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Unquestionably, the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in society and economy is engorged. The term higher education proposes an educational level above the secondary education with advanced tools of knowledge which enables the students to generate, distribute, and preserve systematic academic knowledge at colleges, universities, and institutes of technology. This qualitative study is an endeavor to analyze the effect of commercialization policy on the higher education system and socio economic development of the Chinese society. During 1999, marketization and commercialization of education sector remained the sole policy instrument for attaining the objectives of liberalization and modernization of Chinese higher education. The realization that the development and advancement in the field of science and technology was impossible without development of education system, particularly the higher education, forced China to employ different strategies. Chinese government resolved to provide an access to over 15% of its total population to higher education. These initiatives can be divided in five categories i.e. ensuring provision of education, management of HEIs, investment for the growth of higher education, recruitment and job placement for graduates and delivery of autonomy to the universities and HEIs. The commercialization of higher education has converted the whole Chinese education system into class based system while establishing the overwhelming monopoly of private sector as being practised throughout the West and U.S. which has confronted the Chinese with new social problems due to population size, patterns of governance, demography and socio-economic circumstances.

Increasing daily physical activity (PA) is a practical way to decrease the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, while the studies on exercise intensity remain limited. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of increasing light PA (LPA) or moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) for 12 weeks on cardiometabolic markers in Chinese adults with obesity. Fifty-three adults were randomly assigned to the 1) control group, 2) LPA group, and 3) MVPA group in free-living settings. The intervention effects on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiometabolic biomarkers were analysed using a generalized estimated equation model adjusted for baseline values and potential confounders. Compared with the control group, the MVPA group showed improvements in body composition, lipids, C-peptide, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-8, leptin, and E-selectin. A favourable change in triglycerides and E-selectin were observed in the LPA group when compared to the control group. Lastly, improvements in waist circumference, C-reactive protein, and MCP-1 were observed in the MVPA group when compared to those in the LPA group. Although increasing both LPA and MVPA improved certain cardiometabolic biomarkers, the latter may have more benefits. These findings imply that MVPA may reduce cardiometabolic disease risk more effectively than LPA, especially in Chinese adults with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a decade, 50,000 Chinese students have come to study each year in the UK, and the majority of them have since returned and settled back in China. An understanding of their return journey and how relevant their overseas learning is to their home life and work environment is a key to the re-visioning of the internationalisation of higher education in the UK. Using in-depth qualitative and narrative interviews carried out in China with eight Chinese postgraduates, this research explores these individuals' overall experience of homecoming, including what motivated them to return, their readjustments to life in China, and their perceptions of the impact of learning from studying overseas on their current life and work in China. This article looks particularly at the change in the graduates' sense of identity. The idea of intercultural identity is developed to explain the phenomenon of these returnees' emerging sense of self, one that is expansive and embraces sources of influence beyond the conventional cultural roots of the individual. (Contains 2 tables.)

In the context of increasing recruitment of overseas students by British higher education (HE) institutions, there has been a growing need to understand the process of students' intercultural adaptation and the approaches that can be adopted by British academic institutions in order to facilitate and support these students' learning experience in the UK. Drawing upon one-year of in-depth qualitative research investigating the experience of a small cohort of Chinese postgraduate students' in a British university, the author explores the three-fold 'stress-adaptation-growth' intercultural learning process of these participants by focusing the discussions on the their lived experience in the UK. The key argument of this article is that intercultural adaptation is in itself a process of intercultural learning, which has the potential to bring about profound changes in overseas students themselves, transforming their understanding of the learning experience, self knowledge, awareness of the Other, and values and worldview.

This study investigates differences in use of, and attitudes toward the Internet and computers generally for Chinese and British students, and gender differences in this cross-cultural context. Two hundred and twenty Chinese and 245 British students' responses to a self-report survey questionnaire are discussed. Significant differences were found in Internet experience, attitudes, usage, and self-confidence between Chinese and British students. British students were more likely to use computers for study purposes than Chinese students, but Chinese students were more self-confident about their advanced computer skills. Significant gender differences were also found in both national groups. Men in both countries were more likely than women to use email or "chat" rooms. Men played more computer games than women; Chinese men being the most active games players. Men in both countries were more self-confident about their computer skills than women, and were more likely to express the opinion that using computers was a male activity and skill than were women. Gender differences were higher in the British group than the Chinese group. The present study illustrates the continued significance of gender in students' attitudes towards, and use of computers, within different cultural contexts.

