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Purpose: The aim of this study is to understand the levels (i.e. mild vs intense) of task conflict (TC) expressions between angel investors and entrepreneurs at the post-investment stage and how it affect angel investors' follow-on investment intentions with the same entrepreneur. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data was gathered from 71 angel investors in China. Mplus was used to test the proposed research model. Findings: This study found that angels perceive affective conflict (AC) when engaged in intense TC, unlike the case for mild TC expressions. Furthermore, the analysis shows that, unlike mild TC expressions, intense TC expressions impede angels' reinvestment intentions when they perceive ACs. Other results indicate that when angels perceive that entrepreneurs are not open to coaching, the prominence of mild TC expression is sharply mitigated and becomes as detrimental as intense TC expressions. Research limitations/implications: This study only focused on one specific aspect of the angel–entrepreneur post-investment relationship: The effect of their TC expressions on angels' reinvestment intentions. By no means do the authors imply that TC expression in the angel–entrepreneur post-investment relationship is the only factor that matters to angel investors in their follow-on investment intentions with the same entrepreneur. Practical implications: The findings suggest that entrepreneurs should pay careful attention to TC that may arise between them and their financiers. TCs are not entirely detrimental, but their negative effect might depend on how they are expressed. An appropriate level of TC may also improve enterprise performance and collaboration. Thus, angels and entrepreneurs should set clear goals and performance standards, where task interactions mainly focus on the goals and expected outcomes. Originality/value: Prior to this study, little was known about whether all TCs potentially lead to ACs. By distinguishing between levels (i.e. mild vs intense) of TC expressions between angels and entrepreneurs, this study adds a novel aspect to it by showing that TC, in and of itself, does not necessarily lead to AC but can lead to AC once its intensity grows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Age- and sex-specific reference intervals (RIs) for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) are not available in China. The objective of the present research was to determine the assay-specific 99th percentile upper reference limits (URLs) for hs-cTnI in healthy Chinese adults. Methods: Apparently healthy individuals were first screened with a questionnaire. The reference population was selected according to the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) criteria using surrogate biomarker for diabetes, myocardial dysfunction, and renal dysfunction. The serum concentration of hs-cTnI was measured using the automatized VITROS 5600 Immunodiagnostic system (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ, USA). Results: A total of 2,183 healthy individuals (1,051 men and 1,132 women aged from 20 to 95 years) were enrolled in the study. The serum overall 99th percentile URLs of hs-cTnI were 11.1 ng/L (12.5 ng/L in men, 9.6 ng/L in women). In both men and women, the 99th percentile URLs were significantly higher in individuals ≥55 years old than those in the <55 years old, especially in women. Moreover, 78.8% of males and 70.1% of females presented with hs-cTnI concentrations above the limit of detection of 0.43 ng/L. Conclusion: The hs-cTnI-VITROS assay coincided with the performance standard of the IFCC for high-sensitivity cTnI assays. The 99th percentile URLs for hs-cTnI in healthy Chinese adults were different from the manufacturer declared and appeared heterogeneous, potentially susceptible to factors such as age and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's first Mars exploration mission, named Tianwen-1, landed on Mars on 15 May 2021. The Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe) payload onboard the Zhurong rover applied the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique to acquire chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils. The quantitative interpretation of MarSCoDe-LIBS spectra needs to establish a LIBS spectral database that requires plenty of terrestrial geological standards. In this work, we selected 316 terrestrial standards including igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, and ores, whose chemical compositions, rock types, and chemical weathering characteristics were comparable to those of Martian materials from previous orbital and in situ detections. These rocks were crushed, ground, and sieved into powders less than <38 μm and pressed into pellets to minimize heterogeneity at the scale of laser spot. The chemical compositions of these standards were independently measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Subsequently, the LIBS spectra of MAL standards were acquired using an established LIBS system at Shandong University (SDU-LIBS). In order to evaluate the performance of these standards in LIBS spectral interpretation, we established multivariate models using partial least squares (PLS) and least absolute shrinkage and selection (LASSO) algorithms to predict the abundance of major elements based on SDU-LIBS spectra. The root mean squared error (RMSE) values of these models are comparable to those of the published models for MarSCoDe, ChemCam, and SuperCam, suggesting these PLS and LASSO models work well. From our research, we can conclude that these 316 MAL targets are good candidates to acquire geochemistry information based on the LIBS technique. These targets could be regarded as geological standards to build a LIBS database using a prototype of MarSCoDe in the near future, which is critical to obtain accurate chemical compositions of Martian rocks and soils based on MarSCoDe-LIBS spectral data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical augmentation satellite system for centimeter-level positioning, PPP (Precise Point Positioning) service based on PPP-B2b signal of China's new generation BeiDou system (BDS-3) was released for Asia-Pacific area on July, 2020. This paper first introduces the recovery theory of PPP-B2b SSR (State Space Representation) messages and then implements a real-time PPP-B2b precise positioning terminal to decode and obtain the PPP-B2b SSR orbit, clock, and biases. On those bases, the coverage, signal-in-space, and positioning performance of PPP-B2b SSR are