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In order to facilitate their teaching design, more teachers are beginning to engage in collective efforts, with some Chinese teachers also now sharing their resources online to plan their teaching. The learning design support tool described here (the Learning Designer), resulting from an interdisciplinary research project in the UK, provides a new form of collaboration between teachers. This paper tests the value of the tool for cross-cultural sharing of learning designs. It documents the process of a Chinese teacher who tries to represent and share his language teaching planning by using this innovative web-based prototype. The paper reflects on the issues that arise from this cross-cultural study, and the implications for the future of pedagogical innovation.

Product-safety incidents and recalls such as automobile recalls by Toyota and a recall of sausages by Shuanghui have raised many quality management challenges and attracted increasing attention from practitioners and academics researchers in recent years. Traditional quality management and quality function development can no longer effectively address these problems, with competition moving from the firm level to the supply chain level. In this study, a holistic supply chain quality management framework on the relationship between supply chain quality system integration, supply chain relationship quality, and quality performance is proposed to improve quality management and mitigate the risk of product recalls. Then a structural equation model is used to analyze these relationships. To test this model empirically, we use survey data from manufacturers in consumer electronics, food, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and toys in China. Our results show that supply chain quality management can help companies achieve high quality. Further, quality system integration and relationship quality have significant impacts on the quality of design and of conformance and are positively related to supply chain quality performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bailingshan complex distributed in the Jueluotage tectonic belt of Eastern Tianshan is composed of quartz monzodiorite, granodiorite, monzogranite, and granite. The petrography and petrochemistry of the complex have the features of metaluminous–high K calc‐alkaline series. The ages obtained by zircon U–Pb dating from different rocks indicate that quartz monzodiorite, granodiorite, monzogranite, and granite formed in 314.2 ± 3.5, 302.5 ± 3.8, 298.2 ± 3.6, and 310.9 ± 4.7 Ma, respectively, which is equivalent to the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian. The unconformity between the Lower Carboniferous and Upper Carboniferous in the Jueluotage tectonic belt indicates that the collisional orogen finished in the later period of the Early Carboniferous in this area, and that it began to enter the post‐collisional extension from the Late Carboniferous. The magmatic intrusion is a sign of the extensional activity of the Jueluotage tectonic belt in the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bailingshan complex is located to the south of the Jueluotage tectonic belt of Eastern Tianshan, consisting of quartz monzodiorite, granodiorite, monzogranite, and granite. Mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) are commonly found in granodiorites and monzogranites and have sharp contacts with the host rocks. Sometimes, the fine veins of the host rocks cut through the enclaves. The MMEs are mainly fine‐grained dioritic rocks, including diorite and pyroxene diorite with igneous textures, and having condensing edges with rich fine dark minerals. Among the enclaves, the orthoclase xenocryst with hornblende aggregation rim at its edge, acicular apatites in plagioclase, sometimes late‐crystallized biotites between the oscillatory zonings of plagioclase, and hornblende metasomatic rims occur around the pyroxene phenocrysts can be observed. Both the host rocks and the enclaves are metaluminous and calc‐alkaline to high‐K calc‐alkaline rocks. The enclaves have lower SiO2 and higher Al2O3, FeOT, MgO, CaO, and TiO2 concentrations, as well as higher amounts of the trace elements Cr, Sc, and Th than the host rocks. The host rocks and the enclaves exhibit similar rare earth elements patterns and linear relation of oxides. The sulphur isotopes (δ34S(V‐CDT) = −1.7‰ to +0.7‰) from the iron ores in the Bailingshan area indicate that the mineralization materials originated from the upper mantle. All of these lithology and geochemistry characteristics demonstrate that the enclaves were formed by the mixture of mantle‐derived mafic magma and crust‐derived felsic magma. The iron ore mineralization in the Bailingshan area may be associated with the magma mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, both quality management practices (QMP) and knowledge transfer (KT) have been studied extensively from inter-organisational and intra-organisational perspectives. However, to the best of our knowledge, the interaction between QMP and KT in a supply chain and their joint effects on organisational performance have not been addressed fully. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights for improving performance by mapping the relationship between supply chain quality management practices (SCQMP) and KT. A survey of 157 Chinese manufacturing firms is used to test a conceptual model that proposes relationship among SCQMP, KT and organisational performance (including operational performance and innovation performance). Structural equation modelling reveals that internal QMP have significantly positive effect on internal KT, while QMP at supply chain level have highly positive effect on cross-organisational KT. Furthermore, the results show that both internal KT and cross-organisational KT can promote operational and innovation performance, although the influence from internal KT is much more significant than cross-organisational KT for Chinese firms. The findings contribute to theory as well as practice by increasing understanding of how to improve the operational and innovation performance through enhancing SCQMP and KT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sedum alfredii Hance is a promising cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulating plant recently identified in China. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying Cd accumulation, which differentiate hyperaccumulating ecotype (HE) from non-hyperaccumulating ecotype (NHE) has not been elucidated yet. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the role of sulfur assimilation pathway in Cd hyperaccumulation by the S. alfredii Hance, by analyzing gene expression pattern in sulfur assimilation pathway and the concentration of some sulfur containing compounds. The results show that, sulfur assimilation pathway was affected by Cd differently in HE and NHE S. alfredii Hance. The gene expression pattern of sulfur assimilation pathway was regulated differently in HE and NHE plants, especially the nicotianamine synthase (NAS). NAS transcript levels in root of HE was 141-fold higher than NHE, while in shoots of HE only 0.31-fold higher than NHE. In HE roots, NAS expression level was maximum 3171-fold higher than shoots, while in NHE plants roots NAS expression level was maximum 45.3-fold higher than shoots. In HE plant roots, sulfur, cysteine and methionine concentrations increased 30%, 46% and 835% respectively, by Cd treatment, but in NHE plants roots, sulfur concentration increased less than 1%, cysteine and methionine concentrations decreased 78.5% and 13.3% respectively, by Cd. Cd exposure increased glutathione levels by 142% in HE but less than 10% in NHE plant roots. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Smart Grid is an inevitable trend of power grid, and smart grid comprehensive assessment system can conduct a comprehensive assessment of the overall characteristics of smart grid, which can reflect the current level of the development, find the weakness and the constraints in the network development, identify the distance to the target, ensure the smart grid development achieve a unification of the quality, speed and efficiency. At present, many countries are studying on the smart grid comprehensive assessment systems. This paper analyzes the IBM Smart Grid Maturity Model, the DOE Smart Grid Development Evaluation System, the EPRI Smart Grid Construction Assessment Indicators, and the EU Smart Grid Benefits Assessment System, and compares the development levels, evaluation objects, target ranges, applications differences between these systems and the “two type” grid index system, the smart grid development assessment index system, and the smart grid pilot project evaluation indicator system suggested by China. The thoughts and the principles of building smart grid comprehensive assessment system, and the issues which should be noted are proposed here, which can provide necessary references and supports to construct the smart grid comprehensive assessment system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Focusing on the problem of idle resources caused by the excessive numbers and large scale in the construction of logistics parks in China, this paper introduces the concept that how to accurately determine the scope of logistics park hinterland in the early stage of logistics park planning. Based on the characteristics of logistics park hinterland, the Voronoi diagram theory in computational geometry is introduced into this paper to determine the scope of logistics park hinterland. Then this theoretical model is applied to an example on the basis of GIS software. Practices proves this method overcome the shortcomings existing in the gravity model and the breaking-point model which are commonly used to determine the scope of hinterland. Therefore it reflects scientific and practical significance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ditches grown with nature reed ( Phragmites communis Trin) and wild rice ( Zizania latifolia Turcz) were selected to study the removal capacity of agricultural non-point source pollutants so as to find a way to alleviate eutrophication in Lake Taihu. Ditches sediment from depths below 40 cm can accumulate organic matter and total nitrogen (TN). TN is correlated positively to organic matter in reed populated sediment and wild rice populated sediment. This suggests that the main composition of TN is organic nitrogen derived from plant decomposition. A significant negative relationship between TN and pH was found in reed and wild rice sediments. Seasonal harvest of helophyte vegetation is an effective method to remove N and P from wetlands. Organic matter and TN concentrations in water and sediments (0–20 cm) in areas where reeds were removed are lower than non-harvested areas (control). Reeds and wild rice have high uptake ability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). However, the low economic value of these plants will not stimulate voluntary harvest of farmers. Zizania caduciflora Turez Hand-mazt is a kind of vegetable widely cultivated in ditches around the lake. It can also absorb N and P effectively. Thus, large scale cultivation of Z. caduciflora to replace nature plants may improve water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both children and adults exhibit moderate conformity behaviors when facing group pressure. While some studies purport that children conform more with age, others have shown the opposite. The publicity of decision-making might be a major factor influencing the development of children’s conformity behavior. In this study, we recruited 