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As the competition between the US and China heats up in the realm of technology, the US media has been increasingly portraying it as a simplistic battle between democracy and authoritarianism. This article, however, argues that the reality is that people everywhere—including in China and the United States—are all living in an increasingly digital world where surveillance has become ubiquitous, and accountability for human rights abuses more challenging. It presents five solutions which the United States needs to take to address these challenges, and make for a more fair and equitable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on promotional materials in 2007–2008 and in 2021–2022, this article examines both Olympics to explore how the state has evolved in its governmental rationalities, and the related cultural and political implications. The 2022 Winter Games, despite its comparatively low profile and challenges posed by Covid-19, provided the Chinese state with a key moment to advance its confidence doctrine. Three discourses were mobilised pertaining to, first, the CCP's superb leadership and problem-solving skills; second, China's mega-infrastructure; and, third, created + made in China. The 2022 Olympics thus mobilised three confidence-driven discourses: leadership confidence, techno-scientific confidence, and creative confidence. In doing so, the 2022 Olympics envisioned, narrated, and materialised the popular discursive signifiers – technology, green and sustainability, and the future – the authorities already actively promoted in its political initiatives and policies. This contributed to the inward-oriented beliefs of self-reliance and self-improvement. Where we witnessed in 2008 a sense of curiosity and openness, within China and the world at large, we now face the complexities, dangers, and cultural essentialism, if not narcissism, of a confident China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs the media system dependency theory to explore both macro- and micro-level dependencies between South Korean sojourners and Chinese media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through semi-structured interviews with 25 South Korean sojourners in Beijing, we find that under the influence of Confucianism and collectivistic culture, South Korean sojourners are hard to identify with China's media environment and rely on Chinese media. Apart from Chinese television meeting South Korean sojourners' goal of play, other traditional media outlets, new media, and interpersonal communication with Chinese people fail to fulfill their goals of understanding, orientation, and play. These findings suggest that future research should take cultural factors into account to understand media dependency theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporin-8 (AQP8) is involved in impacting glioma proliferation and can effect tumour growth by regulating Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling levels. In addition to transporting H2O2, AQP8 has been shown to affect ROS signaling, but evidence is lacking in gliomas. In this study, we aimed to investigate how AQP8 affects ROS signaling in gliomas. We constructed A172 and U251 cell lines with AQP8 knockdown and AQP8 rescue by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and overexpression of lentiviral vectors. We used CCK-8 and flow cytometry to test cell proliferation and cycle, immunofluorescence and Mito-Tracker CMXRos to observe the distribution of AQP8 expression in glioma cells, Amplex and DHE to study mitochondria release of H2O2, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and NAD+/NADH ratio to assess mitochondrial function and protein blotting to detect p53 and p21 expression. We found that AQP8 co-localised with mitochondria and that knockdown of AQP8 inhibited the release of H2O2 from mitochondria and led to increased levels of ROS in mitochondria, thereby impairing mitochondrial function. We also discovered that AQP8 knockdown resulted in suppression of cell proliferation and was blocked at the G0/G1 phase with increased expression of mitochondrial ROS signalling-related p53/p21. This finding provides further evidence for mechanistic studies of AQP8 as a prospective target for the treatment of gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of COVID-19 contact tracing apps (CTAs) has been proposed as an important measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Based on a cross-national dataset, this article analyzes public perceptions toward CTAs and the factors that drive CTA acceptance in China, Germany, and the United States. We find that public acceptance of CTAs is significantly higher in China as compared with Germany and the United States. Despite very different sociopolitical contexts, there are striking similarities in the factors that drive CTA acceptance in all three countries. Citizens are willing to accept digital contact tracing despite concerns about privacy infringement and government surveillance, as long as the apps are perceived as effective in lowering infection rates and providing health information. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem for CTAs in Germany and the United States where CTAs are voluntary: a high citizen adoption rate is necessary for CTAs to be effective, but CTAs are only effective if adoption rates are high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We examine rural–urban differences between internet use and cognitive functioning among older Chinese adults and the mediating role of perceived social support networks across rural and urban areas. Methods Data were from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N  = 9,591). Ordinary least squares regression and mediation analyses were used to examine the specific hypotheses. Results General internet use was significantly associated with improved cognitive functioning among older adults in the overall sample. Social support networks mediated the relationship between general internet use and cognitive functioning, but only for older adults living in rural areas. After disaggregating internet use into specific online activities, watching shows was associated with better cognitive functioning for older adults living in urban areas. For those in rural areas, chatting was positively associated with cognitive functioning, while playing games was negatively associated with cognitive functioning. Discussion We showed that social support mediates the relationship between internet use and cognitive functioning differently in rural and urban areas. Cognitive benefits derived from specific types of online activities also depend on their residence. These findings suggest that efforts aimed at improving internet use among rural older adults may be more fruitful if they focus on building social opportunities for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aimed to identify different technophobia subgroups of older adults and examine the associations between these distinct subgroups and the subjective age. A sample of 728 retired older adults over the age of 55 was recruited in China. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify technophobia subgroups using three indicators: techno-anxiety, techno-paranoia and privacy concerns. Analysis of Variance was applied to determine whether a relationship exists between the identified technophobic subgroups and subjective ages (Feel-age, Look-age, Do-age and Interests-age). Four technophobia types were identified: 'low-technophobia' (24.59%), 'high-privacy concerns' (26.48%), 'medium-technophobia' (28.38%), and 'high-technophobia' (20.55%). Privacy concerns play a major role in the profiles of older adults who belong to the profiles of 'high-privacy concerns' and 'high-technophobia' (47.03%). A series of ANOVAs showed that older adults in the 'low-technophobia' were more likely to be younger subjective ages of the feel-age and interest-age. The majority of Chinese older adults do not suffer from high levels of technophobia, but do concerns about privacy issues. It also pointed out the younger subjective age might have a protective effect on older adults with technophobia. Future technophobia interventions should better focus on breaking the age stereotype of technology on older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has been the top aquaculture producer in the world since 2002. Over 800 species and 240 improved varieties have been used in China's aquaculture, which is the most diverse collection of species on this planet. Species diversification, along with other aquaculture technologies, contributes significantly to the increase of China's aquaculture production, whereas the use of too many species in aquaculture has resulted in some issues related to the environment and sustainability. We provide an updated overview of the species currently used in Chinese aquaculture in this paper. We examine critically the main drivers of species diversification in China with examples. We also introduce Chinese approaches to improve and certify new species and varieties for commercial production. We believe that further species diversification is not a priority in China's aquaculture, while further improvement of aquaculture technologies for major and native species is essential for green, profitable, and sustainable (GPS) aquaculture. The implications of China's experiences with species diversification for global aquaculture species diversification are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to explain why some nations make greater efforts than others do to innovate. We examine for our case study the People's Republic of China (PRC or China), which has emerged over the past several decades as a global technology leader and remains committed to bolstering its science and technology (S&T) capabilities. Applying a modified theory of 'creative insecurity,' we examine whether the balance between external and internal threats explains the variation in China's innovation efforts. The hypothesis: when faced with greater threats from abroad than at home, China will have increased its innovation endeavors, measured by its innovation-related policies and research and development (R&D) intensity. Our mixed methods approach finds some support for this hypothesis. Our initial theory, however, seems unable to account for the observation that China also increased its R&D intensity even when external threats decreased and its internal security remained stable. Thus, we introduce a complementary theory of 'creative ambition,' which proposes that China's efforts to innovate may not be merely defensive in nature but also offensive in intent to expand the PRC's power and influence abroad. We conclude with potential theoretical and policy implications of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Orthopedic implant infection has become a common catastrophic complication after various orthopedic implants, which can lead to prolonged use of antibiotics and even surgical failure. The quality of care (QoC) of orthopedic implant infection is very important. Methods: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube array with planar TiAg was prepared, and their antibacterial rates were tested. 400 patients hospitalized in the Department of Orthopedics of Wuhan Fourth Hospital from May 2019 to May 2020 were selected as controls (before QoC evaluation system of orthopedics), and 400 patients hospitalized from June 2020 to June 2021 were selected as observation group (after QoC evaluation system of orthopedics). Results: Regardless of Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli, the antibacterial rate of TiO2 nanotube array with planar TiAg was clearly higher than that of pure iron film on the 10th and 20th days (P < 0.05). The accuracy of hospitalization assessment, disease assessment, adverse event intervention, nursing record filing and nursing satisfaction in observation group were higher as against controls (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The TiO2 nanotube array with planar TiAg has good antibacterial property, which can effectively prevent orthopedic implant infection. The construction of QoC evaluation system for orthopedic specialists can effectively improve the QoC of orthopedic specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovations in precision agriculture continue to increase in both number and significance. Contemporaneously, given their expanding scope and application, the growing pool of technologies is increasingly complex. Although some recent attempts have been made, a knowledge gap remains in respect to the evolution of precision agricultural innovation. Synthesized, such knowledge should inform the untapped opportunities for innovation. This paper narrows this gap by conducting a network analysis of patent applications in areas concerning precision agriculture. Spanning the years from 1960 to 2021, the analysis shows an annual average growth in patent applications of 15.1%. During the last decade, this growth is almost entirely attributable to China and the USA. Priority innovation themes have been dynamic. Its phases can be characterized as 'motorized mechanization' (1960–1999), 'mechanical automation' (2000–2009), 'digital mechanization' (2010–2019), and 'digital automation' (2020–2021). The significance of information communication technology has grown in association with other innovation clusters, but a lag time has persisted in introducing innovations based on such technologies. Opportunities are ripe for speeding transference through economic and other incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although mid-thoracic epidural analgesia benefits patients undergoing major surgery, technical difficulties often discourage its use. Improvements in technology are warranted to improve the success rate on first pass and patient comfort. The previously reported ultrasound-assisted technique using a generic needle insertion site failed to demonstrate superiority over conventional landmark techniques. A stratified needle insertion site based on sonoanatomic features may improve the technique. Methods: Patients who presented for elective abdominal or thoracic surgery requesting thoracic epidural analgesia for postoperative pain control were included in this observational study. A modified ultrasound-assisted technique using a stratified needle insertion site based on ultrasound images was adopted. The number of needle passes, needle skin punctures, procedure time, overall success rate, and incidence of procedure complications were recorded. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight subjects were included. The first-pass success and overall success rates were 75% (96/128) and 98% (126/128), respectively. In 95% (122/128) of patients, only one needle skin puncture was needed to access the epidural space. The median [IQR] time needed from needle insertion to access the epidural space was 59 [47–122] seconds. No complications were observed during the procedure. Conclusions: This modified ultrasound-assisted mid-thoracic epidural technique has the potential to improve success rates and reduce the needling time. The data shown in our study may be a feasible basis for a prospective study comparing our ultrasound-assisted epidural placements to conventional landmark-based techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smart nursing homes (SNHs) integrate advanced technologies, including IoT, digital health, big data, AI, and cloud computing to optimise remote clinical services, monitor abnormal events, enhance decision-making, and support daily activities for older residents, ensuring overall well-being in a safe and cost-effective environment. This study developed and validated a 24-item Expectation and Acceptability of Smart Nursing Homes Questionnaire (EASNH-Q), and examined the levels of expectations and acceptability of SNHs and associated factors among older adults in China. Methods : This was an exploratory sequential mixed methods study, where the qualitative case study was conducted in Hainan and Dalian, while the survey was conducted in Xi'an, Nanjing, Shenyang, and Xiamen. The validation of EASNH-Q also included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the determinants of expectations and acceptability of SNHs. Results: The newly developed EASNH-Q uses a Likert Scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), and underwent validation and refinement from 49 items to the final 24 items. The content validity indices for relevance, comprehensibility, and comprehensiveness were all above 0.95. The expectations and acceptability of SNHs exhibited a strong correlation (r = 0.85, p < 0.01), and good test-retest reliability for expectation (0.90) and acceptability (0.81). The highest tertile of expectations (X2=28.89, p < 0.001) and acceptability (X2=25.64, p < 0.001) towards SNHs were significantly associated with the willingness to relocate to such facilities. Older adults with self-efficacy in applying smart technologies (OR: 28.0) and those expressing a willingness to move to a nursing home (OR: 3.0) were more likely to have the highest tertile of expectations compared to those in the lowest tertile. Similarly, older adults with self-efficacy in applying smart technologies were more likely to be in the highest tertile of acceptability of SNHs (OR: 13.8). Conclusions: EASNH-Q demonstrated commendable validity, reliability, and stability. The majority of Chinese older adults have high expectations for and accept SNHs. Self-efficacy in applying smart technologies and willingness to relocate to a nursing home associated with high expectations and acceptability of SNHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a healthcare ICT4D solution, mobile health (mHealth) can potentially improve users' well‐being during pandemics, especially in developing countries with limited healthcare resources. Recent ICT4D research reveals that providing end‐users with access to ICT is insufficient for improving well‐being and, thus, understanding how mHealth empowers end‐users to enhance well‐being against stressful events is important. However, prior research has rarely discussed the issue of empowerment in the domain of mHealth or the context of major disruptive events. This paper contributes to the literature by conceptualizing the psychological empowerment of mHealth users (PEMU) and investigating its nomological network during pandemics. Drawing upon theories of psychological empowerment and event characteristics, we developed a research model and tested it through a mixed‐methods investigation, containing a quantitative study with 602 Chinese mHealth users during COVID‐19 and a follow‐up qualitative study of 326 online articles and reviews. We found that PEMU, driven by three technological characteristics (perceived response efficacy, ease of use, and mHealth quality), affects well‐being through both (a) a stress‐buffering effect, which counterbalances the detrimental, stress‐increasing effects of event criticality and disruption, and (b) a vitality‐stimulating effect, which is intensified by event criticality. These findings have important implications for ICT4D research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implant-related infections are a challenging complication of orthopedic surgery, primarily due to the formation of bacterial biofilms on the implant surface. An antibacterial coating for titanium implants was developed to provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of implant-related infections. Methods: Titanium plates were coated with TiO2 nanotubes by anodization, and iodine was doped onto the coating via electrophoretic deposition. The obtained plates were characterized using a range of analytical techniques. Subsequently, Staphylococcus aureus was inoculated onto the surfaces of untreated titanium plates (control group), TiO2-nanocoated titanium plates (TiO2 group), and iodine-doped TiO2-nanocoated titanium plates (I-TiO2 group) to compare their antibacterial properties. Results: Twenty-four hour in vitro antimicrobial activity test of the I-TiO2 group against Staphylococcus aureus was superior to those of the other groups, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This coating technology provides a new theoretical basis for the development of anti-infective implants against Staphylococcus aureus in orthopedics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on reviewing the major events and advancements in health, technology, and societal issues that occurred in 2023. Topics discussed include global conflicts impacting health and social equity, advancements in health technologies such as the development of a new Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine, and the continuing decline in trust in science and healthcare institutions.

The United States and China are locked in a strategic rivalry covering numerous fields, like trade and finance. The most important one, however, is technology. Given how rapidly this rivalry is growing, we can speak of two ever more clearly defined, albeit still interrelated, ecosystems in the areas of semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). In turn, global production chains are being reshaped partly on economic grounds, but, without question, for geopolitical reasons too. These changes will not only impact trade flows throughout the world, but also foreign direct investment (FDI), gradually splitting production into two major blocs, based on differing technologies and standards. Where does the European Union (EU) stand in in all this? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The export competitiveness has only calculated on only two aspects either comparatively advantageous or comparatively disadvantageous products for India or China. There is not any thorough study that has been undertaken for Indian manufacturing sector at a segregated level along with that of China. So, in the light of these shortcomings, the purpose of this study is to analyse the dynamics of export competitiveness of indian manufacturing sector vis-à-vis its emerging counterpart, china in the global market. Design/methodology/approach: A modified revealed comparative advantage index has been used in two different phases of 2001–08 and 2010–18 to find the dynamic pattern of manufacturing exports of India and China in the world market. Findings: The study revealed that India has shown a positive response in increasing its competitive positioned products from low-technology to medium-technology products during the study period. There has been a decline in the competitive positioned products of China and simultaneously China's threatened product lines have shown an immense increment over the years. Moreover, Indian exports are concentrated to few low-technology and resource-intensive products, that share more than 50% of total exported value for its manufacturing in the global market, whereas, China is much diversified and the exported value is more scattered over its manufactured items. Research limitations/implications: The study does not include the factors that impacted the export competitiveness of the sample economies and thus adds a limitation to this study. Originality/value: As there is very limited research on dynamics of export competitiveness of Indian manufacturing exports at harmonised system 6-digit level with China, this study fulfils the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between natural resources and environmental damage significantly affects the ecosystem, and technological advancements are essential to managing these issues. However, funding