evaluated. The results show that PPP-B2b SSR of BDS-3 can cover the most area of 50°E-180°E, 30°S-70°N and improve signal-in-space accuracy significantly. The improvement rate on BDS clock offset can reach 77%, which far exceeds average 40% improvement on BDS orbit, while it is opposite for GPS with 80% improvement rate on orbit and 61% on clock offset. Average SISRE (signal-in-space range error) of PPP-B2b SSR is better than 10 cm. The 95% positioning results show that centimeter- to decimeter-level positioning can be achieved after a few minutes of convergence based on PPP-B2b SSR, which satisfies the BDS open service performance standard. Comparing to BDS PPP based on PPP-B2b SSR, BDS + GPS PPP can promote convergence significantly with average 40% improvement rate for 95% epochs and can further improve positioning accuracy with 30%-35% improvement rate in horizontal and 10%–15% in vertical direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contends that prior research on the behaviour of Chinese local cadres pays limited attention to their motivation for avoiding blame. Using qualitative data from three field studies conducted in Guangdong province, the study focuses on blame avoidance in the cadre responsibility system, which is recognized as an important instrument for state capacity building. Our analysis uncovers three major discursive strategies used by grassroots cadres to manage blame either before or after it is apportioned: de-legitimating performance standards, re-attributing blame and transferring blame risk. We find that local cadres have a role as blame makers in shifting blame and accusations. This finding challenges the conventional view, which typically sees local officials as blame takers. The article concludes by elaborating on the wider implications of this finding and proposing avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toilet revolution has become one important part of a rural revitalization strategy in China, aiming to effectively reduce the incidence rate of fecal oral diseases, while to ensure the health-care level and quality of human beings. Since 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with relevant departments, has taken active actions to vigorously promote the rural toilet revolution and achieved positive effects. However, some situation, like “poor construction, not working well and improper use” of rural toilets, still occurs in some rural areas. The main reason is a lack of a standard system for the toilet modernization and utilization of excrement, further to improve the hygiene of toilets facilities in rural areas. Therefore, this study first summarized the 22 national and industry standards system that were directly related to rural toilet construction and excrement disposal in China. It was found that the number of existing standards was seriously insufficient, indicating the standard system has not been well-established for the rural toilet construction and excrement disposal in China. As such, this study aims to establish a three-dimensional structure diagram of rural toilet construction and excrement disposal, using the system engineering technology method, including levels (basic standards, general standards, special standards), sequence (product equipment standards, engineering construction standards, technical method standards, operation management standards, safety and health standards), category (rural household toilet standards, fecal sewage centralized treatment center standards, other standards). An optimal level of special standard was further determined, according to the basic established principles of a standard system for rural toilet construction and excrement disposal. The key content of a standard system construction was proposed to fill the research gaps in the basic national standards, and the general standards system, as well as in the special standards. Four recommendations were also proposed during this time: 1) To organize a special standardization working group or professional committee as soon as possible to systematically implement the policy of the toilet revolution; 2) To strengthen the fundamental research on the various advanced international standards systems; 3) To speed up the preparation of urgently needed standards systems; 4) To encourage the local governments to actively prepare the local standards system, in order to provide for the rural toilet revolution in China. The standard system of toilet modernization and utilization of excrement in rural areas can provide an important means to guide the renovation of toilet and the utilization of excrement as resources, further to standardize development of the modern industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Over 83.72 million Chinese firms employing more than 775 million employees. It is essential to explore employee relationships and conflict management practices in China. Although collectivism can influence employee cognition and emotions, the psychological mechanism that links collectivism and job satisfaction is still unclear. Researchers have found existing empirical findings on conflict–performance relationships to be mixed and inconsistent, and have identified the need to pinpoint the explanatory mechanisms and boundary conditions that underlie the effect of conflict on job performance. This study aims to provide some clarification to this important yet relatively unclear issue. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted in China to collect data. The authors received completed questionnaires from 466 employees. Findings: Analysis of questionnaire results reveals that job satisfaction mediates the relationships between conflicts and perceived job performance, and that collectivism moderates the relationships between conflicts and job satisfaction. Specifically, the positive relationship between task conflict and job satisfaction is amplified by high levels of horizontal collectivism (HC) and vertical collectivism (VC), while the negative relationship between relationship conflict and job satisfaction is strengthened by HC. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation is that this study used a cross-sectional design, meaning that causality in relationships cannot be established from results. Despite this limitation, the present findings provide insights into conflict management, job satisfaction and culture value literature. Originality/value: This paper examines the moderating role of employees' collectivist orientation (not national culture) on the relationships between conflicts and employee job satisfaction at the individual level. It also explores HC and VC and identifies their differential effects on the relationships between conflicts and job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MATRICS consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) has been widely used to evaluate cognitive deficits in schizophrenia (SCZ), however, no study has formally examined the validity of the MCCB in Chinese SCZ. This study compared Chinese SCZ patients with healthy Chinese controls on the MCCB and some additional neurocognitive tests to determine if the Chinese MCCB is an optimal battery to assess the cognitive deficits in Chinese SCZ patients. The study enrolled and examined 230 patients met DSM-IV criteria for SCZ and 656 healthy controls matched for gender, age and education. Besides the MCCB, we also included some additional neurocognitive tests that have been widely used in patients with schizophrenia. We selected MCCB and non-MCCB tests with large effect size, to assemble a new "optimal battery" and compared its performance with that of the standard MCCB. Comparing the putative "optimal" battery with the original MCCB, more patients with SCZ were identified as cognitively impaired according to the criteria of GDS ≥ 0.50 for the optimal battery (166 vs 135, or 72.2% vs 58.7%). The rate of cognitive impairment according to MCCB GDS in patients with SCZ who were currently working, ever worked and never worked are 45.5%, 61.6% and 70.8% (p = 0.051), whereas the optimal battery GDS showed 56.4%, 74.8%, 91.7% (p = 0.003), respectively. Our study needs validation with independent samples but suggests that the current "optimal" cognitive battery could be more sensitive than the widely used MCCB in detecting SCZ related cognitive impairment in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of private tutoring is often noted in the literature on education in East Asia. Empirical evidence concerning the causes and consequences of private tutoring, however, is sparse, especially for China. In this article, we draw upon data from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies to explore whether children’s tutoring experiences are influenced by family background and whether private tutoring benefits children’s educational performance. Our empirical analyses show that higher parental education, higher family income, and fewer siblings are all associated with a higher likelihood of private tutoring and higher levels of spending on it. Furthermore, private tutoring and spending on tutoring are predictive of higher verbal and math performances, although the difference in math performance between children who received private tutoring and those who did not is statistically insignificant after controlling for family background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In sub-tropical city of Hong Kong where summer is hot and humid, the usage of outdoor spaces is often hindered due to thermal discomfort. In order to improve the thermal comfort of the outdoor environment and to make urban outdoor spaces delightful places for people to use and enjoy, better understanding of the thermal perception of people is needed. This paper presents the results of an outdoor thermal comfort study conducted in Hong Kong. The findings of the study reveal that air temperature, wind speed and solar radiation intensity are influential factors in determining the thermal sensation of people outdoor. Based on our analysis, the neutral physiological equivalent temperature (PET) in summer in Hong Kong is around 28°C. Under shaded condition, a wind speed of 0.9–1.3m/s is needed for a person in light clothing to achieve neutral thermal sensation in an urban environment. This understanding can contribute towards establishing wind performance standards for thermal comfort in hot and humid tropical and sub-tropical cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Production deviance is 1 of 5 dimensions of counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). Based on data collected from 362 employees of Chinese enterprises, I examined the predictive effect of Confucian values on production deviance and the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between Confucian values and production deviance using structural equation modeling. I analyzed 3 factors of production deviance: work sabotage, slackness, and withdrawal. Confucian values were found to have a significant negative impact on these factors. Furthermore, job satisfaction was found to partially mediate the relationship between Confucian values slackness and withdrawal, but not work sabotage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model that identifies the impact of organizational justice on work performance. The model examined the mediating role played by organizational commitment and leader-member exchange (LMX) in linking organizational justice and work performance. Design/methodology/approach -- The data were collected from 793 completed questionnaires sampling employees from industries across the People's Republic of China. The questionnaire included scales to measure organizational justice, organizational commitment, LMX, and work performance. The measurement of constructs and the hypothesized relationships among variables were assessed by the use of structural equation modeling. The Baron and Kenny approach was used to test the mediating effects. Findings -- First, the relationship of organizational justice to work performance was mostly indirect, mediated by organizational commitment and LMX. Second, among the three kinds of organizational justice, interactional justice was the best predictor of performance. Lastly, organizational commitment accounted for more of the variance than LMX did in the mediating mechanism. Research limitations/implications -- The model developed in this article provides important insights in the study of the relationship between organizational justice and work performance. Future research needs to examine the model using a cross-national sample. Originality/value -- The link between organizational justice and work performance was mostly mediated by organizational commitment and LMX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has had no effective and systematic information system to provide guidance for strengthening PHC (Primary Health Care) or account to citizens on progress. We report on the development of the China results-based Logic Model for Community Health Facilities and Stations (CHS) and a set of relevant PHC indicators intended to measure CHS priorities. Methods: We adapted