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A lack of student questioning is faced by many universities, where a large lecture is a common practice. Emerging technologies bring about possibilities to fill this gap. This study followed constructivist learning theory and used a digital canvas as a Digital Question Board (DQB) for students to freely pose questions and respond using mobile technology. A mixed-methods study with a quasi-experiment was conducted to investigate its effect. The study was conducted in two sections of an introductory research methodology course in a large comprehensive university in eastern China (n = 253). The pre-post quasi-experiment lasted six weeks. The data from surveys, observation, and online posts (log data) revealed that when the instructor discussed student questions after every 20-30 min in large lecture classes, students with DQB access had a significantly higher frequency of questioning than those without a DQB. The presence of the DQB enriched the types of questions and responses and encouraged mostly on-task learning questions. With technology, students employed a non-linear, constructivist questioning process and actively contributed to the co-construction of knowledge.

Background: Cognitive impairment is prevalent in Chinese patients with hypertension; however, current evidence on prevalence and risk factors is required to be synthesized. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of cognitive impairment in Chinese patients with hypertension. Methods: Two reviewers independently searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, the Wanfang database, and the VIP database from their inception to 7 June 2023. The gray literature and the reference lists of the included studies were also retrieved manually. Moreover, we also independently performed the eligibility screening, data extraction, and data synthesis. The primary outcome was the prevalence of cognitive impairment in Chinese patients with hypertension, and the secondary outcomes were the risk factors for cognitive impairment in patients with hypertension. R (version 4.0.3) was used for data synthesis. Results: In total, 82 studies involving 53,623 patients with hypertension were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients with hypertension was 37.6% (95% CI: 33.2-42.2%). A total of 12 risk factors, including advanced age (r= -0.34, 95% CI: -0.45, -0.21), female sex (OR= 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01-1.32), BMI> 24 Kg/m² (OR= 1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-3.00), lower educational level (OR= 2.01, 95% CI: 1.10-3.67), single status (OR= 1.63, 95% CI: 1.32-2.02), complications with diabetes (OR= 1.44, 95% CI: 1.14-1.80), coronary heart disease (OR= 1.49, 95% CI: 1.12-1.97), higher stage of hypertension [stage 3 vs. stage 1, OR= 3.08, 95% CI: 1.82-5.22; stage 2 vs. stage 1, OR= 1.83, 95% CI: 1.29-2.60], no regular physical activity (OR= 0.40, 95% CI: 0.21-0.77), higher levels of systolic blood pressure (r= -0.25, 95% CI: -0.42, -0.08), Hcy (r= -0.39, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.09), and IL-6 (r= -0.26, 95% CI: -0.48, -0.02) were detected. Conclusion: Cognitive impairment is prevalent in Chinese patients with hypertension, and the increased prevalence was associated with several demographic characteristics, complicated disease, no regular physical activity, worse hypertension status (higher stages and SBP), and high levels of biomarkers. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the early identification and treatment of patients with hypertension who are at high risk for cognitive impairment in clinical practice. In addition, relevant risk factors should be controlled to reduce the incidence of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of various malignancies, significantly reshaping cancer treatment. However, as a result of the widespread use of ICIs, several immune-related adverse events (iRAEs) have emerged, some of which can be rare and potentially fatal. In this paper, we reported the earliest case of Sintilimab used in the treatment of esophageal cancer with severe inflammatory myopathy (involving the cardiac, respiratory, and skeletal muscles)in China. This patient was an elderly female who presented to our institution with progressive limb weakness and ptosis. Prior to the onset of symptoms, the patient had undergone a radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, experienced several cycles of of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as two doses of Sintilimab treatment. Shortly after initiating immunotherapy, the patient developed symptoms including bilateral ptosis, limb weakness, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. The levels of creatine kinase and troponin I in the patient's blood were significantly elevated, and positive results were observed for anti-skeletal and anti-cardiac muscle antibodies, indicating that the patient might be developing ICIs-related inflammatory myopathy. Fortunately, the patient responded well to treatment including corticosteroids, plasmapheresis, intravenous immunoglobulin, and other supportive therapies. Here, we discuss the incidence, mechanisms, and management strategies of fatal iRAEs. Early detection and timely intervention may be critical in reducing the incidence and mortality rates of iRAEs and improving patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: The age differences in