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Purpose: Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) apps such as Duolingo have great potential for promoting learners' motivation to learn a second language (L2). However, little research has investigated how this motivational impact takes place. Additionally, despite the flexibility of mobile learning, most existing studies are conducted in classroom settings, with less attention paid to out-of-school technology usage. Design/Approach/Methods: To address these gaps, we present a model based on self-determination theory and propose the idea of "motivational transfer" to explain the psychological mechanism underpinning the impact of technology. To examine the model, we conducted a case study with 20 Year 8 Chinese junior school students who used Duolingo to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) after school for 6 weeks. Findings: Questionnaire and group interview data support our hypothesized mechanism--learners' activity-specific intrinsic motivation (IM) for using Duolingo and their underlying psychological need for autonomy and competence can be transferred to a more general level, thereby enhancing learners' global IM for L2. Originality/Value: The proposed theoretical model expands our understanding of how digital technology stimulates learners' L2 motivation; it can help L2 educators design better technological affordances to promote learners' motivation both in and outside the classroom.

While interest in multilingualism is growing, in the field of motivation little research has examined the role played by learners' multilingual selves in constructing their motivation to learn a foreign language other than English (LOTE). Based on a dynamic model of the L2 Motivational Self System, this study explores how Chinese undergraduates' LOTE motivation is constructed temporally and contextually. In particular, it examines how motivation for being multilingual influences the formation of LOTE motivational trajectories. A longitudinal qualitative research design, which focused on learners' introspection and behaviours, was adopted to reveal the complexity of LOTE motivation. Interviews, written journals and class observation were employed to collect data at one Chinese university over a course of one academic year. Findings suggest that learners' motivation was constructed through the interplay between their future language selves and current learning experiences, during which they interacted with their situated contexts and negotiated the value of learning a LOTE. Notably, during this process the development of a multilingual motivation was revealed to be crucial for learners to understand the significance of LOTE learning and strengthen their LOTE motivation. Implications emphasise the importance of language educators helping learners to obtain cross-linguistic experiences and construct ideal multilingual selves.

Research into what is effective leadership in different cultures provides guidance for leaders moving from one culture to another (House et al, 2014). There is a paucity of empirical research into how culture impacts effective educational leadership in culturally diverse communities, which provides the direction and focus for this study. The cultural backgrounds of staff can impact what they expect about: (1) how leaders communicate; (2) what actions help build trust and collaboration; and (3) how decisions can or should be made (Hofstede, 1991; Meyer, 2014). This study analyses the extent to which school leaders adapt their behaviours in response to the cultures of their staff. Findings suggest that leaders in schools do adapt their actions, most often using different communication styles but also methods of building collaboration and trust, and decision-making structures. Culture impacts what are effective leadership practices (Dorfman et al, 2012) and educational leaders need to understand these potential impacts if they work in culturally diverse communities. This is important to consider for school leaders and leadership preparation programmes.

This statement on social work practice research highlights the contributions of scholars, practitioners, and conference participants in the Fourth International Conference on Practice Research (ICPR) in 2017, hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in May 2017. It focuses on the contexts and challenges of carrying out practice research in the Far East and beyond as well as raises pertinent questions about the development of practice research. It begins with a brief description of the context of social work practice research in the Far East. The second part explores the organizational and community contexts and challenges of practice research with special attention to the perspectives of practitioners. It concludes with reviewing some of the continuing challenges that will guide the program planning for the Fifth ICPR in 2020 in Melbourne, Australia, located at the crossroads between East and West.

Over the last decade, Graham Allison's 'Thucydides trap' has become a predominant framework for analysing the prospect of great power conflict between the United States and China. The controversy surrounding this rise to prominence has reinvigorated a tradition of thinking about the effects of power parity on global order that previously flourished during the Cold War. This renewed attention has nevertheless come at a significant cost. By reconstructing the tradition from which the Thucydides trap emerges, a tradition that we call rise-and-fall theory, this article demonstrates how the ascendance of the Thucydides trap as a framework of analysis has obscured critical debates about the relationship between the rise and fall of competing powers and the onset of conflict. These debates problematize fundamental questions concerning how to conceptualize power, what types of interstate relations are to be analysed, and which causal mechanism(s) matter most in explaining revisionism and conflict. This article demonstrates how the Thucydides trap largely overlooks these debates, thereby providing analysts with less precise heuristics for thinking about the prospect of global conflict than they might otherwise have. We develop a more pluralistic approach to the application of rise-and-fall theory that makes use of its diverse perspectives and substantive divergences to provide more nuanced and holistic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a safe and effective antiretroviral medicine-based prevention against HIV has not been widely adopted by gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. A deeper understanding of barriers and facilitators to PrEP uptake is needed to inform the development of effective interventions. Method: During July–August 2020, we conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 31 Chinese MSM with varied PrEP use experiences (PrEP-naïve, former, and current PrEP users). Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed in Chinese. Informed by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model (IMB), we analyzed the data using a thematic analysis approach to identify the barriers and facilitators to PrEP uptake among Chinese MSM. Results: Major barriers to PrEP uptake among MSM in the sample included uncertainty about PrEP efficacy and lack of PrEP education (information), concerns over potential side effects and cost (motivation), and difficulties in identifying authentic PrEP medications and managing PrEP care (behavioral skills). Facilitators include the perceived benefit of PrEP in improving the quality of sex life and control over health. At the contextual level, we also identified barriers to PrEP access from a thriving informal PrEP market and stressors related to being MSM. Conclusion: Our findings identified a need to invest in non-discriminatory public health messaging of PrEP, explore options for MSM-friendly provision of PrEP outside of traditional HIV care settings, and be attentive to the unique context of an established informal PrEP market in future PrEP initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should assist them to have timely access to high-quality therapy services. This research addresses the gap between policy intention to improve the quality of therapy services and families' unmet needs by examining the policy implementation practices of therapy service organisations. A longitudinal study was conducted in Beijing from 2013 to 2022. Qualitative data were obtained from policy documents and interviews with the managers of therapy service organisations (n  = 17), therapists (n  = 19) and families of children with ASD (n  = 35). It found that the government policies created service challenges for the organisations. Managers adopted a short-term focus on organisational survival due to inadequate resources to implement the policy, intensified competition for therapists and service users and pressure from performance measurement. They focused on improving the sites, facilities, publicity and documentation of the organisations rather than the effectiveness of therapy services. Consequently, families still felt they were unable to access good quality therapy. The implications reinforce the significance for social workers to work with the government to actively supporting the training of therapists, establishing meaningful service quality measurement and promoting practical guidance about service quality standards to families of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small amount of campus walkability research has considered facility layout and environmental quality. The aim of this paper is to use a Walk Score and Urban Design Quality to assess campus walkability and investigate the impact of a campus Walk Score, environmental quality and other streetscape features on walking activity. This paper optimizes the Walk Score method based on the frequency, variety, and distance of students' walking to and from public facilities. A total of 157 campus street segments from the Weijin Road Campus of Tianjin University in China were selected to assess campus Walk Scores and environmental quality through the use of GIS and field audits. The effect of campus walkability and environmental features on pedestrian volume was examined by negative binomial regression. We found that Walk Score, transparency, street furniture, the number of buildings and noise level have a positive effect on walking activity, while enclosure and building basic color show a negative relationship with pedestrian volume. The results will be used to propose strategies to improve campus walkability and promote walking activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To provide an understanding of the ways in which Confucian Heritage students use reflection as a means of learning at university. Design/methodology/approach: The approach is an exploratory qualitative study into the ways in which Confucian Heritage students learn while studying at university. Data are collected by means of semi-structured formal interviews involving six students enrolled in a first-year business course at an Australian university. Interviews are analysed using qualitative content analysis to identify major themes. Findings: The research finds that values and cultural background influence Confucian Heritage students' approaches to teaching and learning at university. Beliefs that Confucian Heritage students learn through "rote learning" are challenged. Reflection is shown to be an important means of understanding, through deep learning, for Confucian Heritage students. Practical implications: Understanding the relationship between culture and learning will inform teaching practice, thus enabling educators to guide and facilitate learning outcomes more effectively. Originality/value: The research challenges the assumption that Confucian Heritage students use surface learning approaches such as "rote learning". In fact, repetition is part of a process of reflection leading to deep learning. The research shows the importance of understanding culture as a means of improving learning outcomes. (Contains 1 figure.)

Introduction: The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) worldwide has increased rapidly in the past decade and China is no exception. Yet the identity development of Chinese parents of children with ASD is little understood. This study employed an ethics of care perspective to explore the identity of parents of children with ASD as shaped in their social--cultural context in mainland China. Methods: Qualitatively driven mixed-method design was adopted. Qualitative data about their experiences were obtained from in-depth interviews with 20 parents from 17 families of children with ASD in Beijing and participant observation of 9 participants' daily parenting experience. Results: A complex and dynamic parenting identity was revealed. With limited recognition within and external to the family, parents experienced constant challenges toward their sense of self. The parents used strategies to assert their rights as carers and develop positive self-perceptions. Yet because of the unjust distribution of care work within families and with the state, the parents retained a sense of insecurity throughout the process of parenting. The parents' sense of inferiority due to devaluing children with disabilities was accentuated by traditional Chinese cultural values about good parenting. They were intensely worried about the lack of policy for support as they and their children grew older. Discussion: The findings reinforce the need for recognition of parents' dignity, capacity, and efforts in caring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: Unicorns—private new venture firms with over a billion dollars in valuation—have garnered increased attention from the media, analysts, and the public. We first provide a descriptive assessment of unicorn ventures by examining heterogeneity within this unique population using a novel dataset. Then drawing on prior research on growth and valuation, we focus on the temporal dynamics of ventures within the unicorn population to assess variations in the speed at which they reach a billion dollars in valuation. We highlight some significant relationships by investigating associations between founder, investment, venture, and industry characteristics and the temporal dynamics of speed to reach unicorn status. We conclude by outlining a research agenda on the temporal dynamics of growth and scaling. Managerial Summary: Unicorn ventures represent a small but high‐profile category of entrepreneurial ventures that have captured media attention and garnered broad interest while attracting significant private capital. As a global phenomenon, they have certainly left a significant mark on the business landscape as they exploit unique market and technological opportunities to exemplify new industries and market categories. Leveraging hand‐collected data from many sources, we provide a comprehensive descriptive assessment of this population by focusing on the founder, venture, investment, and industry characteristics. We also show how U.S.