Search

Whenever the policy challenges to address ask for a strong scientific background, decision makers depend on the underlying research activities. One of the fields in which research is able to affect the design and implementation of policies is given by the Circular Economy (CE). Our purpose in this paper is to understand how scholars carry out their research in the CE to realize whether a common pattern emerge and identify implications for policy. We provide a systematic investigation of the world's ten largest national research communities (NRCs) to highlight differences and similarities and understand the underlying patterns of research. We refer to eight key dimensions, which are mostly original ones and, therefore, represent elements of novelty of the paper: internationality, interdisciplinarity, specialization, relevance of local issues, policy implications, provision of case studies, research focus and research method. A dataset with 3027 CE-related research publications that range from 2001 to 2018 has been used for the elaborations. Results show some similarities and differences: everywhere, the empirical method prevails over the theoretical, and research is mostly focused on the micro-level of analysis (e.g., consumers and firms), while national research communities differ with respect to the openness to international collaborations, the degree with which some specific disciplines contribute to research in the field of CE, and the consideration of local issues provide. • A cross-country comparison of national research communities (NRCs) studying CE is offered. • NRCs are compared along eight key-dimensions using eleven indicators. • Empirical methods prevail over theory and research focus is on micro-level analyses. • Differences emerge with respect to interdisciplinarity and attention to local issues. • China, US, and European countries are moving along diverse research trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Safety science has been developed and has received more and more attention in China in recent years. • Safety science in China is now becoming an independent discipline and an important research field. • A systematic review of the history, legislation, education and research of safety science in China was conducted. • The future developments of safety science in China were introduced briefly. The practice and study of safety science in China has a long and prolific history. In China, safety science originated in the early 1950s, soon after the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. However, the more complete concept, research and practice of safety science were defined after the late 1970s, when China started its full-scale drive for economic reform and policy of openness. In the past decades, particularly in the 21st century, with the support of and encouragement from the Chinese government, safety science in China has undergone many changes and has been developed such that it is now becoming an independent discipline and an important research and practice field. Evidently, the research and practice of safety science in China has been fruitful. However, this was not well known to the world because most of the works addressing safety science were published or introduced in Chinese. Focusing on the discipline level of safety science, this paper provides a complete overview of safety science in China from five perspectives, namely, history, legislation, education, research, and prospects. The paper attempts to promote the cooperation and exchange between China and other countries to provide effective evidence-based services for the development of safety science in countries across the world. However, more detailed research on China's safety science should be carried out for a deeper understanding of China's work safety research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace injuries are a serious public health problem, potentially leading to loss of earnings, medical expenses, disability and even death for working people. Maritime transport workers - seafarers - are exposed to higher risks of workplace injuries than is the general land-based workforce. China has the world's largest population of international seafarers. Under Chinese law, as elsewhere, losses from workplace accidents are compensated in the form of financial entitlements. However, Chinese seafarers face tremendous challenges in the workers' compensation claim process. This paper investigates the experiences of Chinese seafarers in claiming this compensation, in order to assess the protective capacity of Chinese workers' compensation, known as the Work-Related Injury Insurance System. Drawing on therapeutic jurisprudence, it explores the anti-therapeutic effects that Chinese seafarers confront in the claims process. Based on an analysis of regulatory documents and interview data with the informants - including seafarers, their family members and managerial professionals in the shipping industry - the findings suggest that current work-related injury insurance is unable to provide sufficient assistance for Chinese seafarers. Instead of obtaining effective therapeutic remedies following accidental trauma, Chinese seafarers (and their families) are indeed likely to suffer additional harm in the process of claiming compensation. The paper suggests that further measures should be adopted to improve work-related injury insurance coverage among seafarers, and that efficient sanctions should be strengthened against infringements of seafarers' rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrid (MG) based on renewable energy source (RES) is an important component of the energy development strategy in China. Microgrid community (MGC) is a new product that has resulted from the development of MG and has reached a critical stage. In China, research on MGC currently remains at an early stage. This paper focuses on an analysis of the concept and characteristics of MGC as well as the key technologies involved in it. In addition, this paper discusses the research progress and achievement of the first MGC demonstration project in China—key technologies and a demonstration of the efficient and reliable operation of it. Finally, this paper provides an outlook on the further development and construction of MGC throughout China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood maltreatment are well-established risk factors for adolescent psychopathology. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) known protective factors. However, few studies have simultaneously investigated childhood maltreatment and PCEs in the context of longitudinal study. The aim of this paper was to assess the buffering effect of PCEs in adolescence in the association between chronic childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms in adolescence.Methods: Data were from an ongoing longitudinal study with 2288 children aged 8.15 y at baseline who were recruited from 3 large elementary schools in China. Participants were followed up for four waves across 6 years. The associations between re-victimization and poly-victimization with adolescent psychopathological symptoms across different PCEs contexts were explored.Results: Poly-victimization was highly predictive of depressive symptoms, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. PCEs may mitigate the negative effect of chronic childhood maltreatment on adolescent psychopathology in a dose-response manner. For adolescents with 4-5 PCEs, psychopathological symptoms score decreased significantly and showed similar level with those low/no-victimization comparison peers. While experiencing multiple PCEs does decrease the risk of psychopathological symptoms, certain PCEs, such as parental warmth and peer support, appear to entailed protective effect on all the three psychopathological symptoms.Limitations: It is not clear whether the patterns of effects would vary across developmental periods.Conclusions: A focus of interventions should be not only on ameliorating childhood maltreatment, but also on expanding the availability of social support related PCEs, which may help inform suitable strategies for providing intervention and support to best help reduce the psychopathology burden for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Though visual impairment is a strong predictor for late-life depression, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This paper investigated the contribution of material, psychosocial and behavioural pathways in mediating a vision-depression association.Methods: The study used cross-sectional data from the WHO Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE), including 11,531 older Chinese adults. Depression was assessed based on an adaptation of the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. Causal mediation analyses using inverse odds ratio weighting (IORW) approach were conducted to assess the mediating roles of material (wealth quintiles and perceived income inadequacy), behavioural (leisure activity, BMI and sleep) and psychosocial factors (social participation, trust and sense of safety).Results: The participants with visual impairment had a 43% higher odds of depression than those with normal vision. In the mediation analysis, the material pathway contributed the most to the total effect, accounting for 31.7% of it. The proportion of the total effect which was mediated by psychosocial and behavioural factors was 24.2% and 22.5% respectively. When these three mediators were considered together in the full model, they accounted for 43.5% of the total effect of visual impairment on depression.Limitations: There still existed unexamined mediating factors. The cross-sectional study design might restrict temporal sequence.Conclusion: Visually-impaired population as high-risk group should be provided better access to screening, diagnosis and treatment of depression. Material, behavioural and psychosocial factors may serve as relevant points of entry for developing intervention programmes to improve the mental health conditions of visually-impaired people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rapidly urbanizing communities in middle-income countries could be sources of vaccine hesitancy, and may create hot spots of low vaccination coverage. This study characterizes vaccine hesitancy in Shanghai and identifies disparities in vaccine safety and efficacy concerns by residency status-a marker for recent migration into the city.Methods: Parents of children aged ≤18 years from immunization clinics in Shanghai were enrolled in summer 2019, with the data analyzed during winter 2019-2020. The paper questionnaire used the Parental Attitudes towards Childhood Vaccines scale, which included questions about vaccine safety and efficacy concerns. The primary independent variable was residency-whether an individual was a Shanghai local or a recent migrant (i.e., non-local). Linear regression models assessed the relationship between residency and vaccine safety and efficacy concerns.Results: Among 1,021 participants, 65.4% had local residency, and the remainder were urban non-locals (13.1%) or rural non-locals (21.5%). A majority of parents expressed concerns about vaccine side effects (73.8%), vaccine safety (63.9%), and vaccine effectiveness (52.4%). Compared with locals, rural non-locals were more concerned about vaccine side effects (β=0.26, 95% CI=0.07, 0.46), vaccine safety (β=0.42, 95% CI=0.19, 0.65), and vaccine effectiveness (β=0.37, 95% CI=0.16, 0.58).Conclusions: Differences in vaccine hesitancy by residency could lead to geographical and sociodemographic disparities in vaccination coverage and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease.Supplement Information: This article is part of a supplement entitled Global Vaccination Equity, which is sponsored by the Global Institute for Vaccine Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum anxiety (PPA) and postpartum depression (PPD) are associated with immediate and long-term health risks for both mothers and babies. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate relationships between sociodemographic, perinatal variables, and PPA and PPD symptoms of parturients 6 weeks postpartum.Methods: A cross-sectional survey with 1204 women who had a healthy and term birth in a baby-friendly hospital, Shanghai, China. PPA and PPD symptoms were measured by using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).Results: The mean score of SAS and EPDS was 40.79 ± 8.48 and 8.18 ± 5.80, respectively. The estimated prevalence of PPA and PPD symptoms was 15.2% and 23.2%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of fatigue and PPD symptoms were risk factors for PPA symptoms, whereas having support from family and being satisfied with labor experience were protective factors. In terms of PPD symptoms, its risk factors included smoking before pregnancy, maternal separation from baby, fatigue, encountering difficulties in breastfeeding, and the presence of PPA symptoms. In contrast, the protective factors for PPD symptoms were having support from family and having support from colleagues or friends.Limitations: Convenience sampling and