the association between screen time and sleep problems have been implied in many studies, and this study aims to distinguish the associations between evening screen time and sleep quality among different age groups. Methods: This is a population-based, cross-sectional study among community residents aged ≥18 years in China. A total of 21,376 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Averaged evening screen time (AEST), sociodemographic information, and health-related behaviors were also evaluated in this study. Results: In the 18-to-34-year age group, compared with people without AEST, 1 h/day (b = 0.34, p < 0.05) and >3 h/day (b = 1.05, p < 0.001) of AEST were significantly associated with poor sleep quality, and a reverse S-shaped relationship for this association was shown. In the 35-to-49-year and 50-to-64-year age groups, 1 h/day (b = 0.43 and 0.36, both p < 0.001), 2 h/day (b = 0.43 and 0.31, p < 0.001 and p < 0.01), 3 h/day (b = 0.62 and 0.61, both p < 0.001), and >3 h/day (b = 1.55 and 1.88, both p < 0.001) of AEST were positively associated with poor sleep quality. In the 65-year-and-older age group, a J-shaped relationship was found, and 3 h/day (b = 0.82, p < 0.001) and >3 h/day (b = 1.84, p < 0.001) of AEST were associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Associations between AEST and sleep quality among different age groups are different. In the 18-to-34-year and 65-year-and-older age groups, acceptable AEST is not related to sleep quality. In the 35-to-49-year and 50-to-64-year age groups, AEST was harmful to sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stabilized fertilizers that contain nitrification inhibitors and/or urease inhibitors are widely used in China. A pot experiment was conducted to analyze soil enzymatic characteristics related to carbon and nitrogen turnover and metabolism under the use of rice straw and stabilized fertilizer. Results showed that stabilized fertilizer exhibited the highest yield production, panicle numbers, and above-ground biomass. Compared with urea treatment with straw, adding inhibitors reduced soil organic carbon and the enzyme activity related to acquisition of carbon, but increased soil organic carbon accumulation, rice yield, and above-ground biomass. Stabilized fertilizer increased protease activity; however, it decreased N-acetyl-β-glucosaminide. Addition of straw significantly increased dissolved organic and microbial biomass carbon or nitrogen, as well as the enzyme activities of α-D-glucosidase, β-D-glucosidase, β-Nacetyl-glucosidase, and cellulase at the seedling and tillering stages. The principal components analysis showed that the synthesis of extracellular enzyme related to carbon and nitrogen acquiring act as a proxy for straw decomposing under nitrogen conditions. The combination delayed the release of ammonia, which affected the carbon and nitrogen coupling by microbial organisms. These results demonstrated a relationship between soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and soil enzymes in different fertilization management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has accelerated its urbanization and industrialization processes. The traditional extensive economic growth mode of high investments, high energy consumption, and high emissions has brought irreversible negative impacts on the ecological environment. Environmental regulation can promote necessary changes in the industrial structure and improve economic structure by eliminating the negative externalities of environmental pollution and enhancing social welfare. With time series data of Beijing from 1998 to 2017, the mechanism and impact of environmental regulations on industrial structure were analysed using cointegration analysis and Granger causality test. Results show that environmental regulations can effectively realize industrial structure upgrading by inhibiting the development of high-pollution enterprises, accelerating the development of the service industry, promoting the environmental protection of enterprise production technology, and promoting the optimization of investment structures. Thus, a long-term and positive equilibrium relationship between industrial structure upgrading and environmental regulation in Beijing can be achieved. The investment in industrial pollution control per unit can drive the growth of the tertiary industry’s added value by 0.017 units. The completion of industrial pollution control investment is the one-way Granger reason for the tertiary industry’s added value to the proportion of gross domestic product. The conclusions have a certain reference value for finding out the intensity of environmental regulation in promoting Beijing’s industrial structure optimization and realizing the transformation of economic structure and coordinated development of ecological civilization construction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicholas Jose has been advocating "transcultural writing" for more than three decades, with Avenue of Eternal Peace (1989) as an early part of his practice. In 1990, Avenue was short-listed for the Miles Franklin Prize but failed to win this Australian national award. Judged by Chinese semiotician Zhao Yiheng's reception model of narratives, this is a "message blocked" case. Using the framework of Roman Jakobson's communication model, this paper reinterprets the six constitutive factors and functions to investigate the elements that blocked the