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has set the direction for inter-state relations through the establishment of the rules-based order. This very order can be generally believed to draw from the institutions, conventions, and norms centred on the United Nations. However, the brewing power competition between the US and China banks on either preserving or revising this order. Interestingly, the US, its allies, and its strategic partners regard themselves as the protectors of these rules, while China is often seen as a revisionist bent on altering the status-quo. However, there have been issues even among certain major democracies regarding their own adherence and interpretation of these very rules. This paper seeks to highlight the vulnerabilities of the rules-based order, which considerably compromise its legitimacy and enforcement by major democracies. Two isolated but pressing cases have been presented to demonstrate how three particular democracies: India, the US, and the United Kingdom seem to have varied interpretations of certain aspects of the rules-based order. This inconsistency will have significant implications on their roles as responsible stakeholders of the established order, which, in turn, may provide revisionist states an opportunity for exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to unfold the implicit interplay of open innovation (OI) and perceived insider status (PIS) between the relationship of proactive personality (PP) and innovative work behavior (IWB). The phenomenon studied the moderated mediation of OI and PIS through the combined optic of the theory of innovation and the broaden-and-build theory. The nature of this study was post-positivist. The two-step approach of structural equation modeling was implemented. First, quantitative data were collected through an online questionnaire from the employees of IT industries in China. The study sample consisted of 460 responses used for data analysis in SPSS and AMOS version 26. This study was based on mediated moderation, which was statistically similar to Model 15 of the process macro. There were six hypotheses based on the theoretical framework. The result of H6 was rejected, which demonstrated that the conditional direct effect of OI and PIS mediated moderation on PP and IWB. The results comprehensively testified to the theoretical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of transformational leadership on affective organizational commitment and job performance with the mediating role of employee engagement. This study gathered data from 845 hotel employees in China and the structural equation modeling technique was used to verify the results. The findings indicated that transformational leadership has a positive effect on affective organizational commitment and job performance. Meanwhile, results showed that employee engagement partially mediates in the relationship between transformational leadership, affective organizational commitment, and job performance. This study contributes to the research on transformational leadership in the Chinese hospitality sector and analyzes its effects on work performance metrics. Furthermore, theoretical and practical implications were also discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the extent to which childhood circumstances contribute to health inequality in old age and evaluates the importance of major domains of childhood circumstances to health inequalities in the USA and China. We link two waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2013 and 2015 with the newly released 2014 Life History Survey, and two waves of the Health and Retirement Study in 2014 and 2016 with the newly released 2015 Life History Mail Survey in the USA, to quantify health inequality due to childhood circumstances for which they have little control. Using the Shapley value decomposition approach, we show that childhood circumstances may explain 7–16 and 14–30% of health inequality in old age in China and the USA, respectively. Specifically, the contribution of childhood circumstances to health inequality is larger in the USA than in China for self-rated health, mental health, and physical health. Examining domains of childhood circumstance, regional and rural/urban status contribute more to health inequality in China, while family socioeconomic status contributes more to health inequality in the USA. Our findings support the value of a life course approach in identifying the key determinants of health in old age. Distinguishing sources of health inequality and rectifying inequality due to early childhood circumstances should be the basis of policy promoting health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Young people in China experience intense relational connections between family and work lives. • Our research foregrounds a diverse range of (non)human actors, marialites, emotions, embodiment and affective registers. • The study in China offers new avenues for research no matter where in the world studies are undertaken. This paper explores common theoretical and empirical terrain across currently distinct bodies of geographical literature. Presenting ethnographic research undertaken in China we highlight the ways in which alcohol, drinking, drunkenness is bound up with everyday financial lives through relational connections between family and work times/spaces. Focusing on forms and intensities of intergenerational transmission of knowledges, practices, performances and imaginaries that (re)produce social hierarchies, respect, obligations, conflicts, stresses as well as mutuality, interdependence, belonging and reciprocity we begin to explore fruitful new avenues for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far‐travelled ash layers from explosive volcanic eruptions can provide invaluable marker horizons for dating and correlating regional to global sedimentary archives. Here, we present a new cryptotephra associated with the ~5.9 cal ka bp Towada‐Chuseri eruption (To‐Cu) in a peat sediment record from northeast China. This tephra exhibits a rhyolitic glass composition that can be distinguished from other widespread tephra layers around the region of Japan and northeast China. Our findings extend the known range of this ash significantly, making it now traceable about 1200 km from its source, Towada volcano, Japan. Notably, this tephra provides an important isochron for synchronising palaeoenvironmental studies during the mid‐Holocene period from the western Pacific, central Japan, Japan Sea and northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networking sites offer an important means for increasing the accessibility and enabling new forms of health communication between the public and medical social influencers (MSIs). MSIs have a social presence and are perceived as a credible source of health-related information. A research gap, however, exists in understanding the communication strategies employed by MSIs and the factors driving the public to engage in health communication with MSIs. This study, therefore, developed a new conceptual framework incorporating health communication, dialogic and interpersonal communication by employing quantitative content analysis to examine public engagement with MSI communication on the largest