27 sectors to reflect the environmental costs of GHG emissions in China during 1991–2016. The findings are as follows: (1) while China's direct GHG emissions increased from 3,040.60 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO 2 eq) to 10,641.10 MtCO 2 eq during 1991–2014, declining trends were observed in the total and 16 sectors' direct GHG emissions in the subsequent two years; (2) although the ratios of direct GHG emissions to total GHG emissions in most sectors decreased, total GHG emissions in eight sectors rose first and then fell, and in 15 sectors continued to rise; (3) China's green GDP grew from 2,003.88 billion Chinese Yuan to 26,245.25 billion Chinese Yuan during 1991–2016, and the difference between China's GDP and green GDP decreased from 2.73% to 1.02%; and (4) differences between the output value and green output value decreased in over 20 sectors. Finally, some policy implications are given from the perspective of some key sectors of the Manufacturing industry, Agricultural sector, and Transport, storage, and post sector. • China's direct GHG emissions increased from 3,040.60 MtCO 2 eq to 10,641.10 MtCO 2 eq. • Total GHG emissions in 8 sectors rose and then fell, while that in 15 sectors grew. • China's green GDP grew from 2,003.88 billion CNY to 26,245.25 billion CNY. • Difference between China's GDP and green GDP decreased from 2.73% to 1.02%. • Difference between the output value and green output value fell in over 20 sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the influence of the Confucius Institute (CI) on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) by China and its potential interaction with cultural difference and institutional quality in host countries. Design/methodology/approach: In the empirical study, the gravity model is adopted as the benchmark to investigate the effects of CI on China's OFDI using the ordinary least squares or Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood estimators. Panel data on China's OFDI from 2004 to 2015 are used. Cultural difference and institutional quality are included explicitly as control variables to examine the effects of CI on China's OFDI. Findings: CI has a significant positive effect on China's OFDI, and this effect depends on the cultural difference and institutional quality of the host country. The impact of CI on China's OFDI is more prominent in host countries with a smaller cultural difference or lower institutional quality. Originality/value: CI is a comprehensive platform for foreign cultural exchange and signifies the rebirth of Confucianism in China. The present study shows that CI can stimulate the growth of China's OFDI, with implications for other Asian countries influenced by Confucianism. Based on the results of the study, strategies for "Going Global" and encouraging economic growth based on cultural exchange and the recognition of host country heterogeneities are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike previous studies on causal relationships between government revenue and expenditures in China, this study takes into consideration structural breaks in the data by performing wavelet decomposition prior to testing for Granger causality between the fiscal components. The use of wavelet decomposition is motivated by economic theories, which suggest allowing for different budgetary considerations at different time horizons, as well as by the existence of special properties in the data in the form of unit roots and structural breaks. The results from the Granger causality test when using the wavelet-decomposed quarterly data over the period 1980–2015 indicate that government revenue Granger-causes government expenditure (tax-and-spend hypothesis) in the wavelet scales of two to four quarters. The results also show that bidirectional causality (fiscal synchronisation) exists in the wavelet scale of eight to sixteen quarters. Understanding the causal relationships between revenue and expenditure at different time scales is important for formulating relevant policy measures in order to maintain fiscal sustainability in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time in laboratory, diffusion parameters of Se(IV) in the clay of Chinese Tamusu region(TMS clay) against compacted density, ionic strength and pH value were obtained by capillary method. Diffusion process can be Simplified by using one-dimensional semi-infinite medium diffusion model. The results show a good similarity with the international literature and meet the internationally recognized range of 10−9–10−12. This work will provide data support and theoretical references for the pre-selection of clay rock sites in China's high-level radioactive waste deep geological repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composition, microstructure, and binding media of the decorative earthen plaster fragments from the Buddhist cave temple of Bezeklik (fifth–fourteenth century CE), China, were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, sieve analysis, and other methods. In addition, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used for identification of the organic adhesive found mixed in the earthen plaster. Studies indicated the presence of proteinaceous material, mainly beeswax, with animal glue, pine resin, and plant sterol mixed in the earthen plaster as the biopolymer. The organic additives improved the basic qualities of the mud by acting as stabilizers, hardeners, and water proofers. The loamy sand soil sourced for Bezeklik plasters shows low cohesion and disaggregation of grains occurred for want of clay-sized particles in the plaster. Due to frequent handling and transportation, the fragments are now showing