unfavourable environmental initiatives financially has prompted several concerns about establishing a clear connection between the environment and financial market items. The relationship between natural resources, technology and innovation for sustainable development in China from 2000 to 2021 is examined in this study. In order to investigate the highlighted link, the research makes use of a variety of econometric tools, including the Augmented Mean Group, Common Correlated Effects Mean Group and Driscoll‐Kraay estimators. The cointegration findings based on Westerlund J. (2007) demonstrate that the study's specified variables have a long‐run equilibrium connection across the examined time. According to empirical research, environmental deterioration is caused by technology, natural resources, foreign direct investment and total reserves, whereas technical innovation and renewable energy lower CO2 emissions. Additionally, the connection between technical innovation and industrial value‐added has a detrimental effect on the ecology in the Chinese provinces. Based on these findings, China's provinces are urged to promote green technology development while maintaining the bloc's high environmental protection standards. The closing portion has various critical policy implications for safeguarding environmental quality in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in the Chinese Mainland from 2014 to 2018, this research uses the event history analysis (eha) model to explore the influencing factors of the policy diffusion of innovation vouchers. The event history analysis of the adoption of the science and technology innovation voucher policy shows that: among the internal factors, financial support, special investment, science and technology supply, and length of use are the key drivers of innovation voucher policy adoption; among the external factors, policy learning and vertical pressure have significant effects on the adoption results of innovation voucher policy. The conversion rate of scientific and technological achievements, the proportion of r&d activities without r&d institutions, the demand of enterprises for scientific and technological achievements, and the number of redemptions per year have no significant effects on the popularity of innovation vouchers. External diffusion effects such as policy imitation and inter-provincial competition were also weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on an article by I. G. Cohen on the significance of ChatGPT for bioethics which suggested that little is known about the development of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in China and other national markets. Topics discussed include China's efforts to gain competitive advantage in the global AI race, the emerging Chinese framework for AI governance, and areas of significance to bioethics.

Marine traditional Chinese medicines (MTCMs) hold a significant place in the rich cultural heritage in China. It plays an irreplaceable role in addressing human diseases and serves as a crucial pillar for the development of China's marine economy. However, the rapid pace of industrialization has raised concerns about the safety of MTCM, particularly in relation to heavy metal pollution. Heavy metal pollution poses a significant threat to the development of MTCM and human health, necessitating the need for detection analysis and risk assessment of heavy metals in MTCM. In this paper, the current research status, pollution situation, detection and analysis technology, removal technology and risk assessment of heavy metals in MTCM are discussed, and the establishment of a pollution detection database and a comprehensive quality and safety supervision system for MTCM is proposed. These measures aim to enhance understanding of heavy metals and harmful elements in MTCM. It is expected to provide a valuable reference for the control of heavy metals and harmful elements in MTCM, as well as the sustainable development and application of MTCM. Highlights: An overview of the research on heavy metals and hazardous elements in marine traditional Chinese medicine (MTCMs) was analyzed. The current status of heavy metal pollution in marine traditional Chinese medicine (MTCMs) and its hazards were studied. The corresponding morphological and valence studies of heavy metals and hazardous elements in marine traditional Chinese medicine (MTCMs) and marine organisms were analyzed. The risk assessment of heavy metals and harmful elements in marine traditional Chinese medicine (MTCMs) and marine organisms was conducted. A pollution detection database and quality and safety supervision system for marine traditional Chinese medicine (MTCMs) were analyzed and established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on acceptance of online self-learning is regularly based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), but less has been discussed on older adults. This article expands TAM by taking living arrangements and gender as moderators after the pandemic. Utilizing a structural equation model based on the partial least squares technique to examine how living arrangements and gender differences influence the acceptance of online self-learning among older adults above 55 in China. Findings show that male older adults favor status and value orientations, so their self-learning intention was significantly affected by perceived usefulness and social influence. Female ones prefer social and utilitarian orientations; therefore and their online self-learning behavior was affected by perceived usefulness, perceived ease to use, social influence, trust, and perceive financial cost. Types of living arrangements moderated TAM significantly among older adults. This article deepens the theoretical discussion and cognition of the TAM model in the online self-learning of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive studies on ethical data use and algorithms, little is known about the ethical perspectives of tech workers – insiders of a profession that heavily relies on data and algorithms. Nor have there been sufficient cross-national comparisons of their perspectives. Relying on interviews with 98 tech workers in China and the US, this paper is guided by two questions: (1) What are tech workers' perceptions of big data ethics, and (2) what are the cross-national similarities and differences in China and the US? The study found that there are cross-national similarities in tech workers' cautious enthusiasm about the applications of big data in their work, as well as in their complex and ambivalent ethical perspectives on the use of big data in government digital surveillance. The main cross-national differences occur in tech workers' perceptions of whether big data may reinforce social inequalities. US-based tech workers are concerned about the reinforcement of race and gender-based inequalities through the use of big data, whereas their colleagues in China are optimistic that the use of big data may reduce income-based inequalities across geographical regions. The study's findings have implications for how to leverage tech workers' influence and promote the ethical use of data and algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treadmill training is useful for racewalking training; however, it may affect gait characteristics and lead to non-legal techniques. The aim of this study was to determine the kinematic differences between treadmill and overground conditions during racewalking at different speeds. Twenty-two elite racewalkers participated in this study. They racewalked under treadmill and overground conditions at high and medium speeds. A 12-camera motion analysis system was used to record the racewalking trials. Significant condition by speed interactions were detected in step frequency and pelvis rotation angle; step frequency decreased while pelvis rotation angle increased from