microblogging site in China, Sina Weibo. The analysis yielded insights into how the usefulness of health-related information provided alongside the interactive dialogue and affective practices played an active role in engaging the public. The public sought health-related information primarily to address issues of concern for well-being and a high level of engagement in terms of online shares, likes, and comments was found. The use of multimedia made the site more appealing, resulting in likes while the expression of emotions by MSIs generated likes and comments. The need to connect with other online users and have a sense of community was reflected in engagement through sharing useful MSI posts by the public. By identifying influential MSIs on social networking sites, health information providers such as organizations and the government can raise awareness of health issues to foster a healthy lifestyle and contribute to better living in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various forms of arsenic were used in China and elsewhere for over 5,000 years. Following the initial success of intravenous arsenic trioxide (i.v. As2O3), we revived an oral formulation of pure As2O3 in 1998 for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). We were the first to produce a 1 mg/ml oral-As2O3 solution and showed that it had comparable bioavailability to i.v. As2O3. Moreover, we also reported that intracellular arsenic concentrations were considerably higher than the corresponding plasma values. Our oral-As2O3 was patented internationally and registered in Hong Kong for the treatment of APL. Safety, tolerability and clinical efficacy was confirmed in long-term follow-up studies. We have extended the use of oral-As2O3 to frontline induction of newly diagnosed APL. With these findings, we are moving toward an era of completely oral and chemotherapy-free management of APL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, new zircon U–Pb ages, whole‐rock major and trace element geochemistry, and Hf isotopes are presented for four Mesozoic granitic rock samples within the Qingchengzi district, eastern China. These data provide precise age and petrogenesis information with respect to the Mesozoic intrusions in the Qingchengzi district, which further constrain the initial decratonization process of the eastern North China Craton (NCC). The zircon U–Pb data reveal that these granitoids are emplaced in the following two stages: Triassic (243–220 Ma) and Middle Jurassic (∼164 Ma). These Mesozoic rocks (lithology: syenogranite, monzogranite, and biotite granite) contain high concentrations of silica (68.94–77.07 wt.%) and total alkali (7.35–9.71 wt.%) together with low concentrations of MgO (0.07–0.98 wt.%), total Fe2O3 (0.81–2.92 wt.%), and CaO (0.17–1.80 wt.%), and they are characterized by an enrichment of large‐ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g., Rb, Cs, and K) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) in addition to depletion of high‐field‐strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), indicating that these Mesozoic rocks are similar to I‐type granitoids. The εHf(t) values of the magmatic zircons in these granitoids range from −18.7 to −11.4. Such geochemical characteristics indicate that these granitoid formations were generated by the partial melting of the ancient lower crustal material. However, the occurrence of mafic microgranular enclaves in the Shuangdinggou monzogranite implies the mixing of the mantle‐derived magmas. Combined with the results of the previous research, these new data indicate that initial decratonization of the eastern NCC occurred during the Triassic period in response to the collision and amalgamation of the Yangtze Craton and NCC. During the Jurassic, the dynamic mechanism of lithospheric thinning was overprinted owing to the subduction of the Paleo‐Pacific Plate. Furthermore, cratonic destruction reached its peak during the Early Cretaceous, which could be related to the asthenospheric upwelling induced by the rollback of the subducting oceanic slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction of hydrological fluctuations in arid regions has proven challenging due to a lack of reliable chronologic constraints on sparse geological archives. The aim of this study was to establish an independent record of hydrologic changes in the hyper-arid Tarim Basin (TB; northwest China) with high spatiotemporal resolution. We present comprehensive radiocarbon and tree-ring data sets of subfossilized plant remains in the TB compiled from geomorphological investigations of the paleochannels of the Tarim River (TR), the longest endorheic river in China, crossing the world's second-largest shifting sand desert. Results show that the late medieval configuration of the TR basin was characterized by enhanced hydrological connectivity, as indicated by the formation of significant riparian forests in the desert regions at ca. 1170 CE. A distinct low-flow interval (ca. 1500-1650 CE) is identified for the first time, refining the period of a wetter-than-present TB. The present-day organization of streams in the lower TR was proto-formed after the dry period, possibly led by episodic flood-induced diversion. Our study describes the centennial-scale dynamics in the TR flow over the past millennium, offering a robust long-term context for hydrological assessment in the extensive drylands of the Asian interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the rural–urban inequality and its impacts on the meanings and practices of sustainability in Chinese context, based on a qualitative analysis of 30 semi-structure interviews with key practitioners. This research understands sustainability to be 'simultaneously an ideological stance, a point of convergence for political struggles, and a measure of performance for development activities' (Sneddon in Progr Hum Geogr 24(4):521–549, 2000). The main argument suggests that an appreciation of the need to reduce the rural–urban inequality can add new meanings to the Chinese interpretation and practice of sustainability. In Chinese context, a sustainable future is not about maintaining the current social and environmental status for future generations, but rather, it refers to improving environmental quality and promoting social and environmental justice in the future. That is, creating a better future through transforming the Chinese society from a polluted and rural–urban divided society with low-level suzhi population into a green, civilised and thriving one is the core of its sustainable development. Theoretically, this work indicates that the ways of building links between rural and urban can be multiple and dynamic. And more broadly, this research uses a Chinese case study to indicate that complex spatial relationships and interactions should be taken into considerations in sustainability studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation restoration on degraded lands has been encouraged worldwide due to its ecological services and function of controlling soil erosion and improving carbon (C) stocks in terrestrial ecosystems. Although the processes of runoff and sediment detachment and transport are well recognized, the effects of vegetation restoration on organic C loss through