distress in the form of loss of earthen support and paint layers. Based on the analytical findings, traditional binders such as sepiolite clay, slaked lime, and fish glue were introduced and fragments consolidated for display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of fracture evolution of surrounding rock with different supporting conditions during excavation period in Hulusu coal mine, Inner Mongolia, China. Fractures of surrounding rock were measured by borehole images obtained with a digital panoramic borehole camera, and surface displacement of roadway was measured using the intersection point method. Based on the rock properties, original support method and constructional process of bolter miner, a simple and fast support system was proposed, which realized the complete parallel operation between bolt support and coal cutting. According to the data obtained from field monitoring and construction situation, the array pitch was extended from 1.0 m to 1.5 m gradually. Field measurements indicated that the overall effect of roadway under new support was more satisfactory than under original support, with no exception in all the five test stages. When the array pitch extended up to 1.5 m, the roof and rib convergence were 11 mm and 16 mm, a reduction of 66.7% and 57.9%, respectively. Under new supporting condition, fractures were distributed only within the bolt anchorage zone and both the number and opening of fractures were small. By contrast, under original supporting condition, fractures were distributed both in and out of the bolt anchorage zone. New support can make full use of deep strata by constructing thick anchorage rock beam, and large displacement of shallow strata can be inhibited through small displacement of deep strata. The realization of co-movement between large-small displacements ensures the safety control of roadway. New support can greatly improve support efficiency, providing a solution to the imbalance between excavation speed and production needs widely existing in coal mines producing 10 million tons a year. New support has already been successful applied in another roadway with top coal in Hulusu coal mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoliths in the inflorescence of Poaceae plants can be of high taxonomic value in some archaeological contexts and provide insight into plant taxonomy and crop domestication processes. In this study, phytoliths in every inflorescence bract of 38 common Panicoideae weeds and minor crops in China were studied. Based on dissection of the inflorescence into different bracts using a treatment that retained the phytoliths anatomical position, observations of inflorescence phytoliths types and distribution were described in detail. We found that Interdigitating, Blocky amoeboid, Rectangular dentate, and Elongate dendritic with multi tent-like arch tops were of higher taxonomic value than the other types in our studied species. Both morphological and morphometric traits of the Interdigitating were summarized and compared with previous studies; the findings suggested that genus level discrimination of some Paniceae species could be reliable, and tribe/species level discrimination might be feasible. The phytoliths in the involucre of domesticated and wild type Coix lacryma-jobi provided insight into the domestication process of this plant. Our data also indicated that phytolith production in the inflorescence bracts might be under the genetic and molecular control of inflorescence development. Thus, the findings of this study could assist future studies in plant taxonomy and archaeobotany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brick cavity wall structures are widely distributed in southeastern China; however, their integrity and seismic behavior are extremely poor. To solve this problem, a new technique is proposed to enhance the seismic behavior of brick cavity walls using steel fiber reactive powder concrete (SFRPC) overlays. Two unreinforced cavity walls and four cavity walls strengthened with SFRPC overlays (applied over the entire wall surface) were tested under cyclic loading. In this study, the damage and failure modes of the specimens were analyzed in terms of the load displacement curves; furthermore, a comparative investigation was performed considering the load capacity, ductility, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity to demonstrate the merits of brick cavity walls strengthened with SFRPC overlays. The effect of strengthening using different thicknesses of reinforcement was investigated. In addition, damage analyses of the walls were performed based on the modified Park–Ang damage assessment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideation contests are commonly used across public and private sectors to generate new ideas for solving problems, creating designs, and improving products or processes. In such a contest, a firm or an organization (the seeker) outsources an ideation task online to a distributed population of independent agents (solvers) in the form of an open call. Solvers compete to exert efforts and the one with the best solution wins a bounty. In evaluating solutions, the seeker typically has subjective taste that is unobservable to solvers. In practice, the seeker often provides solvers with feedback, which discloses useful information about her private taste. In this study, we develop a game‐theoretic model of feedback in unblind ideation contests, where solvers' solutions and the seeker's feedback are publicly visible by all. We show that feedback plays an informative role in mitigating the information asymmetry between the seeker and solvers, thereby inducing solvers to exert more efforts