‐ and China‐based unicorn ventures differ on numerous factors. Given a great deal of interest in the speed to unicorn status within the practitioner community, we highlight some novel internal (founder and venture characteristics) and external (industry and investment) factors associated with the time it takes to attain unicorn status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, stress and sleeping quality after three months of mass quarantine for COVID-19 among undergraduate fresh students compared to their pre-COVID-19 measures. We used participants from the Chinese Undergraduate Cohort (CUC), a national prospective longitudinal study to examine the changes in anxiety and depression symptoms severity, stress and sleep quality after being under mass quarantine for three months. Wilcoxon matched pair signed-rank test was used to compare the lifestyle indicators. Severity of anxiety, depression symptoms, stress and sleep quality were compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) to further quantify the change in mental health indicators and sleep quality after the COVID-19 mass quarantine compared to baseline. This study found that there was no deterioration in mental health status among Chinese new undergraduate students in 2020 after COVID-19 mass quarantine compared with the baseline measures in 2019. There was an improvement in sleep quality and anxiety symptoms. After adjusting for age, sex, exercise habit, time spent on mobile gadgets, and time spent outdoors, year 2020 was significantly associated with severity of depression symptoms in males (OR:1.52. 95%CI:1.05–2.20, p-value = 0.027). Year 2020 was significantly associated with the improvement of sleeping quality in total (OR:0.45, 95%CI:0.38–0.52, p < 0.001) and in all the subgroups. This longitudinal study found no deterioration in mental health status among Chinese new undergraduate students after three months of mass quarantine for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, labour markets are encountering profound changes because of the digital revolution. Middle‐income countries such as China are leapfrogging high‐income countries to take advantage of the digital economy. The growing use of digital technologies is also reshaping the labour market in high‐income countries such as Australia. Potentially, new technologies may facilitate both employers and employees to overcome some of the barriers to disability employment. However, it seems that the opportunities and hopes have not yet translated into improved employment rate for people with disability. This paper uses an ecosystem framework to examine the state's role in improving the critical elements of disability employment: developing a national strategy, creating employment opportunities, building capacity and enhancing accessibility. This paper compares the historical development of disability employment and the policies introduced to take advantage of digital technologies across China and Australia. It studies the national policies, funded activities and the governing structure in China and Australia. The findings revealed distinctive approaches that have played to the strengths of each country. However, both countries need to address the weaker links to deliver a real paradigm shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese GF-1 satellite, the first satellite of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System launched in 2013, can be used to help estimate evapotranspiration (LE), which is important for myriad hydroclimatic and ecosystem science and applications. We propose a novel approach to use the GF-1 visible and near-infrared (VNIR) measurements at 16 m and 4-day resolutions to estimate LE. The NIR (near-infrared)–red spectral-domain (NRSD) model is coupled to a perpendicular soil moisture index (PSI) and a perpendicular vegetation index (PVI). We applied the model to the Huailai agricultural region of China with 55 scenes of GF-1 imagery during 2013–2017 and validated using ground measurements with footprint models for two eddy-covariance (EC) flux tower sites and one large aperture scintillometer (LAS) site. The results illustrate that the terrestrial daily LE can be estimated with squared correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.77–0.84 (p < 0.01) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) values of 17.9–21.5 W/m2 among all three sites. The site-calibrated statistics are improved by 0.14–0.25 for R2 and decreased by 4.2–8.3 W/m2 for RMSE as compared to the commonly used universal PT-JPL model. A satisfactory performance is achieved across all experimental conditions, encouraging the application of the NRSD model to estimate LE for other broad regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about adults in China who drink homemade alcohol, and whether they are at elevated risk of harms relative to those who drink alcohol from commercial sources. Purpose: We describe and contrast adults in China who regularly consume either homemade or commercially available alcohol, or both. Methods: Household-based in-person interviews were conducted in 2018 with adults in Jiangshan and Lanxi. We examined the characteristics of 833 adults who had consumed alcohol within the previous 30 days, comparing those who drank commercial alcohol only with those who drank homemade alcohol only and alcohol from both sources. Results: Regression analyses revealed that drinkers of both homemade and commercial alcohol consumed more drinks and were more likely to report heavy drinking than did drinkers of commercial or homemade alcohol only and were also more likely to meet criteria for alcohol use disorder. We also found that homemade-only alcohol drinkers were at elevated risk for this disorder. Conclusions: Drinkers of both homemade and commercial alcohol in China may be at risk for alcohol-related problems and constitute a little understood population for whom further research is needed. The AB InBev Foundation supported this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how Chinese gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) cope with HIV care-related stressors could improve their care engagement. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 GBMSM living with HIV recruited through clinics and a community-based organization (CBO) in Chengdu, China. Interviews focused on treatment-related stress, coping strategies, social support, and well-being. Half reported symptoms consistent with mild or moderate depression as measured by the PHQ-9 scale. HIV care-related stressors included side effects, difficulty with adherence, and fear of drug resistance. Challenges to coping include navigating contradictory information about HIV and treatment, experiencing stigma and discrimination within medical and nonmedical settings, and managing financial concerns. CBOs, peer groups, and providers were salient sources of social support benefitting coping. To improve sustained HIV care that meets the needs of Chinese GBMSM living with HIV, tailored interventions that address the above-mentioned stressors and coping challenges are likely needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on seeking international legal relief for Uyghur persecution in China. It mentions that creating a truth commission or filing a human rights class action are two options for shedding more light on the Uyghur persecution in China. It also mentions about offering humanitarian aid and restorative justice for internment of Uyghurs in Chinese reeducation camps.