voluntary participation may have led to a selection bias.Conclusion: PPA and PPD symptoms occur commonly among parturients in Shanghai, China. The findings from this research provide a better understanding of factors associated with PPA and PPD symptoms and will help guide personalized approaches to the management of postpartum anxiety and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To validate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the THINC-it tool in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).Methods: Subjects aged 18 to 65 years (n=117) with MDD were evaluated and compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n=124). Subjects completed the THINC-it, four criteria-related objective cognitive subtests, and the paper version of Perceived Deficits Questionnaire for Depression-5-item (PDQ-5-D).Results: There were significant differences in Spotter [Mean difference (MD) Standard errors (SE)=-0.40 (0.17), P=0.018; 95% Confidence intervals (CI) (-0.73 to -0.07)]; Codebreaker [MD (SE)=-0.39 (0.14), P=0.006; 95% CI(-0.67 to -0.11)]; and the overall performance of four objective tests (including variants of IDN, OBK, DSST, and TMT-B) [MD (SE)=-0.30 (0.12), P=0.013; 95% CI (-0.53 to -0.06]) between the two groups. In the HC group, PDQ-5-D retest reliability was good (ICC = 0.841), and the test-retest reliability of the objective cognitive test was relatively low (ICC ranging from 0.123 to 0.545). In the MDD group: Cronbach's α of PDQ-5-D=0.704; all the THINC-it subtests had good concurrent validity (r ranging from 0.343 to 0.835, all P<0.01).Limitation: The test-retest sample size was relatively small, the educational level and IQ of the control and MDD groups were not completely matched.Conclusion: The Chinese version of the THINC-it tool exhibits good reliability and validity in adults with MDD. There is a need to incorporate cognitive assessment of adults with MDD broadly. The THINC-it tool is the first tool validated to assess cognition of MDD in a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has entered a new economic age, with the government leading economic transformation. Many laborers, such as rural laborers and migrant workers, have developed serious mental health issues. These issues, such as depression, are a significant obstacle to sustainable development in China.Methods: We use data from the 2016 China Family Panel Survey, a survey that collected data from a large and nationally representative sample of the Chinese population, to construct a sample of 18,300 laborers from 25 provinces, and then use statistical analysis to gain insight into the prevalence of depression among laborers.Results: The distribution of depression varies among laborers. Specifically, we find that the prevalence of depression is significantly lower in the population of urban laborers than in migrant laborers or rural laborers. Our results also show that laborers who are women, divorced, widowed, ethnic minorities, low income, low education, long work experience, or who lack medical insurance are more likely to be depressed than other laborers are.Limitations: Our research has several weaknesses. First, the CFPS dataset only used self-diagnosed depressive symptoms, which limited us to examining depressive symptoms, rather than medical diagnoses. Also, this paper was unable to explore the causal relationship between depression and other factors. Future research examining the causality between depression and other factors in China is necessary.Conclusion: We propose that there is correspondingly high prevalence of depression among laborers in rural areas compared to urban areas in China. This study can help government leaders make targeted programs for depressed adults in the future, especially those who are members of marginalized groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about COVID-19 outside Hubei. The aim of this paper was to describe the clinical characteristics and imaging manifestations of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 149 RT-PCR confirmed positive patients were consecutively enrolled from January 17th to February 10th, 2020 in three tertiary hospitals of Wenzhou. Outcomes were followed up until Feb 15th, 2020.Findings: A total of 85 patients had Hubei travel/residence history, while another 49 had contact with people from Hubei and 15 had no traceable exposure history to Hubei. Fever, cough and expectoration were the most common symptoms, 14 patients had decreased oxygen saturation, 33 had leukopenia, 53 had lymphopenia, and 82 had elevated C-reactive protein. On chest computed tomography (CT), lung segments 6 and 10 were mostly involved. A total of 287 segments presented ground glass opacity, 637 presented mixed opacity and 170 presented consolidation. Lesions were more localized in the peripheral lung with a patchy form. No significant difference was found between patients with or without Hubei exposure history. Seventeen patients had normal CT on admission of these, 12 had negative findings even10 days later.Interpretation: Most patients presented with a mild infection in our study. The imaging pattern of multifocal peripheral ground glass or mixed opacity with predominance in the lower lung is highly suspicious of COVID-19 in the first week of disease onset. Nevetheless, some patients can present with a normal chest finding despite testing positive for COVID-19.Funding: We did not receive any fundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As a country that has chosen nanotechnology as one of its priority investment areas to facilitate leapfrogging in science and technology, China has already seen a return on investment in the exponential rise of scientific papers originating in Chinese nanotechnology labs. There has also been an increasing number of patents filed by Chinese inventors as well as fierce competition among Chinese localities for a prime position in the twenty-first century nanotechnology revolution. Based on fieldwork in China and secondary research, this paper examines the commercialization of nanotechnology in China from the intertwined perspectives of academia–industry relations, government support and policy, role of venture capital, and international connections, while also taking into account the views of Chinese nanoscientists. The results show that despite tangible success in publishing, patenting, and the creation of dedicated nanotechnology science parks, China's effort to commercialize nanotechnology has been much slower than anticipated by nanoscientists and political leadership. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: This study proposed a mediated moderation model based on the cognitive theory and susceptibility phenotype theory for depression to explore the moderating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between trait anxiety and depression and the mediating role of rumination in this interactive effect.Methods: The subjects were selected via the cluster sampling method. A cross-sectional survey of 1619 Chinese adults of Han nationality was recruited from three cities in central and western China. The trait anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Trait scale), Short Ruminative Response Scale (SRRS), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) were used for a paper-and-pencil evaluation. The data were statistically processed using correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and a test of mediated moderation.Results: (1) Trait anxiety was significantly positively correlated with rumination and depression. There was a significant negative correlation between cognitive flexibility and trait anxiety, rumination, and depression. (2) The moderating effect of cognition flexibility on the relationship between trait anxiety and depression was mediated by rumination, and the indirect moderating effect accounted for 79.25% of the total variance.Limitations: Cross-sectional studies do not reveal the causal relationships between observed variables well. Self-report questionnaires lack objective indicators. The applicability of the current results in the clinical depression population requires further experimental tests.Conclusions: The results support the important role of trait anxiety in the development of depression. Cognitive flexibility moderates the relationship between trait anxiety and depression and has a risk-buffering effect on this relationship. Rumination plays a mediating role in the moderating effects of cognitive flexibility on the relationship between trait anxiety and depression. The findings enrich the research on the relationship between trait anxiety and depression and have important practical implications for the early prevention and intervention of depression, which can increase individual cognitive flexibility and address rumination to regulate depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Many organizations around the world have considered safety culture as an emerging research field to address the needs of safety performance improvement and an important means and enabler of safety. The concept of safety culture was introduced in China in the early 1990s with support and encouragement from all levels of the government. Ever since, safety culture has greatly developed and received increasing attention in China, especially in the 21st century, and its research and practice have been very fruitful. However, such research is little known in the rest of the world because most works were published or introduced in Chinese. The two key objectives of this paper are: (1) to analyze the current state of safety culture research in China and (2) to introduce China's safety culture development, achievements, and prospects briefly. First, the long and dynamic journey of safety culture development in China is introduced. Then the current state of safety culture research in China is explained through literature analysis, and some key achievements in recent years are introduced. Finally, the prospects of safety culture in China over the next five years are introduced by combining the demand of safe development and the current Chinese safety culture research and the suggestions in the Thirteenth-Five-Year Plan for Work Safety formulated on February 3, 2017. However more detailed research needs to be carried out for a deeper understanding of China's safety culture development, research, and implementation. Highlights • China's safety culture development is introduced briefly. • The current state of safety culture research in China is analyzed. • Some key safety culture achievements in China in recent years is shown. • A brief introduction to the prospects of safety culture in China is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using the requisition papers of Chinese Nature Science Basic Research in management and information department, we construct the weighted network of research areas (WNRA). In WNRA, two research areas, which is represented by the subject codes, are considered to be connected if they have been filled in one or more requisition papers. The edge weight is defined as the number of requisition papers which have been filled in the same pairs of codes. The node strength is defined as the number of requisition papers which have been filled in this code, including the papers which have been filled in it alone. Here we study a variety of nonlocal statistics for WNRA, such as typical distance between research areas and measure of centrality such as betweenness. These statistical characteristics can illuminate the global development trend of Chinese scientific study. It is also helpful to adjust the code system to reflect the real status more accurately. Finally, we present a plausible model for the formation and structure of WNRA with the observed properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The classification of the main pattern types, arch, loop and whorls, is based on the number and location of deltas or triradii, which are areas defined by the confluence of three ridge systems carrying different directions on the fingerprint. Despite being areas that give place to an important morphological variability, their study has only been approached from the quantitative point of view, in relation to the number with which they appear per finger, hand, or individual (intensity pattern), and their sexual and population differences; while the qualitative aspects have not been evaluated so far. The following paper aims to study and analyze the qualitative variability, both intra and interpopulation, of the frequency of occurrence of the different types of deltas or triradii, in four fingerprint samples from males of different population origin: 100 individuals from China, 100 individuals from Colombia, 100 individuals from Nigeria and 100 individuals from Romania, which has meant the analysis of 4000 fingerprints. For this purpose, the classification of 24 types used by the Scientific Police and Criminalist Departments of the Guardia Civil of Spain has been employed. The results obtained showed the non-equiprobability of the frequency distribution of the different delta types in the four populations. In all cases, sunk open