the PHC Results Based Logic Model developed in Canada and current work conducted in the community health system in China to create the China CHS Logic Model framework. We used a staged approach by first constructing the framework and indicators and then validating their content through an interactive process involving policy analysis, critical review of relevant literature and multiple stakeholder consultation. Results: The China CHS Logic Model includes inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes with a total of 287 detailed performance indicators. In these indicators, 31 indicators measure inputs, 64 measure activities, 105 measure outputs, and 87 measure immediate (n = 65), intermediate (n = 15), or final (n = 7) outcomes. Conclusion: A Logic Model framework can be useful in planning, implementation, analysis and evaluation of PHC at a system and service level. The development and content validation of the China CHS Logic Model and subsequent indicators provides a means for stronger accountability and a clearer sense of overall direction and purpose needed to renew and strengthen the PHC system in China. Moreover, this work will be useful in moving towards developing a PHC information system and performance measurement across districts in urban China, and guiding the pursuit of quality in PHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the most advanced form of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) which complies with the performance standards for ECDIS established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). It also describes the key features and the important functions of ECDIS, which we developed. This system is different from the productions developed by C-map, Seven-cs, offshore, and others. It is more suitable for China Marine Safety Administration Bureau to manage the navigation marks real-time. Using this system charts were located and accessed rapidly, and displayed smoothly. This article also discusses in ECDIS application system how to dynamically access and desert charts data in a limited memory (limited computer memory and resource). We constructed a tridimensional structure to manage a large amount of charts data. Vertically, according to the scale range, all charts were divided into eight levels, and a data structure called as “Multiple Scale Quad-tree” was constructed. And horizontally, a grid (every unit has a fixed size) was given to a certain scale level. We call this data structure a “Regular Page.” We explore the implementation of such a structure on the worldwide charts management utilizing quad-trees. Then we discuss the future development of ECDIS and its application system in marine agencies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current study examines how employees’ perceptions of empowerment impact the quality of the organization–employee relationship. Based on the on-line survey of 223 employees from a variety of companies in China, both dimensions of employee empowerment—feelings of competence and feelings of control—serve as positive predictors for organization–employee relationship. However, employees’ feelings of control wield more weight in the prediction than do feelings of competence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In analyses of urban environments, city-level sustainability assessments standards have received a lot of attention. Many countries, particularly in the developed world, have developed the standards to measure the performance of neighborhoods, districts, and cities in achieving sustainable development goals. In this study, four standards from China and the United States were selected and analyzed within the scope of green and sustainable development. China's new Assessment Standard for Green Eco-districts (ASGE) targets to support China's New-type Urbanization Plan from the conceptual stage to the concrete implementation. LEED® rating systems are one of the important references for the development of ASGE. By comparing ASGE with the advanced standards it draws from, this study aimed to evaluate ASGE's work in adapting to China's national conditions; pointing out the strengths and weaknesses and proposing improvements. The study results indicate that the rating systems of ASGE are in line with China's national conditions, and that some non-technical indicators are forward-looking, but that there is still room for improvement in terms of implementation paths, weight assignment, number of indicators, and index system. Based on these explorations, this study provides suggestions for aspects of principles and methods that could be used for the construction of similar standards in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Variable speed units provide cost-effective solution to improve efficiency. • Fixed speed units are not economically competitive at higher efficiency ratings. • New standard brings accumulative CO 2 reductions of 12.8% between 2019 and 2050. • Accumulative bill saving is 2620 billion RMB between 2019 and 2050. • Continuous revision of the new standard could more than double the overall impact. China is the world's largest consumer of room air conditioners, and it contributes about a quarter of global space cooling CO 2 emissions. We model the costs and benefits of recently proposed new room air conditioner minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in China. Our results suggest that newly proposed MEPS brings accumulative CO 2 emissions reductions of 12.8% between 2019 and 2050, and accumulative bill saving of 2620 billion RMB to China's consumers. The benefits of the proposed MEPS decrease with longer MEPS revision intervals and increase with shorter intervals—indicating that the intervals should be balanced to maximize benefits while accommodating constraints due to air conditioner manufacturer design cycles. We also model potential nationwide benefits from higher MEPS. Across two increasingly aggressive MEPS scenarios, China's room air conditioner electricity consumption and CO 2 emissions in 2050 are both reduced by 15–53% compared to the proposed MEPS. The highest-efficiency scenario (reaching MEPS of annual performance factor 5.4 in 2025) provides the largest long-term national benefits. These results could inform development of a Chinese regulatory regime that effectively updates room air conditioner MEPS. Because China is the world's largest manufacturer of room air conditioners, the economic, energy, and emissions benefits resulting from higher Chinese MEPS could also have a global reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]