At the end of 2019, an innovative coronavirus caused an outbreak of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city Hubei Province of China. Despite the direct effect on the routine of all life aspects, there are no clinical guidelines regarding phototherapy treatment during COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, phototherapies units continued to deliver this therapy for patients worldwide. We wish to explore the phototherapy utilization among dermatologic patients. We marked all patients that continue to arrive and being treated during COVID-19 pandemic. From March more than 50% of patients stopped arriving to treatments due to the fear of COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 has a major implication on chronic dermatology treatments such as phototherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the global picture of crustal evolution has been constructed using zircon. While this has revealed a rich and complex history, this view is necessarily incomplete because of the lithology-specific affinity of zircon and the high temperatures needed to reset the U-Pb and Lu-Hf systems inherent within it. Here we use a five mineral, multi-isotope system approach to compare the record of crustal evolution recorded by zircon versus the picture provided by monazite, titanite, apatite, and rutile from the Yong-Ding and Luan rivers, northern China. These other minerals sample more diverse lithologies and temperature-pressure conditions that reflect additional tectonothermal events to those recorded solely by zircon. Zircon from both studied rivers predominantly reflects magmatic features, yielding age peaks at 2.6-2.3, 2.0-1.8, and 0.38-0.13 Ga, corresponding to the major magmatic events in their catchments. However, the detrital zircon record from both catchments fails to record and detail several important tectonothermal events. Specifically, the detrital monazite U-Pb ages cluster into two Paleoproterozoic peaks of ca. 1.95 and 1.85 Ga, while detrital apatite and rutile ages document unimodal and protracted U-Pb age peaks at 1.9-1.6 Ga. The different U-Pb closure temperatures of monazite, apatite, and rutile likely record two metamorphic events and the subsequent cooling history--key details that are absent from or obscured in the zircon record. The Phanerozoic mineral U-Th-Pb ages correspond to multiple magmatic events between 0.40 and 0.24 Ga and subsequent 0.24- 0.20 Ga metamorphism. The 0.60-0.25 Ga rutile U-Pb ages along with 0.33-0.24 Ga U-Pb ages in some zircon grains with radiogenic Hf isotope compositions from the Luan River do not match the geological records in the North China Craton, but instead reflect the protracted subduction-accretionary history of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. In addition to their U-Th-Pb ages, Nd model ages of monazite, titanite, and apatite, plus zircon Hf model ages provide additional constraints on regional crustal evolution. The Nd model age information is blurred by the fact that the relationship between the Sm/Nd of these minerals and their former host rocks is not precisely known. Taken at face value, the monazite Nd model ages have two Neoarchean peaks at 2.9-2.7 and ca. 2.5 Ga, that may correspond to two crustal growth episodes, while the titanite Nd model ages with predominant peaks at 2.2-1.8 and 1.5-1.3 Ga broadly correspond with those derived from the whole-rock analyses of the wide spread Phanerozoic granitoids, and hence record extensive crustal reworking. In contrast, the zircon Hf model ages are strongly skewed to a 2.9-2.7 Ga period and fail to record the post-Archean evolution of this region. These data highlight the power of integrating the U-Th-Pb age and Lu-Hf/Sm-Nd isotope compositions of multiple detrital minerals, with a broad range in geochemical behavior and closure temperatures, to gain a more complete understanding of tectonothermal history and crustal evolution than zircon alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently available evidence supports that the predominant route of human-to-human transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 is through respiratory droplets and/or contact routes. The report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China supports person-to-person droplet and fomite transmission during close unprotected contact with the vast majority of the investigated infection clusters occurring within families, with a household secondary attack rate varying between 3 and 10%, a finding that is not consistent with airborne transmission. The reproduction number (R0) for the SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be between 2.2–2.7, compatible with other respiratory viruses associated with a droplet/contact mode of transmission and very different than an airborne virus like measles with a R0 widely cited to be between 12 and 18. Based on the scientific evidence accumulated to date, our view is that SARS-CoV-2 is not spread by the airborne route to any significant extent and the use of particulate respirators offers no advantage over medical masks as a component of personal protective equipment for the routine care of patients with COVID-19 in the health care setting. Moreover, prolonged use of particulate respirators may result in unintended harms. In conjunction with appropriate hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) used by health care workers caring for patients with COVID-19 must be used with attention to detail and precision of execution to prevent lapses in adherence and active failures in the donning and doffing of the PPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) sometimes disagree with their funders' accountability requirements; however, their dependence on the funders' resources makes it difficult to express their disagreement. This dilemma for NGOs may keep funders from substantively holding NGOs to account and cause mission drift for the NGOs. This paper analyzes an in-depth case study of an understudied scenario: how a newly founded NGO engages with multiple funders with varying competence in accountability practices. By analyzing a Chinese NGO's accountability relationships with its funders, we found that the NGO's responses varied according to its organizational interests and how it perceived the funders' competence. Better trust meant better compliance. Therefore, to secure compliance, it is important to enhance NGOs' trust in funders' competence. Based on the findings, we suggest that funders be more aware of NGOs' agency, be ready to engage in ongoing collaborative learning with NGOs and align NGOs' interests with the accountability requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV care in China is shifting toward a community-based model involving a wide range of stakeholders. We aimed to understand key stakeholders' perceived challenges of providing high-quality care for men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. In-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of stakeholders (N = 17) in two Chinese cities, including providers, policymakers, and community workers. Interviews focused on stakeholders' challenges in HIV-related work and perceived barriers for MSM in accessing and maintaining HIV care. Thematic analysis strategies were used. Three