message. My main argument is that "contact", "context", and "code" jointly blocked the communication; the three Cs reflect three long-standing problems in Australian literature: the issue of cultural identity, the dark side of White Australian Dream, and the Orientalist representation of "the other" culture. The failure in literary communication analyzed also suggests that Wally's perception of China follows a Saussurean dichotomy which presupposes a closed linguistic system and excludes the role of the subject and the extra-semiotic object in signification. The Peircean trichotomy better captures the process of concept formation and is a better approach to transcultural writing in the contemporary postmodern situation. Transcultural writing challenges its readers; we need to transcend our confined nationality and persistent prejudice, and develop adequate "transnational literacy" to appreciate this new form of cultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dyslipidemia contributes to the risk of many diseases, including stroke, cardiovascular disease and metabolic-related diseases. Previous studies have indicated that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with different levels of serum lipid. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between the APOA1/C3/A4/A5-ZPR1-BUD13 gene cluster gene polymorphisms and dyslipidemia in the total sample population and stratified by genders in a northeast Chinese population. Methods: A total of 3,850 participants from Jilin Province, China, were enrolled in our study, and their serum lipid levels were measured. Six functional SNPs (APOA1 rs5072, APOC3 rs5128, APOA4 rs5104, APOA5 rs651821, ZPR1 rs2075294 and BUD13 rs10488698) were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction and MALDI-TOF-MS. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship of APOA1/C3/A4/A5-ZPR1-BUD13 gene cluster gene polymorphisms with dyslipidemia. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analyses were performed with the SNPStats program and Haploview software. Results: All SNPs conformed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Logistic regression analysis revealed that rs5072, rs5128 and rs651821 were associated with hypertriglyceridemia, rs5104 and rs651821 were associated with low-HDL cholesterolemia in overall group. rs651821 was associated with hypertriglyceridemia and low-HDL cholesterolemia in both the male and female group. However, among females, rs5072 was observed to be associated with hypertriglyceridemia. Haplotype analysis showed that haplotypes TGCCGC and CAGCGC were associated with dyslipidemia in the overall, male and female groups. Conclusion: SNPs in the APOA1/C3/A4/A5-ZPR1-BUD13 gene cluster were associated with dyslipidemia. Furthermore, the association of APOA1 rs5072 in this gene cluster with dyslipidemia differed between genders; thus, additional studies are needed to confirm this conclusion, and the mechanisms underlying these results warrant further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the perspectives of individuals with mental illness on community mental health services (CMHS) in China. The current study aimed to explore these perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were completed with a purposive sample of 25 individuals with mental illness recruited from three communities in Guangzhou City, China. The Colaizzi method was used for data analysis. Three main themes were identified: (a) patients' perceptions of CMHS, (b) patients' barriers to accessing CMHS, and (c) patients' expectations of CMHS. The identified issues should be taken into consideration in improving CMHS. CMHS staff, including nurses, should make patients more aware of CMHS. To increase CMHS use and make it more responsive to patients' expectations, staff should try to resolve patients' stigma and desire to return to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paliperidone (9-hydroxyrisperidone), the major active metabolite of risperidone, has been introduced as a novel atypical antipsychotic agent in many countries. It is available both as an oral extended-release (ER) formulation and as a long-acting injection (paliperidone palmitate, PP), which have been approved for treating schizophrenia in the People's Republic of China since 2009 and 2012, respectively. This systematic review summarizes the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of paliperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia in the Chinese population. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on the databases covering international and Chinese core journals, published from January 1, 2008, to May 22, 2015. Results: A total of 122 publications were retrieved, of which 63 studies were identified for inclusion; most studies were related to paliperidone ER (n=53), nine were related to PP, and one study was related to both agents. Paliperidone ER demonstrated at least comparable efficacy with active comparators, including risperidone, olanzapine, ziprasidone, or aripiprazole, and was found to be superior with respect to the onset of action and improvement in the Personal and Social Performance Scale score. Paliperidone ER appeared to be associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndromes; the most common treatment-emergent adverse events were extrapyramidal symptoms, akathisia, insomnia, and somnolence. Results from interventional and observational studies showed that PP was