total deltas (Hat), sunk open total with point (Hat(p)) and tripod long (Tl) were the most frequent types, while the sunk closed total with point (Hct(p)) had the lowest frequency. Furthermore, for the first time, interpopulation differences in the frequency distribution of different types of deltas have become noticeable. The data provided in this paper are a pioneer in the field of dactyloscopy and can be used as a reference by the departments of criminalistics of the different countries for the estimation of the scientific value of the evidence in dactyloscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a project aimed at disseminating the data-driven learning (DDL) approach to research writing among PhD students in Hong Kong universities. A 3.5-h workshop was offered for over 20 sessions across six universities addressing 473 postgraduate research students, accounting for 6.7% of the whole research graduate student population in Hong Kong. Students were first introduced to the free online corpus, BNCweb, which can help to solve lexico-grammatical problems encountered during research writing. They were then given access to teacher-built discipline-specific corpora with the concordancing tool AntConc. Through hands-on activities and interactive discussion students were able to compare discourse strategies employed across different disciplines and identify their linguistic realisations. Participants were finally guided through the process of building a corpus of their own, thereby catering for their personal needs. The self-selected participants' evaluation of the workshop was highly positive and they showed evident enthusiasm for this new approach. Their suggestions for improvement are also discussed. The description of the workshop programme and feedback from learners may provide useful insights for DDL practitioners who wish to spread this approach in their own institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: To observe the effect of a rehabilitation intervention on the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns.Background: Most studies of hand-burn patients have focused on functional recovery. There have been no studies involving a biological-psychological-social rehabilitation model of hand-burn patients.Design: A randomized controlled design was used.Methods: Patients with hand burns were recruited to the study, and sixty patients participated. Participants were separated into two groups: (1) The rehabilitation intervention model group (n=30) completed the rehabilitation intervention model, which included the following measures: enhanced social support, intensive health education, comprehensive psychological intervention, and graded exercise. (2) The control group (n=30) completed routine treatment. Intervention lasted 5 weeks. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t test were conducted.Results: The rehabilitation intervention group had significantly better scores than the control group for comprehensive health, physical function, psychological function, social function, and general health. The differences between the index scores of the two groups were statistically significant.Conclusions: The rehabilitation intervention improved the comprehensive health status of patients with hand burns and has favorable clinical application.Relevance To Clinical Practice: The comprehensive rehabilitation intervention model used here provides scientific guidance for medical staff aiming to improve the integrated health status of hand-burn patients and accelerate their recovery. What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoregulation models of the human body have been widely used in thermal comfort studies. The existing models are complicated and not fully verified for application in China. This paper presents a simplified thermoregulation model which has been statistically validated by the predicted and measured mean skin temperature in warm environments, including 21 typical conditions with 400 Chinese subjects. This model comprises three parts: i) the physical model; ii) the controlled system; and iii) the controlling system, and considers three key questions formerly ignored by the existing models including: a) the evaporation efficiency of regulatory sweat; b) the proportional relation of total skin blood flow and total heat loss by regulatory sweating against body surface area; and c) discrepancies in the mean skin temperatures by gender. The developed model has been validated to be within the 95% confidence interval of the population mean skin temperature in three cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sutures in laparoscopy have been extensively developed in recent years. In this study, we assessed differences between Polysorb™ braided absorbable suture (CL-914) and V-Loc™ barbed suture (V-Loc 180) used in vaginal cuff closure during laparoscopic hysterectomy from various aspects.Study Design: This paper presented a prospective cohort study of 490 consecutive women underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) performed between January 2013 and September 2015 applying identical procedure technique, with cuff closure approaches selected by surgeons. Data collected included operative time, estimated blood loss, postoperative changes in body temperature, perioperative routine blood parameters changes, total average hospital stay, and postoperative hospital stay. In addition, short-term (at least 6 months) outcomes of vaginal cuff granulomatous (VCG) between the two suture approaches were compared.Results: Between groups, statistical differences were detected in operative duration, estimated blood loss, total and postoperative hospital stay, WBC, neutrophil counts and Hb in postoperative routine blood parameters; while there were no significant differences in other data (all P>0.05). Postoperative routine blood parameters in each group: compared to preoperative baseline, in Group 1, WBC, N increased (P<0.05), while RBC, Hb decreased (P<0.05). In Group 2, same tendency in WBC, N and Hb was indicated, but RBC increased with no significant difference. In both groups, vaginal cuff healing was well, with no dehiscence. VCG occurred more often in women used CL-914 than women applied V-Loc 180.Conclusions: V-Loc barbed suture can be used for vaginal cuff closure during TLH due to advantages such as less operative duration and blood loss, shorter postoperative and total hospital stay, and reduced VCG formation six months after TLH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Asian countries are currently witnessing unprecedented increase in