cross-cutting themes related to accessibility and quality of care (QoC) emerged. First, MSM- and HIV-related stigma were perceived to increase the risk of MSM dropping out of care. While acknowledging stigma, some providers also expressed discriminatory views such as stereotypes of the MSM community. Second, stakeholders expressed concerns about QoC including healthcare workforce shortages, limited training opportunities, and high work stress while facing increasingly unmet needs from clients. Third, stakeholders shared challenges in mobilizing community resources to expand HIV care including unclear division of responsibility and strict auditing. Supportive policies and resources may be needed to bolster China's primary care workforce and MSM-competent care and, more broadly, high QoC for sexual and gender minority patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How non-governmental organisations (NGOs) craft accountability and legitimacy in authoritarian states is poorly understood. We put forward a framework of analysis for capturing the processes of making accountability and legitimacy. We introduce the ideas of first- and second-order accountability and stocks of accountability capital. In authoritarian regimes, building second-order accountability through the accumulation of stocks of accountability is crucial for NGOs' survival and organisational development and as a path towards gaining first-order accountability. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork on child welfare NGOs in China from 2007 to 2017, we select three case studies with long operational trajectories to illustrate processes of crafting legitimacy and accountability. The research contributes empirically and theoretically to the understanding of accountability in NGOs in authoritarian states through the novel analytic framework and case study of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 45-year-old research project (culminating in the multivolume "Science and Civilization in China") is examining major scientific innovations in ancient China and attempting to explain why, although the Chinese gained a technological edge in the past, they did not make the forward leap into modern science. (JN)

Environmental and development discourses in China can be categorised into three narrative motifs framing human–nature relationships: peasant, indigenous, and community. Indigenous and community narratives have been widely adopted by environmental NGOs (eNGOs) in China in promoting community‐based natural resource management projects, but there has been very limited critical research on such phenomena. Analysis of socio‐economic change in two ethnic minority communities in Yunnan shows that neither narrative theme is fully internalised by the relevant communities. Instead narratives may be strategically modified or even rejected by local communities. This is due to different agendas being held by local communities and eNGOs, and two factors pertinent to rural China: the incompatibility of concepts of 'community' in Chinese and international contexts results in confusion, and a lack of recent territorial and cultural claims by rural communities since the collectivist era makes it difficult to construct the identity of a community. It remains challenging for eNGOs in China to advocate either community or indigenous narratives in contexts of rapid socio‐economic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating ultra‐high–pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks provides important timing constraints on deep subduction zone processes. Eclogites, deeply subducted rocks now exposed at the surface, undergo a wide range of metamorphic conditions (i.e. deep subduction and exhumation) and their mineralogy can preserve a detailed record of chronologic information of these dynamic processes. Here, we present an approach that integrates multiple radiogenic isotope systems in the same sample to provide a more complete timeline for the subduction–collision–exhumation processes, based on eclogites from the Dabie–Sulu orogenic belt in eastern China, one of the largest UHP terranes on Earth. In this study, we integrate garnet Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd ages with zircon and titanite U–Pb ages for three eclogite samples from the Sulu UHP terrane. We combine this age information with Zr‐in‐rutile temperature estimates, and relate these multiple chronometers to different P–T conditions. Two types of rutile, one present as inclusions in garnet and the other in the matrix, record the temperatures of UHP conditions and a hotter stage, subsequent to the peak pressure ('hot exhumation') respectively. Garnet Lu–Hf ages (c. 238–235 Ma) record the initial prograde growth of garnet, while coupled Sm–Nd ages (c. 219–213 Ma) reflect cooling following hot exhumation. The maximum duration of UHP conditions is constrained by the age difference of these two systems in garnet (c. 235–220 Ma). Complementary zircon and titanite U–Pb ages of c. 235–230 Ma and c. 216–206 Ma provide further constraints on the timing of prograde metamorphism and the 'cold exhumation' respectively. We demonstrate that timing of various metamorphic stages can thus be determined by employing complementary chronometers from the same samples. These age results, combined with published data from adjacent areas, show lateral diachroneity in the Dabie–Sulu orogeny. Three sub‐blocks are thus defined by progressively younger garnet ages: western Dabie (243–238 Ma), eastern Dabie–northern Sulu (238–235 Ma) and southern Sulu terranes (225–220 Ma), which possibly correlate to different crustal slices in the recently proposed subduction channel model. These observed lateral chronologic variations in a large UHP terrane can possibly be extended to other suture zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND) in comparison with citicoline, an agent for cognitive disturbances associated with chronic cerebral disorders. Design: A randomized controlled multicenter trial. Setting: In three hospitals in Beijing, China. Subjects: A total of 216 patients with VCIND were recruited. Interventions: Patients with VCIND (mean age of 65.4 years) were randomized to receive acupuncture (two sessions per week) or oral citicoline (100 mg three times daily) over three months. Main measures: The primary outcome was the change from baseline to three months in cognitive symptom, measured by Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog). Secondary outcomes included changes from baseline to six months in ADAS-cog, executive function measured by the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and functional disability measured by the Ability of Daily Living (ADL) scale at three and six months. Results: At three months, the acupuncture group had a greater decrease in mean ADAS-cog score (−2.33 ± 0.31) than the citicoline group (−1.38 ± 0.34) with a mean difference of −0.95 (95% CI, −1.84 to −0.07, P = 0.035). The mean change from baseline to six months in ADAS-cog also significantly favored acupuncture treatments (acupuncture change −2.61 vs citicoline −1.25, difference: −1.36 points; 95% CI, −2.20 to −0.51; P = 0.002). There was no difference between the two groups on CDT and ADL scores at either time point. Conclusion: Compared with citicoline, acupuncture