soil erosion are not fully understood within a given landscape. This study conducted a synthesis from 66 sites to evaluate the effects of vegetation restoration on annual C loss induced by soil erosion across the key areas of the 'Grain for Green' Program (GGP) in the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that vegetation restoration has significantly reduced the annual C loss in sediment and from runoff. Since 2000, a total of 8.6 × 106 ha degraded land has been converted to forests, shrubs and grasslands under the GGP, which has reduced runoff by 1.5 × 109 m3 and is associated with 7.3 × 103 Mg C; furthermore, lost sediment has reduced by 348.7 Tg, which is associated with 1.8 Tg C per year, across the Loess Plateau. In the zone with a mean annual precipitation (MAP) < 550 mm, the degraded lands that have been converted to grasslands and shrubs have reduced more soil and water losses than have the lands that have been converted to forests; additionally, in the zone with a MAP >550 mm, the degraded lands that have been converted to forests have less soil erosion than do the lands that have been converted to grasslands and shrubs. Moreover, C loss induced by soil erosion was mainly affected by plant cover, soil porosity, slope, land-use change, and rainfall intensity on the Loess Plateau. This study suggests that optimal vegetation restoration measures should be adopted based on local conditions to reduce C loss induced by soil erosion. • Vegetation restoration significantly reduced C loss in annual runoff and sediment. • Vegetation restoration driven by land-use changes could reduce the soil erosion. • Soil, topography, land uses and rainfall intensity affecting soil erosion induced C loss. • Optimal vegetation restoration measures should be adopted based on local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current prognostication in myelofibrosis (MF) is based on clinicopathological features and mutations in a limited number of driver genes. The impact of other genetic mutations remains unclear. We evaluated for mutations in a myeloid panel of 54 genes using next-generation sequencing. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and leukaemia-free survival (LFS), based on mutations of these genes and relevant clinical and haematological features. One hundred and one patients (primary MF, N = 70; secondary MF, N = 31) with a median follow-up of 49 (1-256) months were studied. For the entire cohort, inferior OS was associated with male gender (P = 0.04), age > 65 years (P = 0.04), haemoglobin < 10 g/dL (P = 0.001), CUX1 mutation (P = 0.003) and TP53 mutation (P = 0.049); and inferior LFS was associated with male gender (P = 0.03), haemoglobin < 10 g/dL (P = 0.04) and SRSF2 mutations (P = 0.008). In primary MF, inferior OS was associated with male gender (P = 0.03), haemoglobin < 10 g/dL (P = 0.002), platelet count < 100 × 109/L (P = 0.02), TET2 mutation (P = 0.01) and CUX1 mutation (P = 0.01); and inferior LFS was associated with haemoglobin < 10 g/dL (P = 0.02), platelet count < 100 × 109/L (P = 0.02), TET2 mutations (P = 0.01) and CUX1 mutations (P = 0.04). These results showed that clinical and haematological features and genetic mutations should be considered in MF prognostication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite ongoing efforts to control transmission, rabies prevention remains a challenge in many developing countries, especially in rural areas of China where re-emerging rabies is under-reported due to a lack of sustained animal surveillance. By taking advantage of detailed genomic and epidemiological data for the re-emerging rabies outbreak in Yunnan Province, China, collected between 1999 and 2015, we reconstruct the demographic and dispersal history of domestic dog rabies virus (RABV) as well as the dynamics of dog-to-dog and dog-to-human transmission. Phylogeographic analyses reveal a lower diffusion coefficient than previously estimated for dog RABV dissemination in northern Africa. Furthermore, epidemiological analyses reveal transmission rates between dogs, as well as between dogs and humans, lower than estimates for Africa. Finally, we show that reconstructed epidemic history of RABV among dogs and the dynamics of rabid dogs are consistent with the recorded human rabies cases. This work illustrates the benefits of combining phylogeographic and epidemic modelling approaches for uncovering the spatiotemporal dynamics of zoonotic diseases, with both approaches providing estimates of key epidemiological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient motivation is important in managing medication regimens such as antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. We tested whether self-determination theory could predict adherence behavior among 115 HIV-positive patients in the China Adherence through Technology Study, a randomized controlled trial of an intervention using text reminders and supportive counseling to increase adherence. Being in the treatment group had a significant effect on improving adherence; however, we did not find evidence that self-determination theory predicts adherence in this population of HIV-positive patients. Autonomous motivation was strongly associated with perceived competence; among low adherers, external regulation was negatively correlated with adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of sustainability in a postsocialist context through an analysis of official discourses relating to sustainability in more than 700 articles published in the Chinese‐language newspaper People's Daily in 2015. The Chinese conception of sustainability, which emerges as a top‐down model built upon traditional ideologies and Chinese socialist legacies, inclusive of economic growth, environmental sustainability, social justice and quality of life. This Chinese official discourse of sustainability places less emphasis on individuals' rights and more on the state's interests, and is encompassed in the Chinese concept of the "ecological civilization." This article argues that if we are to build a full picture of the internationalized idea of sustainability we need to adopt a more international approach to thinking about the issue, drawing upon the sustainability‐related discourses constructed from different national contexts using local languages and rhetoric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reputation of business in Hong Kong includes alleged exploitation of labor and a lack of social responsiveness, which may be due to the nature of its trade unions, its laissez-faire government, and traditional management practices. A recent study identifies attitudes concerning social responsibility that prevail in Hong Kong corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the united front concept used by Chinese authorities to describe the overseas activities of the Communist Party of China. It highlights the threat posed by China's growing global influence to liberal democracies and the response by U.S. allies and partners to the situation. The relationship between China's overseas activities and the decline of traditional U.S. leadership under the administration of President Donald Trump is discussed. In addition, the article analyzes the impact of the party's power to oversee the Chinese media.