overground to treadmill conditions at high speed. Compared to overground conditions, racewalkers decreased the ankle dorsiflexion angle at heel strike and increased hip flexion, shoulder hyperextension, and elbow flexion angles at heel strike and hip and shoulder extension angles at toe-off under treadmill conditions. Compared to medium speed, racewalkers decreased the contact time, hip flexion, and shoulder hyperextension at heel strike, and ankle plantarflexion and shoulder extension angles at toe-off, and increased flight time, step length, and elbow flexion angle at heel strike at high speed. Several kinematic differences during racewalking were detected between treadmill and overground conditions, with more differences detected at high speed, indicating that treadmill racewalking, especially at high speed, has different gait characteristics. However, no differences were detected in flight time and knee angle under treadmill conditions compared to overground conditions, indicating that racewalking on a treadmill does not increase the risk of disqualification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel cells, as key carriers for hydrogen energy development and utilization, provide a vital opportunity to achieve zero-emission energy use and have thus attracted considerable attention from fundamental research to industrial application levels. Considering the current status of fuel cell technology and the industry, this paper presents a systematic elaboration of progress and development trends in fuel cell core components and key materials, such as stacks, bipolar plates, membrane electrodes, proton exchange membranes, catalysts, gas diffusion layers, air compressors, and hydrogen circulation systems. In addition, some proposals for the development of fuel cell vehicles in China are presented, based on the analysis of current supporting policies, standards, and regulations, along with manufacturing costs in China. The fuel cell industry of China is still in the budding stage of development and thus suffers some challenges, such as lagging fundamental systems, imperfect standards and regulations, high product costs, and uncertain technical safety and stability levels. Therefore, to accelerate the development of the hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicle industry, it is an urgent need to establish a complete supporting policy system, accelerate technical breakthroughs, transformations, and applications of key materials and core components, and reduce the cost of hydrogen use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the performance of Chinese commercial banks before, during and after the 2007–2008 global financial crisis and China's 4 trillion renminbi stimulus plan during 2008–2010. Fully nonparametric methods are used to estimate technical efficiencies. Recently-developed statistical results are used to test for changes in efficiencies as well as productivity over time, and to test for changes in technology over time. We also test for differences in efficiency and productivity between big and small banks, and between domestic and foreign banks. We find evidence of non-convexity of banks' production set. Our results suggest that technical efficiency declined at the start of the global financial crisis and again during 2011–2012 after enactment of the stimulus plan. Although efficiency recovered somewhat during 2013–2014, China's banks ended with lower technical efficiency on average in 2014 than in 2007. We find that productivity declined during 2008–2009, increased during 2013–2014, but as with efficiency ended lower on average in 2014 than in 2007. We find compelling evidence that big banks were more efficient than small banks throughout 2007–2014, and in most years also were more productive. Finally, domestic banks were on average more efficient than foreign banks in 2007, but foreign banks were more efficient than domestic banks in 2014. Similarly, foreign banks were on average more productive than domestic banks in 2007, but less productive than domestic banks in 2012–2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inquiry‐based learning is a salient instructional approach to cultivate students' higher order thinking skills (HOTS). With the presence and advancement of new technologies, their usage for inquiry learning in university context is increasingly ubiquitous. However, in most circumstances, college students cannot integrate technologies to their inquiry learning in efficient ways or their abilities to use technologies are not good enough. Previous studies found that intrinsic motivation (IM), peer interaction (PI) and classroom connectedness (CC) were key factors to influence students' approaches to using technologies from the personal, behavioural and environmental perspectives. Objectives: This study investigated the influence of these three essential learning factors (IM, PI and CC) on students' HOTS and the mediate influence of deep approach to using technologies (DAUT) between these learning factors and HOTS in the technology‐enhanced open inquiry‐based learning context. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 80 university students who had studied with the technology‐enhanced open inquiry‐based learning approach. The partial least squares method was employed to investigate the relationships among learning factors, DAUT and HOTS. Results and Conclusions: Results showed that CC and PI were positively directly related to HOTS. DAUT was a significant mediator between two (i.e., IM and PI) of the three learning factors and HOTS. The findings of the study have practical implications for instructors, indicating that they should pay attention to students' IM and PI in deepening their approach to using technologies as well as to improve students' HOTS in technology‐enhanced open inquiry‐based learning. Lay Description: What Is Already Known About This Topic: Inquiry‐based learning is considered to be a salient instructional approach to cultivate students' higher order thinking skills (HOTS).Technologies usage in inquiry learning is ubiquitous in university context.In most cases, college students are not able to integrate technologies in their inquiry learning in effective ways. What This Paper Adds: This paper proposed a research model that explains and predicts the mediating influence of deep approach to using technologies on the association between learning factors and HOTS in the technology‐enhanced open inquiry‐based learning context.The mediating effect of approaches to using technologies between learning factors and HOTS was identified.Two of the three learning factors (peer interaction and classroom connectedness) had direct effect on HOTS.Deep approaches to using technologies variable significantly mediates two of the three learning factors (peer interaction and intrinsic motivation) and HOTS. Implications for Practice or Policy: Instructors should pay attention to students' intrinsic motivation (IM) and peer interaction in order to deepen their approach to using technologies.Instructors should pay particular attention to peer interaction and classroom connectedness when conducting technology‐enhanced open inquiry‐based learning activities to improve college students' HOTS.Students' interest improvement and IM in using technologies, the integration of technologies and open inquiry‐based learning activities could be discussed and decided by both the instructor and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on China's rise as a technology power and the challenges that come with it, especially for the U.S. and its partners. It acknowledges China's technological capabilities in various fields, ranging from quantum communications to hypersonic weaponry. It also mentions that China has been constrained by challenges such as a stifling political environment, sluggish state enterprises, and an underdeveloped financial system.