has comparable and even superior efficacy with improved cognitive and daily living performance as a complementary and alternative medicine treatment for VCIND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most orphaned children in China are cared for by their extended families or become state wards under the guardianship of child welfare institutions. Some exceptions are children who are found and cared for by families in the community, without a formalized adoption or foster relationship. In some locations, institutions now accept guardianship for these children and support the informal adoptive family to continue to care for them. This article examines the outcomes for these children as they became young adults by comparing these 12 children raised within the system as they approach or have approached young adulthood (now aged 16-40 years-old). Some of the participants were either informally adopted or lived in institutional care. The results of this study found that the family environment was more conducive to the young people's wellbeing as they approached or entered adulthood. The participants raised in informal care appeared to be treated similar to the biological children in these families. When the institution formalized the state guardianship responsibility, it also meant the families had state resources for support to protect the children's rights to economic security, education, health care, and social participation. This practice by the institution supported the addition of informal adoption, as one step closer to permanency than foster care. Future implications include considering this option to help promote the family system assisting these children, families, and the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antenatal common mental disorders (CMDs) including anxiety, depressive, adjustment, and somatoform disorders are prevalent worldwide. There is emerging evidence that experiencing a natural disaster might increase the risk of antenatal CMDs. This study aimed to synthesise the evidence about the prevalence and determinants of clinically-significant symptoms of antenatal CMDs among women who had recently experienced an earthquake. Methods: This systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The search included both electronic and manual components. Five major databases were searched. A data extraction table was used to summarise study characteristics and findings. Two authors examined the quality of studies independently using a quality assessment tool. A narrative synthesis of the findings reported. Results: In total seven articles met inclusion criteria. Quality scores ranged from six to seven out of ten. All the studies were cross-sectional surveys and were conducted in high and middle-income countries. Sample sizes varied among studies. The prevalence of clinically-significant symptoms of antenatal CMD ranged from 4.6% (95% CI, 3.2; 6.5) experiencing 'psychological stress' in Japan to 40.8% (95% CI, 35.5; 46.4) 'depression' in China. While all studies were conducted in an earthquake context, only four examined some aspect of earthquake experiences as a risk factor for antenatal CMDs. In multivariable analyses, higher marital conflict, poor social support, multiparity, stresses of pregnancy and the personality characteristic of a negative coping style were identified as risks and a positive coping style as protective against antenatal CMDs. Conclusions: This systematic review found that women who have recently experienced an earthquake are at heightened risk of antenatal mental health problems. It indicates that in addition to the establishment of services for safe birth which is recognised in post-disaster management strategies, pregnancy mental health should be a priority. The review also revealed that there is no evidence available from the world's low-income nations where natural disasters might have more profound impacts because local infrastructure is more fragile and where it is already established that women experience a higher burden of antenatal CMDs. Trial registration: PROSPERO-CRD42017056501. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some people with mental illness in China do not receive treatment. We explored how stigma and familial obligation influenced accessibility of social support for patients with depression in China and the potential acceptability of peer support programs. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with five psychiatrists and 16 patients receiving care for depression from a large psychiatric hospital in Jining, Shandong Province of China. Patients with mental illness reported barriers that prevented them from (a) receiving treatment and (b) relying on informal social support from family members, including stigma, somatization, and community norms. Circumventing these barriers, peer support (i.e., support from others with depression) was viewed by patients as an acceptable means of exchanging information and relying on others for support. Formative research on peer support programs to examine programming and activities may help reduce the burden of unmet mental health care needs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: To investigate whether peer support would reduce diabetes distress and improve glycaemic control when added to usual diabetes education among adults with Type 2 diabetes in China. Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized trial involving 400 adults with Type 2 diabetes from eight communities in Nanjing. All participants received usual education for an average of 2 h each month from physicians, certified diabetes educators, dieticians, psychologists and podiatric nurses. Peer support was led by trained peer leaders and included diabetes knowledge‐ and skills‐sharing at least once a month, as well as peer‐to‐peer communication. The primary outcome was diabetes distress measured using the Diabetes Distress Scale at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included fasting plasma glucose, 2‐h postprandial glucose and HbA1c concentration. Outcome data were collected from all participants at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. Results: From 2012 to 2013, there were 200 participants in each study arm at baseline. Compared with the usual education arm, the peer support with usual education arm had greater reductions in regimen‐related distress (1.4 ± 0.6 vs 1.2 ± 0.4; P=0.004) and total distress (1.3 ± 0.4 vs 1.2 ± 0.3; P=0.038) at 6 months. At 12 months, the scores for emotional burden (1.2 ± 0.3 vs 1.4 ± 0.6; P=0.002), physician‐related distress (1.1 ± 0.3 vs 1.3 ± 0.4; P=0.001) and total scores (1.2 ± 0.3 vs 1.3 ± 0.4; P=0.002) were significantly lower in the peer support with usual education arm than in the usual education arm. Fasting plasma glucose levels were lower in the peer support with usual education arm than in the usual education arm at 6 months (7.5 ± 1.95 vs 8.0 ± 2.2; P=0.044) and 12 months (7.0 ± 2.3 vs 7.6 ± 1.5; P=0.008). Conclusions: Beyond the benefits of usual education, peer support was effective in reducing diabetes distress for Type 2 diabetes mellitus. (Clinical Trials Registry no: NCT02119572) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose As transition countries shift to a mixed welfare system, the accountability