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Due to the radical changes and complexities within academic institutions, leadership development addressed to academic leaders in the digital age has become more critical. In the available literature, the outcome assessment of leadership development and its related factors have not been evaluated rigorously. The current study investigated the contribution of peer interaction and two subscales of motivation to the effectiveness of the leadership development programs perceived by training participants in a diverse context. Of 101 participants, the majority of training workshop attendees were junior and middle-level leaders from both European universities and Chinese universities who participated in the leadership development programs organized under an EU project. PLS-SEM was exploited to validate the measurement model and test the hypotheses. The results showed that self-growth and peer interaction significantly contribute to perceived effectiveness, whereas networking motivator shows nonsignificant impact. The findings also illustrated that the two motivation patterns have significant effects on interaction quality. The mediating role of peer interaction on the relationships between the two motivational factors and perceived effectiveness, respectively, were not found in the current study. The findings contributed to identifying the role of different contributors to the effectiveness of the leadership development program in HE contexts and the potential of such a program to enhance knowledge and capacities of academic leaders regarding university governance and leadership.

This study illuminates the motivation and learning experience of Chinese and European academic members who attended an educational leadership training programme. Data were collected through participants' registration forms and learning reflection reports. A qualitative content analysis research method by MAXQDA2022 is adopted in this research. The findings revealed European and Chinese participants' motivation for joining the leadership training programme and their perceived effectiveness of the training programme. Drawing from the study's findings, this research examines the components of a culturally appropriate methodology for a cross-cultural professional leadership training programme and provides insights into the interplay of factors that impact the perceived effectiveness of such a leadership training programme. Additionally, recommendations for future program design are offered.

Higher education (HE) in the changing context requires leadership training and development as a vital element for university governance and innovation. While there are several theoretical frameworks on leadership development, most of them are outcome evaluation-oriented. Consequently, there is a lack of a leadership development model which emphasises both design process and expected outcomes. In addition to this, HE leadership development has been gradually transformed toward complexity and flexibility due to the volatile external environment of the 21st century. Thus, instead of having a development programme that simply focuses on individual skill enhancement, a comprehensive leadership development programme that equally fosters leaders' competencies (leader development) and develops collective leadership (leadership development) is increasingly utilised. Unfortunately, previous theoretical frameworks fail to take into consideration these new features. The main aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive theoretical model for academic leadership development (ALD) that promotes both leader development and leadership development. In the present study, 24 academic leaders, lecturers and researchers from five European and six Chinese HE institutions co-designed the ALD model. The constructed model consists of four main dimensions: theoretical core, types of training and providers, training format and ultimate goals. The results contribute to developing, promoting and enhancing leadership development in academic settings.

While demands on academic leadership in higher education have been increasing, there has been a lack of empirical studies exploring the effectiveness and impacts of leadership development interventions. In addition, recent studies suggest a model of leadership development based on an international approach. Unfortunately, the evaluation of those programs is limited in the available literature. This study thus presents the results of the impacts of a higher education (HE) academic leadership development program at the international level which consist of 12 universities in China and Europe. The project was implemented over a 4-year period, delivered through workshops, training programs, and exchanges. Following 2 years of project implementation, the mid-term impact was assessed through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Among the participants who had joined the program for more than 12 months, 51 Chinese participants and 41 European participants voluntarily took part in the online survey; of those, 21 participants were involved in the semi-structured interviews. Ultimately, the findings indicated that the program has had positive impacts on a variety of aspects, including cross-institutional networking, collaboration, partnership, and HE-related policy development and practices. Furthermore, this study has provided empirical evidence on how an academic leadership development program contributes to assisting academic institutions in broadening their connections, networking, and partnerships in order to achieve their institutional goals of development and innovation. As such, the research findings are useful for policymakers, university administrators, and related stakeholders. Lastly, the approaches taken by the academic leadership development program utilized in the current study can be applied widely in different contexts.