295 Chinese children aged 9–15 years. We observed no significant correlation between children’s age and conformity behaviors when their answers were kept confidential. However, older children showed stronger conformity behaviors when their answers were made public. According to cultural evolutionary theory, with age, children find group acceptance and social recognition increasingly more important, which explains why older children are more likely to conform—namely, doing so has adaptive value. Further research should explore the cross-cultural coherence of this phenomenon and the genuine motivation behind children’s conformity behaviors. Meanwhile, designing a more reliable and valid experiment would also be a fruitful direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Town expansion changes land-use type, and results in ecological and environmental issues. To minimize the influence of these problems and relieve the conflict between town development and ecological protection, future town expansion should be simulated based on the ecological priority principle. This study systematically designed and analyzed a simulated town expansion under the ecological constraints (EC) scenario in Zhangbei County (2013–2030). The performance of this scenario was assessed by comparing the influence on ecosystem service value with the urban–rural master plan (URMP) for Zhangbei County (2013–2030). The results indicate that town expansion under EC scenario has significant advantages over expansion under the URMP scenario; there are large differences in the town expansion areas. In the EC scenario, towns located in higher ecological quality areas had tighter constraints on expansion and only expanded slightly. In addition, most town boundaries in the EC scenario were curvilinear, complex, and soft, which could provide more ecological benefits than the straight, simple, and hard boundaries in the URMP scenario. The spatial evolution trend of the boundaries in the latter scenario tended to lower the comprehensive ecological constraints surface. In addition, in the EC scenario, the influence of town expansion on ecosystem service value was dramatically lower than in the URMP scenario. Town expansion was simulated under the minimum EC scenario, which could provide a new mechanism for allocating construction land based on ecological supply. The results provide reliable information for effectively relieving the conflict between town development and ecological protection and identifying boundary locations for conditional construction areas during regional planning. • A comprehensive ecological constraints (EC) surface was produced using the Improved Minimal Cumulative Resistance model. • Town expansion was simulated by GIS method under a minimum EC scenario based on the comprehensive EC surface. • Comparative evaluation of town expansion for simulation results was performed based on ecosystem services values. • Town expansion under EC scenario effectively relieved the conflict between town development and ecological protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global public health crisis. There is a pressing need for evidence-based interventions to address the devastating clinical and public health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese scientists supported by private and government resources have adopted extensive efforts to identify effective drugs against the virus. To date, a large number of clinical trials addressing various aspects of COVID19 have been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), including more than 200 interventional studies. Under such an urgent circumstance, the scope and quality of these clinical studies vary significantly. Hence, this review aims to make a comprehensive analysis on the profiles of COVID-19 clinical trials registered in the ChiCTR, including a wide range of characteristics. Our findings will provide a useful summary on these clinical studies since most of these studies will encounter major challenges from the design to completion. It will be a long road for the outcomes of these studies to be published and international collaboration will help the ultimate goals of developing new vaccines and anti-viral drugs.

China is a high population country with millions of animal bite cases every year; thus, it is necessary to explore and develop more effective and productive rabies vaccines for human use. To establish a safe, effective, inexpensive and high-yield rabies vaccine, a non-adjuvant purified Vero cell rabies vaccine produced in the SPEEDA PVRV microcarrier bioreactor was developed by Liaoning Chengda Biology Co. Ltd. in China. This vaccine was produced using Vero cells that were cultured in a microcarrier bioreactor. A microcarrier bioreactor containing 25 g/L of Cytodex-1 was used for perfusion culture. The Vero cell culture density was up to 1.2-1.5 × 10(7) cells/ml, viruses could be constantly harvested for 18-22 days, and the resulting vaccine immunizing potency was ≥ 4.5 IU/ml. Vaccine safety and immunogenicity post-immunization were also assessed. A total of 602 volunteers were enrolled and divided into two groups that were vaccinated with either SPEEDA PVRV or VERORAB PVRV on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28. All subjects vaccinated with SPEEDA PVRV showed no serious local or systemic adverse effects. The positive conversion rate of serum neutralizing antibodies against the rabies virus reached 100% in both the test and control groups (inoculated with VERORAB PVRV) at 14 days and 45 days after vaccination, and no significant difference was found between the neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) of the two groups. SPEEDA PVRV is appropriate for mass production and shows satisfactory clinical safety and immunogenicity for human post-exposure prophylaxis of rabies.