of non-government organizations (NGOs) becomes critical to quality services. Yet, poor financial and managerial practices of some NGOs in China have led to distrust from citizens. The purpose of this paper is to use a democratic accountability framework to examine citizen participation in NGOs as an approach to understand an angle of this distrust. Does the Chinese language academic literature about NGO accountability engage with concepts of participation in NGO governance, management and service use?Design/methodology/approach The method was content analysis of a search of words and concepts relating to NGOs, participation and accountability in the available Chinese language literature on NGO accountability through the newly developed search engine Wenjin Search of the National Library of China.Findings The analysis found that most Chinese literature only emphasizes problems of accountability, causes and regulatory solutions. When the literature includes participation, it refers to it as a platform for civil society, rather than a process of accountability within an NGO.Research limitations/implications Searching by keywords in one search engine may not be exhaustive. The results probably reflect most of the current research of Chinese scholars, considering the depth of the search engine.Practical implications Formal NGOs are relatively new in the Chinese political landscape; and government regulations are largely administrative and unenforced. At conceptual and political levels, the absence of discussion about other forms of accountability ignores questions about public dissatisfaction with NGO performance and the public’s willingness to contribute to NGO effectiveness, and civic engagement.Originality/value An implication is that until Chinese NGO research also incorporates democratic accountability concepts, it will continue to ignore the internal and external drivers from citizens for NGO change. Transition country NGOs that encourage participation have the potential to engender greater accountability in the organization, community and in state relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Park visits decrease with increased air pollution in 101 cities of China. • But over a third of respondents insisted to visit parks at the highest pollution. • People with less education are less likely to cancel park visit due to high air pollution. • Frequent park visitors are less likely to cancel park visit due to high air pollution. • People living with good air quality are found to be less responsive to air pollution. Air pollution is a major contributor to urban morbidity in many cities globally. Studies have shown the importance of parks for city dwellers to socialize, exercise, relax, and connect with nature. In this study we integrated these two phenomena by investigating whether air pollution impacts park visitation across cities in China. We collected over 17,000 valid responses from 101 cities through an online survey, and used multilevel logit regression and Chi-square test to analyze data. Results showed that although park visits would decrease with increase of pollution, the level of behavior change was not enough to avoid adverse health impact. During slight pollution (75–115 μg/m3), 93.4% respondents would visit a park as planned. The proportion reduced to 71.0 % for moderate pollution (115–150 μg/m3), greatly decreased to 38.7% for heavy pollution (150–250 μg/m3), and 34.1% for severe pollution (> 250 μg/m3). We argue that such transitional classification was designed for highly polluted areas to measure pollution mitigation progress, but the terminology "slight" and "moderate" are misleading to general public as over 30% respondents did not respond until it reached "heavy/severe" level. People with lower education and frequent park visitors were more reluctant to cancel park activities due to air pollution. We suggested parks to reduce hours for polluted days and raise awareness on health risk of air pollution through easily digestible information such as infographics. People in cities with lower pollution were less responsive to air pollution to adjust their park visit plan, pointing out the importance to investigate voluntary exposure to polluted air in cities with relatively good air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, the measles vaccine is offered for free whereas the pneumococcal vaccine is a for-fee vaccine. This difference has the potential to influence how caregivers evaluate whether a vaccine is important or necessary for their child, but it is unclear if models of health behavior, such as the Health Belief Model, reveal the same associations for different diseases. This study compares caregiver perceptions of different diseases (measles, pneumonia and meningitis); and characterizes associations between Health Belief Model constructs and both pneumococcal vaccine uptake and perceived vaccine necessity for pneumonia, measles, and meningitis.Methods: Caregivers of infants and young children between 8 months and 7 years of age from Shanghai (n = 619) completed a written survey on their perceptions of measles, pneumonia, and meningitis. We used logistic regression models to assess predictors of pneumococcal vaccine uptake and vaccine necessity.Results: Only 25.2% of children had received a pneumococcal vaccine, although most caregivers believed that pneumonia (80.8%) and meningitis (92.4%), as well as measles (93.2%), vaccines were serious enough to warrant a vaccine. Perceived safety was strongly associated with both pneumococcal vaccine uptake and perceived vaccine necessity, and non-locals had 1.70 times higher odds of pneumonia vaccine necessity than non-locals (95% CI: 1.01, 2.88).Conclusions: Most factors had a similar relationship with vaccine necessity, regardless of disease, indicating a common mechanism for how Chinese caregivers decided which vaccines are necessary. Because more caregivers believed meningitis needed a vaccine than pneumonia, health care workers should emphasize pneumococcal vaccination's ability to protect against meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues Chinese foreign military education programs, modeled on similar US efforts, promote a positive international image of China while simultaneously advancing military-to-military relations. To ensure American soft power remains strong, US policymakers should prioritize international military education as a method of supporting long-term partnerships even in constrained fiscal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects the view of the author regarding the suggestion of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater and "Life Magazine" on the Cold War against Russia and China. They recently suggested that America’s foremost national purpose should be directed to win the cold war. According to the author, it is significant that the country have a clear notion of what it is trying to carry out in the current international contest. He contends that it is not true that the goal of winning the cold war suggests that the major task at hand is for the good guys to baffle the bad guys. The realism that the Americans are strongly opposed to having the Communists take over and run the free world does not mean that they want to take over and run the communist world.