in the contest. We also show that some key contest and solver characteristics (CSC, including contest reward, contest duration, solver expertise, and solver population) have a direct effect on solver effort. Interestingly, by endogenizing the seeker's feedback decision, we find that the optimal feedback volume increases with contest reward, contest duration, solver expertise, but decreases with solver population. Thus, CSC elements also have an indirect effect on solvers' effort level, with feedback volume mediating this effect. Employing a dataset from Zhubajie.com, a leading online ideation platform in China, we find empirical evidence that is consistent with these theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant advancements have been made in examining the relationship between economic development and disaster losses at the global and national scales, but very little research has been done at the sub-national level, especially in China. Based on socioeconomic and disaster impact data from 31 provinces (municipalities, and autonomous regions) in China from 1990 to 2010, ordinary least squares regression was used to determine the relationship between socioeconomic development and effects of natural disasters. Results showed that economic development played a distinct role in mitigating disaster damages in the whole China and its eastern, central and western regions. There existed a U-shaped relationship between economic growth and disaster losses in the whole China and its eastern region, and an inverted-U nonlinearity linkage in its central and western areas. These findings further confirmed the existence of a nonlinear relationship between economic development and disaster losses. Economic growth had played a more important role in mitigating disaster losses in the central region of China than that in the western one. Further investigations demonstrated that as economic develops, there were fewer deaths caused by natural hazards in whole China and all its three regions. The combination of the lower level of education, higher unemployment rate and greater gross dependence ratio has contributed to the increase in death toll caused by natural disasters, but this trend could be partly offset by wealth growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to the 50-year mean climatological value (1961-2010), the precipitation of middle-eastern Inner Mongolia exhibited a significant decrease during the past 10 years (2001-2010). To identify the climatic causes, a comprehensive investigation was conducted by inspecting climatic factors from this 50-year period, which appear to work together in connecting closely to the precipitation. Significant positive correlations with precipitation were found in sea level pressure (SLP) difference between the area of (30° N-20° S; 50-160° E) and the northeastern Pacific Ocean, between the Northern Atlantic and the northeastern Pacific Oceans, and sea surface temperature difference between the northeastern and northwestern Pacific in the previous year, while negative connections were found in the 500-hPa temperature difference between the Antarctic and the belt region around 60° S. During the period of 2001-2010, East Asia was prevailingly controlled by a huge high, which was regarded as one of unfavorable factors for producing rain or snow. Other factors were the enlarged 500 hPa temperature differences between the Antarctic and the zones around 60° S and the Equator, the negative SLP difference between the East Asia, northern Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. Finally, the unique wind flows and associated moisture transports also played a key role in the precipitation reduction for the first decade of the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, incumbent Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been besieged by accusations of corrup-tion, bribery, and influence-peddling in the approval and alloca-tion of foreign-financed public contracts. The latest scandal directly implicating the President involved a proposed National Broadband Network (NBN) to be undertaken by a Chinese con-tractor, ZTE Corporation, under a foreign loan financing agree-ment with the Chinese government. During Senate investigations of the NBN contracts, then-Secretary of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Romulo L. Neri disclosed that he was offered a 200 million Philippine peso (Php) bribe to favor-ably endorse the contract. A subsequent NEDA whistleblower was later abducted by government authorities, apparently to pre-vent him from testifying on multimillion dollar kickbacks de-manded for the NBN project, and how NEDA had been reduced to a rubber-stamp in the evaluation and approval process. On the heels of public riots, impeachment threats, and the near-toppling of the Arroyo government, the President declared the cancellation of the NBN contract in October 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Money laundering was stipulated as an offense by Chinese criminal law more than 10 years ago. However, the judicial situation is such that no one has yet been prosecuted for it. This article describes the phenomena that are closely related to money laundering, namely the current situation of the predicate offences and other factors conducive to money laundering such as corruption, underground bank shops, and shell companies. Based on these facts, the article infers that money laundering is a real problem in China. Then it explores the reasons why case examples of money laundering are not available. Finally, this article presents some of the factors necessary in the investigation of money laundering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]