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The US apparel and textiles industry operates within an interdependent global system, necessitating workforces competent for day-to-day operations. The US workforce lacks preparedness in working globally; this study tests an infusion method of curriculum internationalisation to enhance students' global understanding. Four cognitive and experiential instructional modules focused on China were developed and infused into four existing courses at a US university. Pre- and post-test assessment of students' understanding in each module revealed that the number of correct answers was increased nearly fifteen percent across modules after implementation. The developed modules and implementation were assessed very favourably by the participants. (Contains 2 tables.)

Chaetosphaeriaceae is a genera-rich and highly diverse group of fungi with a worldwide distribution in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Eight fresh collections of Chaetosphaeriaceae were obtained during investigations of hyaline-spored hyphomycetes in China and Thailand. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of a combined LSU and ITS sequence dataset, Chaetosphaeria obovoidea, Codinaea aseptata, Codinaeella hyalina, Dictyochaeta guizhouensis and Paragaeumannomyces guttulatus were introduced as new species, Codinaea terminalis was reported as new host record, and Codinaea dwaya and Phialosporostilbe scutiformis were introduced as new collections. Phylogenetic analysis in this study revealed that Chaetosphaeria was polyphyletic. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of new taxa and identified species are provided, as well as an updated phylogenetic tree to confirm the placements of these eight new collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To change row spacing is a common agricultural practice to adjust plant density to enhance plant growth and development. Here we examined the fine root (≤1.0 mm in diameter) distribution and morphological characteristics of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in the 7th growth year under three row spacing settings (20 cm, 40 cm and 60 cm) on a terrace field in the semi-arid Loess Plateau region. Roots from 0 to 150 cm soil layers were utilized to evaluate the root biomass, distribution and morphological traits in April and October 2016. Results showed that fine root biomass (FRB) mainly distributed in the 0–40 cm soil layer, and it was higher under the 20 cm and 40 cm than that under the 60 cm row spacing treatment. FRB in October was lower than in April under all three row spacings. Compared with 20 cm and 60 cm row spacing, root surface area, root length density and specific root length under 40 cm row spacing were higher, while root diameter was smaller. These conferred switchgrass with larger soil exploration and root-soil interface. It implied that switchgrass grown under 40 cm row spacing had stronger ability on exploiting soil resources in the semi-arid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to identify in what aspects China and India are different and similar in forming consumer attitudes and purchase intentions toward US apparel brand goods. To this end, this study proposed a composite model incorporating the theory of planned behavior and a modified Fishbein model, and empirically compared the model with data collected in China and India. Structural equation modeling results yielded both similarities and differences in patterns of significance and the direction of effects for specific hypothesized paths. Differences were found in the paths of face saving → attitude, face saving → purchase intention (paths were positive and significant in the Chinese sample but non-significant in the Indian sample), group conformity → attitude and group conformity → purchase intention (paths were positive and significant in the Indian sample but non-significant in the Chinese sample). Similarities between two countries were found in the rest of the proposed paths. Based on the findings, discussions and implications were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The US apparel and textiles industry operates within an interdependent global system, necessitating workforces competent for day-to-day operations. The US workforce lacks preparedness in working globally; this study tests an infusion method of curriculum internationalisation to enhance students' global understanding. Four cognitive and experiential instructional modules focused on China were developed and infused into four existing courses at a US university. Pre- and post-test assessment of students' understanding in each module revealed that the number of correct answers was increased nearly fifteen percent across modules after implementation. The developed modules and implementation were assessed very favourably by the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to assist US apparel firms to successfully market in China. It aims to accurately predict Chinese consumers' purchase intentions toward a US brand. For this purpose, it proposes a composite model incorporating two behavioral intention models, Lee's model and decomposed Ajzen's model, and empirically tests the composite model. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 747 consumer data were collected in three cities of China, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, utilizing a series of mall intercept method at two levels of shopping malls in each city. Findings – Among the proposed direct paths to purchase intention (PI), attitude toward the US brand apparel was the most important in explaining contemporary Chinese consumers' purchase intentions, followed by external perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norm (SN). Two Confucian values, face saving and group conformity, did not directly affect PI at all, and face saving only influenced PI indirectly through the increase of attitude toward US brand apparel. Among external PBC (one's controllability toward a purchase) and internal PBC (one's self-efficacy), only external PBC led to PI. Practical implications – By examining the two aspects of PBC, the study validated the importance of consumers' resource controllability (i.e. external PBC) in Chinese purchase behaviors in the midst of rapid socioeconomic changes. This approach advances previous studies that primarily viewed PBC as one dimension. Originality/value – The paper is one of earliest endeavors to consider the decomposed PBC in a composite model. Also, the paper provides early proof that external PBC is more important than internal PBC in purchase contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first report of endophytic Biscogniauxia in Dendrobium species • Biscogniauxia dendrobii sp. nov. is introduced based on the large discrepancy on both sequences (5.2%) and size of conidia. • The ethyl acetate crude extract of the isolate B. petrensis showed moderate and strong cytotoxic activity against A549 and K562 using CCK8 assay (IC 50 of it 13.5 and 3.5 ug/ml, respectively). Biscogniauxia belongs to the family Graphostromataceae , and species have been found mainly as pathogens in dicotyledonous plants worldwide. Two endophytic strains, Biscogniauxia dendrobii sp. nov. and B. petrensis were isolated from Dendrobium aphyllum and D. harveyanum sampled from southwestern China and northern Thailand respectively. The conidiophores and conidia were used for morphological examination. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis with ITS, TUB2, RPB 2 and LSU sequence data were combined for phylogenetic analyses and species identification. Biscogniauxia dendrobii sp. nov. is introduced based on the large DNA base pair differences (5.2%) and size of conidia. Another known species B. petrensis is also illustrated and described in this study to facilitate species identification on D. harveyanum. The ethyl acetate crude extracts of the isolate B. petrensis showed moderate and strong cytotoxic activity against A549 and K562 using the CCK8 assay (IC 50 of it 13.5 and 3.5 ug/ml respectively). This is the first report of endophytic Biscogniauxia in Dendrobium species and of their cytotoxicity to A549 and K562, all of which enhances the current knowledge on the genus Biscogniauxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies in Parkinson’s disease (PD) have identified a number of susceptibility loci in sporadic PD. Since the characteristics of those loci in a Han Chinese population from mainland China were unknown, we performed a case-control replication study in this population and evaluated several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in a recent GWAS-meta-analysis. In total, 933 subjects comprised of 460 PD patients and 473 controls were genotyped. We found strong evidence of an association for rs708723 in RAB7L1 in the total sample (genotype p = 0.01, allele p = 0.01, OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.65–0.94). With rs156429 in GPNMB , there was a significant difference in genotype and allele distribution between male PD patients and the control subgroup (genotype p = 0.01, allele p = 0.01, OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.49–0.92). However, we did not observe any significant difference in genotype or allele distribution between PD and control for rs34016896 in NMD3 and rs6812193 in STBD1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Imjingang belt has been considered as a suture between the North and South China Cratons without clear evidences of the Permo-Triassic collision. The lines of evidences of the Permo-Triassic collision reported by previous researchers from the Imjingang belt are found to be incorrect. Therefore, the Imjingang belt should not be referred as a suture between the North and South China Cratons. Instead of the Imjingang belt, the Hongseong-Odesan belt should be used as the collision boundary between the North and South China Cratons. The Hongseong-Odesan collision boundary can be supported by the Permo-Triassic eclogite in the Hongseong area and ca. 230 Ma post-collision igneous activities occurred regionally in the northern Gyeonggi Massif (GM). In the northern GM between the Imjingang and Hongseong-Odesan belts, no high-pressure metamorphism (e.g. eclogite, blueschist) was reported. The Paleoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the northern GM studied by Yangkhom et al. (2014) is more similar to those in the North Korea and eastern part of the North China Craton than those in the South China Craton. These data indicate that it is reasonable to consider the northern GM including the Hongcheon area, as a part of the North China Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] D1 deformation in northern Gyeonggi Massif during collision along Jiao-Liao-Ji belt. [•] The emplacement of post-collision granitoid at ca. 1867–1881Ma. [•] D2 deformation during Permo-Triassic collision between North and South China blocks. [•] Intermediate-P/T metamorphism during Permo-Triassic collision. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, drifting and inundating brown seaweed (Sargassum horneri) biomass, called 'golden tides', has frequently drifted and accumulated along the southern coastlines of Korea, causing devastating impacts on the local economy and coastal ecosystems. In this study, based on combined analyses of mitochondrial DNA cox3 gene and seven microsatellites, we investigated the genetic makeup of the floating S. horneri populations (N = 14) in comparison to Korean benthic populations (N = 5), and tracked their genetic sources. Given a shared mtDNA haplotype and oceanic circulation systems, the floating populations may have been originated from the southeastern coast of China (e.g. Zhoushan, Zhejiang province). Population structure analyses with microsatellites revealed two distinct genetic clusters, each comprising floating and benthic populations. High levels of inter-population differentiation were detected within Korean benthic samples. The floating populations from the same periods during a 2015-2018 year were genetically more different from one another than those from different periods. These results suggest that the floating populations might be of multiple genetic sources within geographic origin(s). This study will inform management efforts including the development of "S. horneri blooming forecasting system", which will assist in mitigating ecological and economic damages on the Korean coastal ecosystems in the future.

Objective: To investigate the current smoking regulations and their impacts on the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) levels inside restaurants and bars in Beijing., Methods: Telephone survey was used to investigate the smoking regulations. TSI Sidepak AM510 was used to measure the level of fine particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) in restaurants and bars. Analysis of variance and non-parametric rank tests were used to examine the association between indoor and outdoor PM2.5 levels and (1) smoking regulations; and (2) types of restaurants and bars., Results: Of the 305 restaurants and bars surveyed, 27.9% had complete or partial smoking prohibiting rules. The average indoor PM2.5, level of the 92 restaurants and bars was 253.08 microg/m3 , 102.37% higher than the outdoor level. The average indoor and outdoor PM2.5 levels in the restaurants and bars with smoking ban regulations were 93.10 microg/m3 and 110.33 microg/m3 whole 289.34 microg/m3 and 128.40 microg/m3 in those without, respectively. The average indoor and outdoor PM2.5 levels of bars were 413.46 microg/m3 and 190.62 microg/m3, respectively, while in the western fast-food restaurants, they were 83.86 microg/m3 and 104.77 microg/m3, respectively. The outdoor PM2.5 levels were higher than the indoor levels in different classes of restaurants and bars. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between PM2.5 levels and the number of smokers per cube meters (r = 0.47, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Smoking regulations could effectively reduce the ETS level in restaurants and bars.