Purpose The unprecedented economic development and increase in the number of global corporations in the Greater China region, comprising the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, have led to more emphasis on corporate leader-stakeholder communication. Bilingual web-based messages posted on corporate websites, which aim to strategically cultivate positive relationships between leaders and stakeholders, have emerged as a primary mode of communication for Chinese corporations. However, a research study investigating the prominent themes and underlying cultural values depicted in leaders’ messages intended for different groups of stakeholders is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the themes and cultural values expressed through corporate leaders’ web-based messages in a non-western context.Design/methodology/approach Using an inductive approach, open coding and a categorization system, this study analyzed the web-based messages of leading corporations with WordSmith 6.0.Findings Six prominent themes in leaders’ communication were identified. These themes included, in order of importance: company development, operating philosophy, company profile, business environment, performance, and products and services. It was found that leaders strategically selected certain themes such as focusing on progress and the business environment but omitted others depending on how they wanted to strategically influence their stakeholders’ attitudes. Differences between the cultural values depicted in Chinese and the corresponding English messages could be attributed to leaders’ cultural adaptation of the messages intended for non-domestic stakeholders.Originality/value Since this study provides insights into the major themes preferred by leaders of corporations operating in Greater China, it will enable existing stakeholders to understand the main business focus of leaders and offer leaders more information about commonly accepted themes. These possibilities for enhanced knowledge on the part of stakeholders and business leaders, in turn, may potentially increase academic appreciation of the complexities involved in corporate communication. It also informs stakeholders about the variations in the values reflected in the English and Chinese messages of leaders, and, therefore, has a potential to offer value to academics and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sequestration through ecological restoration programs is an increasingly important option to reduce the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. China’s Grain for Green Program (GGP) is likely the largest centrally organized land-use change program in human history and yet its carbon sequestration benefit has yet to be systematically assessed. Here we used seven empirical/statistical equations of forest biomass carbon sequestration and five soil carbon change models to estimate the total and decadal carbon sequestration potentials of the GGP during 1999–2050, including changes in four carbon pools: aboveground biomass, roots, forest floor and soil organic carbon. The results showed that the total carbon stock in the GGP-affected areas was 682 Tg C in 2010 and the accumulative carbon sink estimates induced by the GGP would be 1697, 2635, 3438 and 4115 Tg C for 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050, respectively. Overall, the carbon sequestration capacity of the GGP can offset about 3%–5% of China’s annual carbon emissions (calculated using 2010 emissions) and about 1% of the global carbon emissions. Afforestation by the GGP contributed about 25% of biomass carbon sinks in global carbon sequestration in 2000–2010. The results suggest that large-scale ecological restoration programs such as afforestation and reforestation could help to enhance global carbon sinks, which may shed new light on the carbon sequestration benefits of such programs in China and also in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedimentary pyrite has long been used as an archive of marine environments in Earth history. To capture reliable paleoenvironmental signals, however, we need to first evaluate pyrite in sedimentary strata as it can be altered and masked by later diagenetic and/or hydrothermal processes. Here, we trained two supervised machine learning algorithms on a large LA-ICP-MS pyrite trace element database to distinguish pyrite of different origins. The analysis validates that two models built on the co-behavior of 12 trace elements (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Ag, Sb, Te, Au, Tl, and Pb) can be used to accurately predict pyrite origins. Further statistical analysis suggests four trace element clusters behaving differently among sedimentary (syngenetic and early diagenetic), synsedimentary hydrothermal (syngenetic hydrothermal), and post-sedimentary hydrothermal (epigenetic hydrothermal) pyrite, which is probably driven by chemical and physical properties of source fluids, interactions between elements, competition among coprecipitating minerals, and pyrite growth rate. Armed with this initial success and aided by new LA-ICP-MS trace element data from 9 samples, we then demonstrated the efficacy of this approach in identifying the origins of pyrite from two Neoproterozoic sedimentary successions in South China. The first set of samples contain isotopically superheavy pyrite (i.e., whose bulk-sample δ34S values greater than those of contemporaneous seawater sulfate and whose origins remain controversial) from the Cryogenian Tiesi'ao and Datangpo formations. The second set of samples contain pyritic rims (associated with fossiliferous chert nodules and thought to be critical in exceptional fossil preservation) from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation. For the superheavy pyrite, the models consistently show high confidence levels (mostly > 80 % probability) in identifying its genesis type, and three out of four samples were given sedimentary origins. For the pyritic nodule rims, the models suggest that early diagenetic pyrite was subsequently altered by hydrothermal fluids and therefore shows mixed signals. The study highlights the importance of pyrite trace elements in deciphering and distinguishing the origins of pyrite in sedimentary strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social relations are defined as power relations. They are present in Media discourse and become an index of social power. They have hidden ideological dimension and have a significant role in making