physical inactivity and subsequent negative health outcomes; however, few cross-country studies documenting this trend exist. This paper presents the findings of a nationally representative sample, based on the East Asian Social Survey in 2011. The study sought to examine the association of social identity factors, such as objective socio-economic position, perceived social status and neighborhood quality with physical inactivity, while controlling for psychosocial and physical health. A sample of 5222 adults living in urban areas across China, Taiwan, and South Korea were surveyed.Methods: Multivariate nested logistic regressions were constructed.Results: Perceived social status was positively associated with physical activity. Gender difference in physical activity was significant, and this difference widened as educational levels increased. Class division in physical activity was also found. Perceived physical and social features of neighborhood such as suitability for walking and jogging, air quality, and help from neighbors were to different degrees associated with physical inactivity.Conclusion: Gender, marital status, education and perceived social status were common factors associated with physical inactivity in East Asian countries. Perceived urban neighborhood quality is particularly important for Chinese people to stay physically active. Cultural-behavioral norms for physical activity associated with gender and social status call for more studies on cultural perspective for health behaviors in cross-cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The recurrence of past security breaches in healthcare showed that lessons had not been effectively learned across different healthcare organisations. Recent studies have identified the need to improve learning from incidents and to share security knowledge to prevent future attacks. Generic Security Templates (GSTs) have been proposed to facilitate this knowledge transfer. The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether potential users in healthcare organisations can exploit the GST technique to share lessons learned from security incidents.Methodology: We conducted a series of case studies to evaluate GSTs. In particular, we used a GST for a security incident in the US Veterans' Affairs Administration to explore whether security lessons could be applied in a very different Chinese healthcare organisation.Results: The results showed that Chinese security professional accepted the use of GSTs and that cyber security lessons could be transferred to a Chinese healthcare organisation using this approach. The users also identified the weaknesses and strengths of GSTs, providing suggestions for future improvements.Conclusion: Generic Security Templates can be used to redistribute lessons learned from security incidents. Sharing cyber security lessons helps organisations consider their own practices and assess whether applicable security standards address concerns raised in previous breaches in other countries. The experience gained from this study provides the basis for future work in conducting similar studies in other healthcare organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper describes and preliminarily evaluates the usefulness of the daily syndrome-specific absenteeism surveillance system (DSSASS) as an early warning system of school outbreaks in rural China. Study design: We conducted an experimental study in rural areas of Hubei Province from September 19, 2011 to December 31, 2011. Methods: Nine public elementary schools from two counties were selected as pilot sentinel schools. Daily monitoring data of the absent date and reason, sex, age and class of each absent student was collected and entered into a web database. Reported data were checked daily and field investigation was carried out when there was abnormal absentee aggregation. Descriptive analysis and preliminary evaluation were then conducted after the pilot study. Results: The findings showed that the total average of daily absenteeism rate was 3%, and the absenteeism rate differed by county, school level and grade level. The daily absenteeism rate in illness absentees was highest (2.74%), followed by business absentees (0.13%) and injury absentees (0.09%). The total timeliness report rate was 64.84% and the total incident report rate was 29.22%. One varicella outbreak and one influenza B outbreak were identified, but neither of them was detected by China Information System for Diseases Control and Prevention (CISDCP). The study shows syndrome-specific absenteeism data would be useful for early detection of unusual public health events or outbreaks in school. However, more efforts are needed to enhance the quality of surveillance data, and longer follow-up and more analysis are required to evaluate the system comprehensively. Our study might provide useful experience and evidence for other developing regions or counties establishing similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tourism industry in China has undergone rapid development since 1978 and is foreseen as being the world''s largest tourism market by 2020. However, no comprehensive review of literature in this context has been completed, and international academics have little understanding of China tourism research. This paper aims to provide an overview of 119 articles selected from six leading English language academic journals published from 1978 to 2008. Content analysis points to the evolving trend in Asian universities in terms of journal contributions. Consumer behavior has gained popularity as a research topic, and will likely remain as a prevalent research theme in the near future. A tendency toward multiple-authorship, rather than single authorship, and more sophisticated methodological procedures has also been found. Future analysis may focus on including other forms of publications and Chinese language journals to capture the full picture of China tourism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since its emergence in America, forensic accounting has become an utmost concern of scholars in different countries. Since the introduction of forensic accounting into China in the late 1990s, most scholars have done research on forensic accounting from the perspective of accounting, but few of them have done it from multiple perspectives like legal science. On the basis of localizing forensic accounting in China, creating forensic accounting profession, and promoting the joint development of accounting and legal profession, we should exp lore the basic theory of forensic accounting, such