also an effective and well-tolerated treatment for Chinese patients with schizophrenia. The findings were generally consistent with those observed in non-Chinese populations. Conclusion: Both paliperidone ER and PP were effective and well-tolerated agents for the treatment of schizophrenia in the Chinese population according to the data we reviewed. No new safety signals specific for the Chinese population were raised for paliperidone. Further studies may be needed to collect more data on long-term treatment of schizophrenia in the People's Republic of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of Michotamia are recorded from China. Of these M. aurata (Fabricius, 1794) was previously reported from Hainan and Taiwan. M. assamensis Joseph & Parui, 1995 is recorded from China and Laos for the first time, and M. yunnanensis sp. n., is described and figured. A key to the known species from China is provided. A new name, Michotamia subnigra, is given to Michotamia nigra Scarbrough & Hill, 2000, which is preoccupied by Michotamia nigra (Meijere, 1911). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic delay of gratification refers to the postponement of immediate rewards by students and the pursuit ot more important, temporally remote academic goals. A path model was designed to identify the causal relationships among academic delay of gratification and motivation, self-regulated learning strategies (as specified in the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire), and grades among 386 Chinese elementary school children. Academic delay of gratification was found to be positively related to motivation and metacognition. Cognitive strategy, resource management, and grades mediated these two factors and were indirectly related to academic delay of gratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential field data represent the superposition of effects of all surface and underground sources. A reliable interpretation of different gravity or magnetic anomalies greatly depends on a reasonable separation between regional field and local anomalies. We present here a novel separation method based on a 3-D principal component analysis (PCA) and textural analysis. The PCA, used to decompose the potential field data into a linear superposition of eigenimages, is performed not only on anomaly values but also on textural features, so as to fully use the spatial distribution characteristics of the data and make the separated regional field comprehensively account for the major variations of the data. In order to reduce subjectivity and inaccuracy, we propose a texture-based criterion in separation result selection, which measures the highlighted differences between the two kinds of anomaly by textural statistics and select the first several eigenimages corresponding to the most important variability as the region field when the differences reach maximum. The method is tested with two synthetic models and two real data examples from the Huanghua area, located in Hebei Province, China. Our tests suggest that the method provides a better separation of regional and local anomalies than does the polynomial fitting technique. The separated regional fields and local anomalies of the gravity and magnetic data coincide well with the geological structure of the Huanghua area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity and community structures of actinobacteria in saline sediments collected from Yunnan and Xinjiang Provinces, China, were investigated with cultivation and 16S rRNA gene analysis. A total of 163 actinobacterial isolates were obtained, and they were affiliated with the order Actinomycetales (distributed into five suborders: Streptosporangineae, Micrococcineae, Streptomycineae, Pseudonocardineae, and Glycomycineae). A total of 748 actinobacterial 16S rRNA gene clones were examined, and they could be classified into Actinomycetales, Acidimicrobiales, and unclassified actinobacteria. The Actinomycetales sequences were distributed into nine suborders: Streptosporangineae, Glycomycineae, Micromonosporineae, Pseudonocardineae, Corynebacterineae, Frankineae, Propionibacterineae, Streptomycineae, and Micrococcineae. The unclassified actinobacteria contained three new clusters at the level of subclass or order. Our 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic data indicated that actinobacterial communities were very diverse in the investigated saline sediments (salinity 0.4–11.6%) and some actinobacterial members may be halotolerant or halophilic. The actinobacterial community structures in the saline sediments were different from those in marine and freshwater environments. Our data have implications for a better understanding of the distribution of Actinobacteria in saline environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the types and sources of pollution in ten plateau lakes in the Yunnan province of southern China. Measurements were made on 24 parameters of water quality in the lakes for four years. Multivariate statistical techniques, including factor analysis (FA), cluster analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA), showed no obvious data reduction. Three latent factors accounted for pollution mainly from the following sources: agricultural activities, anthropogenic-toxic pollution from industrial effluents and residential activities, or other special activities. These were highly correlated with spatiotemporal variations of water quality.