positive public opinion towards them and spreading it around (Schiffrin, 1994). This research aims to expose power and ideological clash among government, provinces, and private business tycoons, on the issue of constructing corridor between China and Pakistan, with the help of grammatical aspect of discourse; which carries ideology and social perspective of different power agencies (Fairclough, 2006). It is carried out with the help of critical discourse, Ideational Grammatical Metaphor, and Rhetoric analysis of six editorials published in Dawn during 2015-2016. Critical discourse analysis has exposed writers' astute use of aforesaid techniques to provide contextual information about the crux of the rift among power agencies on the afore said issue, and their peculiar ideological stances for their personal benefits in social discourse patterns while maintaining a subtle distance to escape him from accountability. This research suggests that the addition of aforesaid techniques may make reading, writing and translation skills pedagogy more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the ecclesial nature of Chinese Christianity, the social and economic context of Chinese Christians in contemporary times, and the relevance of and new approaches to social services.

The integration of children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood settings is a common practice in many developed and developing countries world-wide. A number of key points have been raised concerning such integration, including the increased attention to civil education about the rights of persons with disabilities, training for teachers, and close communication between the government and the mainstream schools. This paper presents a qualitative study of these critical issues in the context of integrated early childhood centres in Hong Kong. These centres operate under an integration policy inherited from the British colonial period. This policy lies within the larger philosophical context of Confucianism with its commitment to excellence, which makes for an intensely competitive schooling environment. Thus, the story presented in this paper is a collection of multiple perspectives of parents with and without children with disabilities, teachers, and school principals on the topic of integration. Looking at the bigger picture, we argue that rather than simply inheriting a policy that is prone to bureaucratic machinations, the policy must be adopted and owned within the local settings if it is to work properly. The implications of this study resonate with integrated education in settings that may be very different from the ones described herein. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This paper argues that for translation to enhance the tourist experience literal accuracy is not enough and translations should be culturally sensitive to their target readers. Using the example of museum websites as a form of purposive tourism information designed to both inform and attract potential visitors, this paper analyzes websites of museums in the UK and China. We argue that no matter how accurate a translation may be, if the norms of the target tourist community have been ignored a translation may fail to achieve its purpose and may even have a detrimental effect on the tourism experience. By bringing together translation and tourism theory, we demonstrate when the cultural element of tourism is considered alongside the translation of texts, the need for linguistic accuracy is superseded by a requirement for cultural sensitivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Liujiagou formation is an important CO2 aquifer storage unit in the Ordos Basin in central China. Thus far, it has stored over 90% of the total injected CO2 from the Shenhua carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, which is the first full-chain CCS project in China. Understanding the basic properties of CO2 flooding is critical for site characterization and evaluation. A core-scale characterization and CO2 flooding study of Liujiagou sandstone is the first step to understanding the flooding properties in a CO2 aquifer storage project. The pore geometry of a sample was characterized using medical, industrial, and micro X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) scanners, as well as mercury intrusion porosity and thin section petrography. To study the flooding process, a CO2 core flooding experiment using medical X-CT scanning was conducted with a Liujiagou sandstone sample. Based on the CT data, experimental data, simplified models and COMSOL software, a three-dimensional sub-core scale numerical model that considered porosity, permeability, and capillary pressure heterogeneity was constructed for numerical simulation of CO2 flooding under different scenarios. Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations on a Liujiagou sample revealed the following. The Liujiagou sandstone is a low-porosity and low-permeability sandstone with very high heterogeneity. The sub-core porosity heterogeneity significantly affects CO2 migration. The relative permeability and saturation distribution are significantly affected by the injection velocity of CO2 and are different from those of other sandstones, such as Berea. The analyzed Liujiagou sandstone sample has a very low storage efficiency factor at the core scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tephra layers from explosive eruptions can provide valuable isochronous marker horizons for paleoenvironmental studies across large regions. East Asia and Southeast Asia are host to more than half of the Earth's subaerial volcanoes, and tephras from these volcanoes offer significant numbers of widely distributed marker layers. However, the integrated tephrostratigraphic framework of this region is less refined because only limited (crypto-) tephra sequences have been established. In this study, we present a cryptotephra sequence covering the period ∼60–50 ka in East Asia from a lacustrine sediment from Huguangyan Maar Lake, southern China. Four cryptotephra layers were identified, one of which can be correlated with the ∼53.8 ka Unnan eruption (SUn) of Sambe volcano, Japan. This tephra provides a critical isochronous marker horizon for linking paleoenvironmental records from central Japan to southern China, illustrating a consistent environmental shift during early MIS 3 across this region. The three other tephras cannot be correlated with known eruptions, but glass geochemical compositions suggest