In this paper, we investigate the determinants of decline in energy intensity in four Chinese industries—pulp and paper, cement, iron and steel, and aluminum. This paper attempts to answer the following key question: For the purpose of promoting energy efficiency, do prices, technology, enterprise restructuring and other policy-related instruments affect various sectors uniformly so as to justify uniform industrial energy conservation policies, or do different industries respond significantly differently so as to require policies that are tailored to each sector separately? In this paper, we examine this question using data for China's most energy-intensive large and medium-size enterprises over the period 1999-2004. Our results suggest that in all four industries rising energy costs are a significant contributor to the decline in energy intensity over our period of study. China's industrial policies encouraging consolidations and scale economies also seem to have contributed to reductions in energy intensity in these four industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ∼216-Ma Piaohechuan no. 4 intrusion in northeastern China, situated in the easternmost part of the Central Asian orogenic belt, is composed of ornblende-olivine gabbro overlain by hornblende gabbro. The intrusion is about 630 m long, 40 to 250 m wide, and 50 to 150 m thick. Nickel sulfide mineralization is restricted to the lower part of the intrusion and contains 10,000 metric tons (t) of Ni with average PGE concentrations of 40 ppb Os, 30 ppb Ir, 36 ppb Ru, 26 ppb Rh, 255 ppb Pt and 161 ppb Pd in 100% sulfide. The sulfide ores display some distinctive textures and can be divided into "globular ores," which comprise millimeter- to centimeter-sized spherical to irregular patches of sulfide in a gabbroic matrix, "network ores" in which irregular sulfide aggregates with cuspate margins are intergrown at a scale of millimeters to centimeters with roughly equal proportion of gabbro, and "breccia ores" in which centimeter- to micron-sized fragments of gabbro or broken crystals from the gabbro are enclosed in a sulfide matrix. The silicate portions of the three types of sulfide ores are almost totally altered and only some fragments in the breccia ores are fresh. Pyrrhotite and pentlandite are the dominant sulfides in the ores and chalcopyrite is largely confined to finer fractures and patches in the silicate rocks. The Cu-rieh ores are sparsely distributed in the orebody and are richer in Pt and Pd than other ores, consistent with fractionation of Cu and PGE during crystallization of sulfide liquid. Breccia and network ores have Pt ranging from 1.72 to 205 ppb, with positive and negative Pt anomalies in primitive mantle-normalized chalcophile element patterns. The high Pt concentrations of some ores are manifested by the sporadic occurrence of sperrylite. Nickel in olivine decreases rapidly (2,258-393 ppm) with decreasing Fo (86-72). Small sulfide droplets are enclosed in olivine, indicating that olivine crystallized from sulfide-saturated magma. The rocks of the intrusion have restricted £Nd(totai) (4.4-4.6) and variable yos(totai) values (39-67), consistent with the assimilation of external crustal sulfide in a shallow magma chamber. We propose that sulfide saturation was achieved by olivine fractionation and the addition of crustal sulfide. Early segregated sulfide liquid settled toward the base of the magma chamber and then migrated through partially molten silicates, along small channelways. The migrating sulfide liquid may have displaced and disaggregated the silicate melt or cumulus crystals into small fragments, creating the network and breccia ores. The globular ores formed when the coalesced sulfide droplets were largely solid before the final solidification of silicate minerals. Although the distance of migration is unconstrained, such migration of sulfide liquid had significant controls on the distribution of ores in the intrusion. At lower temperatures, metamorphism transformed part of the intrusion to low-grade hydrous assemblages and resulted in weak redistribution of sulfides and secondary silicate minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUBSTANTIAL evidence documents the benefits of peer support provided by community health workers, lay health advisors, promotores de salud, and others. The papers in this supplement, all supported by the Peers for Progress program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, contribute to the growing body of literature addressing the efficacy, effectiveness, feasibility, reach, sustainability, and adoption of peer support for diabetes self-management. They and additional papers supported by Peers for Progress contribute to understanding how peer support can be implemented in real world settings. Topics include examination of the peers who provide peer support, reaching the hardly reached, success factors in peer support interventions, proactive approaches, attention to emotions, peer support in behavioral health, dissemination models and their application in China, peer support in the patient-centered medical home, research challenges, and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]