as its values and functions. Forensic accounting is socio-professional activities which blend accounting and law and has its specific values and functions. Its ultimate goal is to safeguard the property of a legal subject. Forensic accounting can implement powerful legal, economic, social, and political functions. This paper explores the legal procedural functions of forensic accounting to provide a basic clew for establishing a forensic accounting function system with Chinese characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Coal production in China accounts for 1/3 of total output in the world, and nearly half of China’s output is extracted in thick coal seams. Therefore, it is significant to study fully mechanized mining technology in thick coal seams. The development, current situation, and issue of slicing mining, top-coal caving, and coal seams cutting sufficient height with fully mechanized mining technology are systematically analyzed in this paper. According to result of analysis, the prospect of development of fully mechanized mining technology in thick coal seams is discussed. Especially, authors have represented the key problems which block the development of fully mechanized mining technology in thick coal seams. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study offers rare empirical data and insight about the experiences of women who use and sell drugs in China and their participation in the drug economy. Drug selling is traditionally viewed as a male job in China and commonly overlaps with drug use practices. While this largely male-dominated economy has been widely documented, very little is known about the experiences of women. Drawing on interviews with twelve women, this exploratory study aims to shed light on the lives and experiences of women who use and sell drugs in China. Findings indicate that for study participants, entering into the drug selling economy was primarily driven by motives of maintaining their own drug use. Our analysis also shows that participants kept their drug selling within limited social circles. Instead of seeking to make large profits, they often aimed to "help friends" and secure drugs for their own use. Women who sold drugs in our study usually affiliated themselves with their male partners, often purposefully utilizing feminine characteristics and practices to serve gendered roles in drug selling. In doing so, this paper brings to light the gendered nature of drug selling practices and drug market relations in China and more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we report some new progress on plasma facing materials in University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), China. They include fabrication of tungsten coating with ultra-fine grain size by atmosphere plasma spraying; fabrication of tungsten with ultra-fine grain size by a newly developed method named as resistance sintering under ultra-high pressure; using the concept of functionally graded materials to join tungsten to copper based heat sink; joining silicon doped carbon to copper by brazing using a Ti based amorphous filler and direct casting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we studied the research areas of Chinese natural science basic research from a point view of complex network. Two research areas are considered to be connected if they appear in one fund proposal. The explicit network of such connections using data from 1999 to 2004 is constructed. The analysis of the real data shows that the degree distribution of the research areas network (RAN) may be better fitted by the exponential distribution. It displays small world effect in which randomly chosen pairs of research areas are typically separated by only a short path of intermediate research areas. The average distance of RAN decreases with time, while the average clustering coefficient increases with time, which indicates that the scientific study would like to be integrated together in terms of the studied areas. The relationship between the clustering coefficient and the degree k indicates that there is no hierarchical organization in RAN. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As economic and ecological support systems become more interdependent, new disciplines are needed to “bridge the gap” between human and nature. “Emergy” created by H.T. Odum is a new method for evaluating natural capital and ecosystem services. The “ecological footprint” created by Wackernagel and Rees has been promoted as a policy and planning tool for sustainability. The aim of this paper is to show a modified form of ecological footprint calculation by combining emergy analysis with conventional ecological footprint form of calculations. Our new method starts from the energy flows of a system in calculating ecological footprint and carrying capacity. Through a study of the energy flows, and using the method of emergy analysis, the energy flows of a system are translated into corresponding biological productive units. To demonstrate the mechanics of this new method, we compared our calculations with that of an original calculation of ecological footprint of a regional case. We select Gansu province in western China, as an example for application of our study. In this case the same conclusions were drawn using both methods: that Gansu province runs an ecological deficit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effect of population subdivision on the determination of kinship of any two persons is investigated in this paper. Expressions of the joint genotype probabilities and likelihood ratios on kinship testing are reported. Two real cases are analysed using the Hong Kong Chinese population data and the Spanish data. Various kinds of relationships are investigated for illustration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: in recent years, many Asian countries have witnessed an intensification in populist discourses identifying the death penalty as a central tool of drug control, with public opinion surveys referred to as invaluable evidence of public support for the death penalty. This paper will address the claim that the public supports capital punishment, and the role of surveys in shaping this discourse.Methods: review of thirty-nine public opinion surveys on the death penalty carried out in five Asian countries which retain the death penalty for drugs or are considering re-introducing it. The review was conducted by analysing and comparing design, methodology, findings, and the relationship between these elements.Results: all but two surveys recorded a majoritarian