that they may be from Japan or surrounding areas, implying that they too may be widely distributed around East Asia. Importantly, two of them feature at the start of MIS 3, and thus can be potentially be used to establish the synchroneity of the onset of MIS 3 around East Asia, overcoming challenges that presently hinder the dating of early MIS 3 in this region. • ∼60–50 ka tephrostratigraphic sequence of Huguangyan Maar Lake was established. • Four East Asian widespread tephra layers during early MIS 3 were identified in southern China. • Ash from the ∼53.8 ka Unnan eruption of Sambe, Japan, is a confirmed early MIS 3 marker horizon from Japan to southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Real estate markets in Chinese cities are in transition. Advertising for new developments in these markets often reflects changing city aspirations and branding rather than environmental and social experience. This paper investigates real estate marketing as a site of potential ethical transformation of values related to new urban development. It uses Kenneth Burke’s rhetorical analysis as an approach to coding real estate representations from in-flight magazine advertisements as a means of capturing environmental and social viewpoints in China during 2008–2009. Both Chinese and foreign participants coded representations into four code modalities. These were based on anthropocentric – non-anthropocentric environmental orientations and nationalistic – universal social orientations. The results suggested that new developments in China are more likely to be understood as based on environmental resource use for continued national economic expansion rather than for a more sustainable world. Emerging patterns in coded representations have opened up the possibility of greater social choices that were however difficult to unambiguously decode from Chinese real estate advertising. From this it is concluded that it may take some time before real estate demand shifts in response to representations of Chinese eco-cities being promoted by Chinese policy makers in the 2000s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

One of the largest explosive eruptions in the past several thousand years occurred at Tianchi volcano, also known as Changbaishan, on the China-North Korea border. This historically active polygenetic central volcano consists of three parts: a lower basaltic shield, an upper trachytic composite cone, and young comendite ash flows. The Millennium Eruption occurred between 938 and 946 ad, and was preceded by two smaller and chemically different rhyolitic pumice deposits. There has been at least one additional, small eruption in the last three centuries. From 2002 to 2005, seismicity, deformation, and the helium and hydrogen gas contents of spring waters all increased markedly, causing regional concern. We attribute this event to magma recharge or volatile exhalation or both at depth, followed by two episodes of addition of magmatic fluids into the overlying aquifer without a phreatic eruption. The estimated present magma accumulation rate is too low by itself to account for the 2002-2005 unrest. The most serious volcanic hazards are ash eruption and flows, and lahars. The available geological information and volcano monitoring data provide a baseline for comprehensive assessment of future episodes of unrest and possible eruptive activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the whitefly, Bemisia afer, in China and their phylogenetic analysis and rapid identification. Based on theMitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene the phylogenetic relationship between the whiteflies were examined. It was found that the Chinese B. afer populations were most divergent ones. Primers specific to B. afer were designed to amplify a region to discriminate B. afer from otherBemisia species.

Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires excellent adherence. Little is known about how to improve ART adherence in many HIV/AIDS-affected countries, including China. We therefore assessed an adherence intervention among HIV-positive patients in southwestern China. Eighty subjects were enrolled and monitored for 6 months. Sixty-eight remaining subjects were randomized to intervention/control arms. In months 7–12, intervention subjects were counseled using EDM feedback; controls continued with standard of care. Among randomized subjects, mean adherence and CD4 count were 86.8 vs. 83.8% and 297 vs. 357 cells/μl in intervention vs. control subjects, respectively. At month 12, among 64 subjects who completed the trial, mean adherence had risen significantly among intervention subjects to 96.5% but remained unchanged in controls. Mean CD4 count rose by 90 cells/μl and declined by 9 cells/μl among intervention and control subjects, respectively. EDM feedback as a counseling tool appears promising for management of HIV and other chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the behavioral and emotional problems and their correlates in left-behindchildren (LBC) in the Hunan Province of China. A sample of 1,274 schoolchildren (48.7% girls; 12.4 ± 2.2 years old) completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and their current caregivers completed questionnaires about caregiver/bio-parent’s demographics and teachers’ involvement with the family. There were 629 (49%) children with a history of being left behind, of which 486 were currently cared for by a relative (RLC) and 41 by a non-relative (NRC). As much as 102 had a past history of being left behind, but were currently living with one or more biological parents at the time of the survey (PLB). A total of 645 (51%) children had no history of being left behind and were included as controls. LBC had significantly more psychopathology and less pro-social behaviors than the controls. These differences, with the exception of more hyperactivity and less pro-social behaviors, disappeared after adjusting for age, education and socioeconomic status of the children, parents/caregivers, and the involvement of the teachers. The psychopathology of LBC was significantly inversely correlated with these variables. Long duration and being left behind at a younger age were significantly associated with more psychopathology. Overall, NRC showed more psychopathology, followed by PLB and then RLC. However, with the exception of pro-social behaviors, after adjusting for demographic variables and duration of being left behind, all differences disappeared. LBC are at risk to