This article traces the history of the relationship of papermaking and paper to libraries over time. Paper was first made in China and is traditionally considered one of that nation's four greatest inventions, along with gun powder, printing, and the compass. Papermaking was often associated with archives in its early development in China, as well as when it was introduced to Japan, where it came to be a part of some Shinto and Buddhist temples, and later governmental agencies. Under Islam, the availability of paper was linked to increased literacy and growth of libraries. In early modern Europe, before the widespread use of wood in the papermaking process, libraries and archives were part of an "economy of paper" with paper at times being in short supply. In the modern era, the world of papermaking did not intersect much with the world of the library, which made progress with the problem of brittle books, one of its greatest challenges, slow, though recent efforts of government, industry, scientists, and representatives of the library have produced positive results. The damage caused by wood-based paper in libraries was mirrored by the environmental damage caused by wood-based papermaking in communities. The history of papermaking and libraries demonstrates the importance of understanding the technologies which support the library, while also advocating effectively to the representatives of all its sources of support in ways which promote the values of the library and its associated community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of research in supervisory relationships in the emerging practice of cyber supervision. This study explores supervisees' perception of supervision experience and the building of supervisory relationships on a cyber platform. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 participants in a nationwide supervision training programme. The findings revealed three themes concerning supervisees' perception of satisfaction with the online supervisory relationship – the elements that hinder and facilitate relationships – and their impacts on future cyber supervision. The study helped to increase understanding of relationship building on cyber platforms and will have implications for future cyber supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most of the twentieth century, the investigation into the development of science and technology in China has been based on the assumption that China lacked the conditions to achieve that on its own before it was exposed to Western knowledge. The same assumption has led many inquiries into the search for shortcomings in Chinese civilization or the failure to embrace Western knowledge. It was only near the very end of the twentieth century that a breakthrough finally arrived to allow scholars to free themselves from the assumption. This article traces the history of the field as it evolved through nearly a century from denying China's own identity to finally recognizing it. I aim to show, one of the main reasons many researchers had held this rather Western-centric view for nearly a century was to the influence of the "rise of the West" historical narrative, which dominated the discourse on world history. Only after the narrative was seriously questioned did we begin to witness significant changes in the field toward realizing China's own achievements and historical trajectory in the development of science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article takes up critically the New International Division of Labor thesis as a framework for understanding China's development process within the general development trajectory of the East Asian region. Based on technological complexity of exports data, I study the particularity of the Chinese case, contrasting its trends mainly with those of other countries in the region. Among the main results, it is highlighted that China's development process is not only unique in terms of its scale, but also in terms of the type of activities that the country manages to develop competitively. China continues to be the leading exporter of many simple products, but in recent decades it has strengthened its predominance in productions of greater technological complexity. Finally, some hypotheses are put forward about the factors that drove China's path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imbalance of power affords individuals to bully others. However, limited studies have explored the specific aspects of power imbalance in predicting cyberbullying. Furthermore, a fun-seeking tendency as a motive for cyberbullying and attitudes toward cyberbullying as cognitive stimuli have rarely been studied in relation to mediating the associations between power imbalance and cyberbullying in an integrated framework. This study aims to narrow these research gaps. Multistage cluster random sampling was employed to recruit a total of 1103 adolescents (52.5% females) ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that proficiency in technology use is not only directly and positively associated with cyberbullying but also indirectly associated with cyberbullying via fun-seeking tendency. Although social status among peers had no direct effect on cyberbullying, the indirect effects of social status among peers on cyberbullying via the fun-seeking tendency and attitude toward cyberbullying were significant. Notably, physical power was neither directly associated with cyberbullying nor through the fun-seeking tendency or attitude toward cyberbullying in associating with cyberbullying. Implications of these findings for developing effective interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do information and communication technologies (ICTs), which seemingly bring people to a boundless world, contribute to the reproduction of the imagined community of a nation? Challenging the conventional approach that sees ICTs as merely the channel through which nationalism or activism is expressed or mobilised, this article draws on anthropological and historical studies of technology to develop a conceptual mapping of the important factors that configure specific nation-bounded, ICT-centric socio-technical imaginaries. Taking as the entry point technological nationalism in the context of the Sino-American trade war in recent years and based on long-term fieldwork in the Pearl River Delta region, this ethnographic study explores how ICTs have become the lens through which educated professionals imagine China’s transition from sweat-shop modernity toward techno-modernity. This sociotechnical imaginary is shaped by larger forces including the state discourse, political economy, material culture, and the platformised lifestyle, and mediated through work experience and consumer choices. Nationalism driven by this ICT-centric imaginary is subjected to state manipulation for the reproduction of political legitimacy. This study sheds light on larger conceptual questions on how ordinary citizens experience and make sense of ICTs and how such meaning-making processes sustain, challenge and reconfigure political processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern concept of technology, we argue, is not the product of an exclusively Western and intellectual genealogy, as proposed by Eric Schatzberg in Technology: Critical History of a Concept. Instead its emergence must be understood as the product of a worldwide ferment, polyglot dialogue and heterogenous conceptual traditions, a global assemblage whose local manifestations took shape concurrently in multiple centers. The forms taken by this new philosophy of the nature of material action cannot be understood separately from the geopolitics of industrialization, imperialism and modern nation-building. As a concept or worldview, technology is a way of thinking inseparable from praxis. An intellectual history of the idea divorced from the politics and potency of technological action on the ground conveys a false innocence about who and what counts in history of technology, and lends itself to misleadingly simple models of knowledge transfer. Here we analyze the cases of technocracy in imperial and post-war Japan, and the evolution of technology concepts in China from late imperial to Maoist times, to suggest more inclusive approaches to tracing the history of this modern keyword. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current era faces the devastating threats of global warming than what is evident in the pre-industrial age. Efforts toward resolving these environmental issues have heightened the calls for pro-green policy measures in which renewable energy and green finance stand out. Consequently, this study examines the impact of renewable energy, green finance, technological innovation, and economic complexity on sustainable development captured by sustainable economic growth and carbon neutrality in China. The empirical model endogenizes the role of natural resource dependence and human capital. The analysis is based on annual time series data from 1996 to 2018 estimated using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. The empirical results reveal that renewable energy (RE) and technological innovations (TECIN) are fundamental factors whose engagement is not negligible if the other indicators must provide desirable and consistent growth and environmental effects that support sustainable development. In particular, the essential roles of green finance on sustainable development are empirically confirmed for China. Interestingly, the robustness analyses conducted provided substantial backings for the main results. Practical policy implications leading to the sustenance of green finance, renewable energy, and technological innovation for driving sustainable development in the Chinese economy are formulated based on empirical results. • Policies signify greenhouse gas emissions reduction motivated this research. • Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model employed for the period of 1996–2018. • Renewable energy & technological innovations are vital for sustainable development. • The impacts of the other regressors are inconsistent on the outcome variables. • The robustness analyses conducted provided substantial backings for the main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online healthcare platforms serve not just as a medical knowledge-sharing community but also bring about effective interactions between professional physicians and patients. However, it is unclear whether online technology adoption affects such interactions in the same way between traditional Chinese medicine and modern medical departments. By utilizing a large sample of online doctor-patient interaction information from 168,870 doctor-specific interactive webpages recorded in a famous Chinese online healthcare community, this paper studies the differences between 17,513 traditional medicine doctor homepages and 151,357 others from more than 100 different specialty areas. Our chosen platform is representative since it covers about 800,000 physicians working at over 10,000 hospitals across all major provincial regions in China. We document that online medical service users tend to accept and use online health care services. However, patients seeing Chinese medicine doctors exhibit the following unique characteristics. They still prefer choosing doctors according to third-party information and may be reluctant to pay for the current online service price level. This problem is hard to overcome by the platform in the short run. Patients need a long-term process to adapt to the upgraded medical environment gradually. Therefore, establishing a personalized doctor recommendation system has become the most urgent demand presently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the new century, the party and the government have always attached great importance to youth sports work and cared about the healthy growth of youth. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have issued the opinions on strengthening youth sports and strengthening youth physique, which has initially formed a social consensus on promoting the healthy growth of young students. With the process of school education reform and the promulgation and implementation of the Ministry of Education's opinions on implementing and ensuring the time of daily sports activities for primary and middle school students, especially the official launch of the "national sunshine sports for hundreds of millions of students" in 2021, the school sports work in China has entered a new historical stage. Under this premise, the status and importance of Wushu in the intangible cultural field of schools have been gradually improved. As an important part of school sports, Wushu in the field of intangible culture plays an important role in strengthening students' physique, improving students' health, and promoting students' intellectual development. It is also one of the basic ways to realize school sports. How to better play its role has attracted the attention of many experts and scholars. This study focuses on the current situation of Wushu projects in the field of intangible culture in Weixian Middle School of Xingtai City, trying to understand its advantages and existing problems through the current situation, and put forward targeted solutions, so as to enable Wushu projects in the field of intangible culture to play their educational and fitness functions in school sports and provide help for the comprehensive development of middle school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of China's higher education, higher vocational education occupies an extraordinarily important position in China's higher education system. In order to clarify the literacy of higher vocational students, carry forward their excellent quality, and correct their bad habits, a quantitative evaluation and optimization decision-making research on the cultivation of humanistic literacy of higher vocational students based on data mining technology is proposed. By using data mining technology, the important data of students can be obtained quickly; by using advantages of information integration, the cultivation of humanistic quality of higher vocational students is evaluated from a correct perspective; by strengthening the education of campus culture construction, students' moral quality can be enhanced, students' enthusiasm for learning can be mobilized, the advantages of new media's public opinion orientation can be given full play, and a humanistic and healthy growth environment for vocational students can be created. Through experiments, it is proved that data mining can better evaluate the humanistic quality of students. During the learning process, the humanistic quality evaluation of female college students reaches 95%, and the overall quality of male and female gradually rises to 80%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports apps are third-party applications for smartphones or wearables that can help users record fitness data and guide their exercise behavior. Many Chinese college students are compelled to use sports apps for running exercises to improve their physical health and cultivate extracurricular exercise habits; however, the acceptance and use of sports apps by college students in mandatory situations requires elucidation. We explored the influencing factors of university students' behavioral intention and usage behavior to use sports apps in mandatory situations by combining the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the Self-Determination Theory. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 249 students of Liaoning University of Technology by using non-probabilistic convenient sampling. Data analysis was performed by employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed that (1) the research model explained 66% (R2 = 0.66) of the variance in behavioral intention and 30% (R2 = 0.30) of the variance in usage behavior; (2) performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and autonomous motivation significantly positively affected behavioral intention, while controlled motivation negatively affected behavioral intention; and (3) behavioral intention, autonomous motivation, and controlled motivation significantly positively affected usage behavior. The influence of facilitating conditions on usage behavior was non-significant. The results will help technical developers and schools to better understand the influencing factors of college students' use of sports apps in mandatory situations, and formulate corresponding improvement strategies and policies to further promote the role sports apps play in college students' exercise behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental technology and the stringency of environmental policies have a certain effect on green growth in the country, and the sustainable development of the environment under the influence of green growth requires the effective application of the environmental technology based on such institutional policies related to the environment. In this paper, the mutual effect of green growth on the ecological environment is fully analyzed to identify an intrinsic link between them. Based on the intrinsic link, policies related to environment protection and environmental technology are conducive to facilitating green growth while at the same time playing a continuous role in the improvement of the environment. Driven by the factors of scientific and technological innovation, it can boost the harmonious development of the economy and the environment. The empirical evidence has demonstrated that the appropriate environmental policy and environmental technology model can be identified with full understanding of the environmental policy and environmental technology. At the same time, the industry drive and technological innovation can also be taken as a strong support for the environmental policy and the environmental technology in accordance with the market demand through research from the perspective of the government, the market, and the general public. The stringency of environmental policies has substantially increased the requirements of environmental technology, and the innovation of environmental technology, the structure of economic organizations, and the level of development have a great effect on the green growth in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the possible consequences of decoupling from China's economy for the future of clean energy technologies and the ability to achieve climate goals. It examines economic and national security risks to a country's integration with China as applied to leading low-carbon technologies, including solar, wind, batteries, green steel and carbon capture and sequestration. It also describes the economic benefits of integration with China.