This research was designed to explore the differences in behaviour, cognition and emotion between college students in Beijing and Suzhou, who were under different external stresses during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) prevalence time in China from 22 April to 23 June, 2003. A ‘Psychological responses questionnaire on SARS’ designed by the authors was filled out by subjects. A total of 268 valid cases were collected in Beijing through e-mails or websites, and 397 valid copies were collected in Suzhou through pencil-and-paper tests. The two groups differed in their behaviours, cognitions and emotions. Cognitive and behavioural responses of the Beijing sample changed along with the time and the epidemic situation, and so did the negative emotions of the Suzhou sample. Path analysis of the Beijing sample found support for the mediating effects of the cognition on the relationships of stress and the emotional and behavioural responses, while the results of the Suzhou sample did not. Differences between the two samples are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlined the emergence and phenomenal growth of higher occupation and technical education (HOTE) in China, and analyzed the characteristics of HOTE in relation to the human resource needs of China's growing tourism industry. The characteristics of tourism HOTE were examined in the contexts of specialization offerings, curriculum design, and instructional delivery and student evaluation. Comparisons were drawn between tourism HOTE and traditional four-year degree program, and between tourism HOTE and two- and three-year higher professional schools. Observations were made with regard to the greater employability of tourism HOTE graduates and their popularity with employers. The article concluded with the recommendation of an open system for higher tourism education that legitimizes the role of HOTE, and accommodates its coexistence with traditional four-year program, and two- and three-year professional schools. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The strategic role of human resources function in China's hotel industry is more important than ever before. An increasing number of hotels begin to recognize its significance of such role in sustaining growth in the competitive hotel marketplace. This study focuses on the on-job training aspect of the human resources by first identifying the major problems faced by the industry. The underlying factors of the problems are then investigated; and possible solutions are recommended. The discussion is in the context of five stakeholders in the on-job training function of China's hotel industry. They include hotel employees, hotel management, government agencies, universities, and non-university training institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper provides an overview of tourist hotel development in China. It investigates two critical problems in China hotels and examines the underlying causes of these problems. The problems examined relate to pricing and marketing. The implications of these problems are discussed and recommendations are made in the context of suggesting alternatives to simple discounting by applying marketing principles and formulating a sound pricing policy. Need for adopting modern marketing frameworks is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is an important option for CO2 mitigation and an optimized CO2 pipeline transport system is necessary for large scale CCS implementation. In the present work, a hydrodynamic model for CO2 pipeline transport was built up and the hydrodynamic performances of CO2 pipeline as well as the impacts of multiple factors on pressure drop behavior along the pipeline were studied. Based on the model, an economic model was established to optimize the CO2 pipeline transport system economically and to evaluate the unit transport cost of CO2 pipeline in China. The hydrodynamic model results show that pipe diameter, soil temperature, and pipeline elevation change have significant influence on the pressure drop behavior of CO2 in the pipeline. The design of pipeline system, including pipeline diameter and number of boosters etc., was optimized to achieve a lowest unit CO2 transport cost. In regarding to the unit cost, when the transport flow rate and distance are between 1–5MtCO2/year and 100–500km, respectively, the unit CO2 transport cost mainly lies between 0.1–0.6RMB/(tCO2 km) and electricity consumption cost of the pipeline inlet compressor was found to take more than 60% of the total cost. The present work provides reference for CO2 transport pipeline design and for feasibility evaluation of potential CCS projects in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]