develop emotional/behavior problems, particularly if they are left behind early in life, for longer periods, in the care of young caregivers or nonrelatives with poor education and low socioeconomic status, and with less teacher support. Strategies to prevent the development of psychopathology and its amelioration, and governmental policies to decrease the rates of LBC are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships developed between soil properties and phytotoxicity threshold values for copper require validation in a wide range of soils with different properties and climate characteristics before they can be applied for regulatory purposes in countries throughout the world. Seventeen soils, which are representative of the major soil types and properties in China, were spiked with Cu chloride. A subset of the Cu-spiked soils was leached with artificial rain water to compare toxicity with that in unleached soils. Barley root elongation tests were performed under controlled environmental conditions. The concentrations of added Cu causing a 50% inhibitory effect (EC50) ranged from 67 to 1,129 mg/kg in unleached soils and from 88 to 1,255 mg/kg in leached soil. Compared with the unleached toxicity thresholds, the leached EC10 (10% inhibition) and EC50 were higher by an average of 1.43- and 1.15-fold, respectively. Soil leaching significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased the toxicity of Cu in approximately 35% of the soils. In this study, no single soil property was found to explain over 35% of the variance in (log transformed) EC50. However, stepwise multiple regressions using soil pH, organic carbon (OC) content, and effective cation exchange capacity (eCEC) were found to explain over 80% of the variance in Cu toxicity across soils. The model developed for Chinese soils based on these factors was found to predict significantly (r2, 0.90) the phytotoxicity of Cu in European soils. These quantitative relationships between Cu toxicity and soil properties are helpful for developing soil-specific guidance on Cu toxicity thresholds. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:835–842. © 2009 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-1990s, China has become one of the major countries from which children are adopted overseas. This paper examines ways in which globalization has contributed to the development of international adoption from China and explores cultural and historical attitudes to population growth, child abandonment and adoption. How China's social, economic and welfare policies have affected adoption policies and practices are discussed, with reference to ethnographic fieldwork undertaken by the authors between 2001 and 2007. Interviews and group discussions were conducted with UK, Chinese and American adoptive parents, directors of social welfare institutes, Chinese welfare officials and staff of non-government organizations working in the area of adoption and fostering in China. While globalization has affected, and continues to affect inter-country adoption, its influence in China is analysed using Masson's value positions on international adoption – abolitionists, promoters and pragmatists. China's pragmatic approach to international adoption is considered in relation to policies that reflect the best interests of children in China and overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ASTROD I is a planned interplanetary space mission with multiple goals. The primary aims are: to test general relativity with an improvement in sensitivity of over three orders of magnitude, improving our understanding of gravity and aiding the development of a new quantum gravity theory; to measure key solar system parameters with increased accuracy, advancing solar physics and our knowledge of the solar system; and to measure the time rate of change of the gravitational constant with an order of magnitude improvement and the anomalous Pioneer acceleration, thereby probing dark matter and dark energy gravitationally. It is an international project, with major contributions from Europe and China and is envisaged as the first in a series of ASTROD missions. ASTROD I will consist of one spacecraft carrying a telescope, four lasers, two event timers and a clock. Two-way, two-wavelength laser pulse ranging will be used between the spacecraft in a solar orbit and deep space laser stations on Earth, to achieve the ASTROD I goals. A second mission, ASTROD (ASTROD II) is envisaged as a three-spacecraft mission which would test General Relativity to 1 ppb, enable detection of solar g-modes, measure the solar Lense–Thirring effect to 10 ppm, and probe gravitational waves at frequencies below the LISA bandwidth. In the third phase (ASTROD III or Super-ASTROD), larger orbits could be implemented to map the outer solar system and to probe primordial gravitational-waves at frequencies below the ASTROD II bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study conceptualized and operationalized genuineness in CSR communication. • Five dimensions of genuineness and their social media engagement were examined. • Information on community involvement and development was positively related to public engagement. • Use of empathy had a positive effect on publics' social media engagement. Public relations professionals from global corporations have increasingly communicated corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on social media to engage publics. Yet the link between CSR communication of global corporations, particularly with regard to the dimensions of genuineness exhibited in their communication and public engagement on social media is under-researched in China. This empirical study conceptualized and operationalized the dimensions of genuineness, which encompass providing information about different CSR themes, being responsive to publics, demonstrating empathy, and being consistent in what corporations say and do, and then investigated how global corporations engaged Chinese publics through genuine CSR communication on Sina Weibo. Enhanced public engagement outcomes of comments, likes, and shares were observed for the provision of information about the community involvement and development CSR theme alongside the use of empathy. This study informs public relations scholars and practitioners about the importance of providing information on the CSR theme of community involvement and demonstrating empathy to generate higher public engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]