One effective way to achieve emission reduction targets is to allocate overall emission reduction tasks among regions. However, existing AEP optimization models do not consider technology heterogeneity between regions. This study addresses this problem, by first incorporating a meta-frontier technique into the data envelope analysis model (DEA) to measure the level of energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) technology of different regions in China. Then, the study proposes an optimization model for emission reduction task sharing, by integrating DEA and ECER technology. Compared with previous models, the optimization model proposed in this study considers both technology and efficiency factors. The proposed model was applied to an empirical analysis of 176 cities in China from 2012 to 2016. The empirical results show that the average comprehensive efficiency of all the sample cities is very low. This indicates there is great potential for improving the environmental performance of Chinese cities. The environmental performance results of the sample cities further verify the Kuznets hypothesis: environmental performance and economic development level follow a U-shaped curve. ECER technology levels in China's third- and fourth-tier cities have not significantly changed in recent years. There is an increased reduction in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in Chinese cities, but dust emission reduction is unstable, especially in the third-tier cities. Based on these results, this article also proposes a series of policy recommendations for cities to improve ECER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current and long-term regional economic imbalance in China requires ongoing attention. To ensure the balanced development of China's renewable energy, it is therefore important to examine the causes of the differences in China's renewable energy from a variety of perspectives. The spatial distribution pattern and characteristics of China's per capita GDP (gross domestic product) from 2012 to 2021 were examined in this study using the exploratory spatial data analysis tool. In addition, it conducts an empirical investigation into the spatial spillover effect of RED and the manufacturing agglomeration in China (regional economic development). The findings indicate that in the eastern region, the total backward link value of the feedback effect of 17 industrial sectors is 0.8524, and in the central region, the value is 0.8139. The real per capita GDP of neighboring provinces will increase by 0.118% for every 1% increase in manufacturing agglomeration level. According to the overall ranking, China's RED level is very uneven due to a number of factors. We should direct and encourage the manufacturing industry to congregate in various regions, optimize the spatial pattern of manufacturing industry agglomeration, and fully exploit SSE in order to promote China's RED and reduce the difference in RE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Han painting is an important art display form in Chinese history; it has a history of hundreds of years. It is the embodiment of a higher level of Chinese painting. Han paintings can also show the development of China's political economy and culture. However, with the continuous progress of time, the patterns of Han paintings and the color characteristics of Han paintings will be greatly damaged. This limits people's research on the civilization displayed by Han paintings. At the same time, changes in the environment also have a great relationship with the integrity of Chinese painting. Therefore, the study of the impact of environmental protection on the integrity of Han paintings is crucial to the study of Chinese civilization. It is difficult for traditional research methods to discover the quantitative relationship between environmental protection and the integrity of Han paintings. In this study, the atrous convolutional neural network (ACNN) in the artificial intelligence method and the GRU method were used to explore the relationship between environmental protection and the patterns, colors, and shapes of Chinese paintings. The research results show that the ACNN method and the GRU method can better predict the patterns, shapes, and color characteristics of Chinese paintings. Through research, it can also be found that the color and pattern features of Chinese paintings contain obvious time characteristics, which requires the GRU method for feature extraction. The prediction errors of ACNN and GRU in predicting the integrity of Chinese paintings are all within 2.5%, and the largest prediction error is only 2.45%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese libraries, from academic to public, are undergoing or preparing for transformation, to meet users' ever changing needs and expectations in the new social, economic, and technological environment. However, there are many factors deeply embedded in the process which may cause potential risks for the transformation. This paper has surveyed the perceptions of library professionals on such risks, and proposes 40 possible risk indicators (RIs) which comprehensively cover the entire life cycle of library transformation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and multi-dimensional analysis have been used to categorize risks into different types and dimensions. It reveals that library professionals are aware of potential risks, especially the ones from inside the field. Their awareness is positively affected by their current positions in the profession. In general, they are likely to overlook some types of potential risks such as the ones from the leadership, originating outside the library community, or involving long-term uncertainty. The authors suggest library practitioners should be fully aware of the potential risks and their dynamic nature, and should take the opportunity to promote leadership and management in the process of transformation, and to cooperate with parties outside of the library community, thus making the library transformation rational and successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]