support for the death penalty, driven by beliefs in (a) deterrent effect of the death penalty, and (b) perfect justice - both disproven. Complex surveys found a low intensity of support, and a limited interest and knowledge by the public in capital punishment. Support for capital punishment is lower for drug offences specifically, and it decreases significantly when expressed with reference to real-life cases. Limited data suggest that the public in the focus countries has reservations on the effectiveness of the death penalty to reduce drug offences, and prefers a discretionary system of punishment. The analysis also revealed correlations between the framing of survey questions and their findings.Conclusion: Public opinion surveys conducted in China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand suggest that the public knows little and has little interest in the death penalty. Although majoritarian, its support is based on a faulty understanding of key facts related to capital punishment, and an increase in knowledge is correlated to a decrease in support. More rigorous polling exercises demonstrate that public support for capital punishment - both in general and for drug offences specifically - is instinctive, abstract, elastic, and contextual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The gender disparities in DCM vary among different maltreatment subtypes. • DCM's negative effect was more severe for girls than for boys. • Gender heterogeneity is less evident than gender homogeneity in the risk factors. Currently, gender disparities in domestic child maltreatment (DCM) have become an important and highly controversial issue worldwide. This study aims to provide panoramic evidence from China on this issue. Data were derived from a survey of 4,308 children (M age = 12.13, 48.7% were boys) conducted in seven provinces in rural China from June to December 2019. This study used multistage cluster sampling to select respondents, and modified versions of the JVQ Scale and the DSM-5 Scale (11–17 years old) were adopted. This study reached three significant conclusions. First, the gender disparities in DCM vary among different maltreatment subtypes. Compared with girls, boys are more likely to experience physical abuse. A higher prevalence of neglect is observed among girls than among boys. Second, although DCM significantly increased the likelihood of posttraumatic depression for all children, its negative effect was more severe for girls than for boys. Third, gender heterogeneity is less evident than gender homogeneity in the risk factors for DCM. In rural China, children's problematic behaviours, family structure, parents' experiences of childhood violence and family relationships are common predictors of maltreatment for all children. This paper highlights gender differences in the risk of DCM among children in rural China, reveals the Confucian culture behind DCM and gender, and provides Chinese evidence for building an international dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central question in human development is what causes health inequalities over the life cycle. This paper links adversity in the teen years to individuals' long-term health outcomes. We examine a mandatory rustication program, the "send-down" policy during China's Cultural Revolution, and employ a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact on individuals' physical and mental health outcomes 40 years later. Our results suggest that rusticated youths were more likely to develop mental disorders but not to have worse physical outcomes. Further assessing distributional effects through marginal treatment effect (MTE), we find strong heterogeneous treatment effects and selection on gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shandong Intervention Trial was a factorial, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether any of 3 interventions, alone or in combination, could reduce the prevalence of precancerous gastric lesions in Linqu County, Shandong Province, China, a region with high gastric cancer mortality rates and a prevalence in adults of Helicobacter pylori of approximately 67%. The 3 interventions were one-time treatment with amoxicillin and omeprazole for Helicobacter pylori infection, and long-term administration of a garlic supplement (aged garlic extract and steam-distilled garlic oil) and a vitamin supplement (vitamins E and C and selenium). This paper describes the design and initial findings on treatment compliance, completeness of follow-up data, and eradication of Helicobacter pylori. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reform of the Chinese State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) sector in the late 1990s triggered massive layoffs (34 million employees) and marked the end of the "Iron Rice Bowl" guarantee of employment security for the remaining 67 million workers. An expanding international literature has documented the adverse health impacts of economic insecurity on adults, but has typically neglected children. This paper uses the natural experiment of SOE reform to explore the causal relationship between increased parental economic insecurity and children's BMI Z-score. Using province-year-level layoff rates and income loss from the layoffs, we estimate a generalised difference-in-differences model with child fixed effects and year fixed effects. For a medium-build 10-year-old boy, a median treatment effect implies a gain of 1.8 kg and a 2.2-percentage-point increase in the overweight rate due to the reform. Anxiety about potential losses causes weight gain for boys whose SOE parents kept their jobs. Unconditional quantile regressions suggest that boys who are heavier are more likely to gain weight. Girls are not significantly affected. Intergenerational effects therefore increase the estimated public health costs of greater economic insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many countries in the world, China is also facing serious problems of marine pollution in the coastal zone. The prevailing concern is eutrophication of the coastal water due to river inputs and, in some bays, also due to the over-expansion of aquaculture. As part of themarine pollution research activities in China, applications of mathematical models are also widely used, both to understand the present and to project the future. In this paper, selected Chinese works are reviewed, especially with respect to the effort in reducing the errorsintroduced in the numerical treatment of the water quality equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]