Engineering representing the backbone of a nation aims to migrate towards the knowledge economy. The strengthening of engineering education leads to the nation's self-reliance while building indigenous capabilities. The current study attempts to compare engineering education in China with Pakistan, Europe, and the USA in context of One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. The comparison provided by this study will help to identify some of the trends and challenges in engineering education at the national and regional level of OBOR countries. The study suggests that OBOR strategy will allow China to build excellence in engineering education and export its expertise among the member countries during developing stage.

Higher education systems need to increasingly transform in order to face new challenges of society in a modern and global context. Both Europe and China are facing challenges in restructuring their higher education systems and embracing the potential for higher education to deliver innovative teaching and learning as well as social and economic services for a changing society. This paper analyses the challenges to European and Chinese universities today and elaborates on the implications of these challenges for EU-China higher education collaboration. An analysis of challenges and relevant strategies in these two contexts can offer us insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each system. This can act as a solid basis for future collaborations or as potential barriers. Thus, this paper endeavors to fill in the gap regarding EU-China higher education cooperation by reducing the knowledge deficit and bringing mutual understanding, respect, trust, and ultimately benefit to both sides.

The main purpose of this study is to explore Chinese and European university staff members' perceptions about the challenges and capacity building needs in terms of academic leadership and university governance. A survey questionnaire with open-ended questions was administered to 58 staff members from 7 Chinese universities and 31 staff members from 8 European universities. The results showed that in addition to the competitive challenges universities encounter, developing leadership and managerial skills for Chinese and leadership, managerial, and interpersonal skills for European participants are the major challenges for academic leaders and the most frequently cited areas potential for capacity building. Leadership skills and practices of academic leaders were highlighted by both groups most to learn from each other while change adaptation skills of Chinese academic leaders and personal capabilities of European academic leaders are the specific aspects of academic leadership referred most for experience sharing between these two contexts.

Early childhood quality education is a cornerstone in educational development. Many countries have started to develop their own preschool educational system in accordance with the European Union Standards, where learning English language and using technology are prerequisites. In this research, the peace context was used as a mediator for learning the English language. The study aimed to reveal the impact of learning through technology in the English language. It was conducted on five-year-old children (n = 18) in one class where the English language was the core subject. The acquisition of knowledge depended on in-class gamification activities and home activities. Each participant received an educational DVD to use at home that included all the materials for learning, such as words, songs, videos, and short films about peace in English. All materials were selected in according with the "fair use policy" for educational purposes. The research process included an initial interview (checklist) in which content analyses were made. In addition, assessment software was developed based on the required analysis to explain statistical findings.

This study investigates perceptions of European and Chinese stakeholders on doctoral education (DE) in China and Europe, particularly the cooperation between the two sides. Data were collected through online and paper survey from both European and Chinese stakeholders (N = 946). The results provide insights for policy-makers, university administrators, doctoral students and their supervisors when planning and engaging in DE in collaboration between European and Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Various cooperation models are currently implemented between Chinese and European HEIs. European respondents reported a higher awareness level of cooperation issues compared to the Chinese respondents. Significant differences were found between the Chinese and European respondents regarding their perceptions, perceived advantages and challenges, as well as expectations on cooperation in DE.

This special issue focuses on the reforms and collaborations in Europe--China doctoral education. The articles in this special issue provide an insightful picture of the recent reforms in doctoral education in China and EU countries. Next to the structural reforms in Europe and China, the special issue papers have also specifically focused on EU--China cooperation in doctoral education, such as the current cooperation models, quality assurance in joint programmes and student experiences. In additions to an introduction of seven papers included in the special issue, the introduction provides necessary background information concerning Europe--China doctoral education as well as a reflection on the general issues, challenges and their implications.

Background/purpose: The present study was designed to evaluate the local cardiology infrastructure and services for heart failure (HF) care in Taiwan hospitals and to compare the HF care with the hospitals in European countries.Methods: Available data from a total of 98 medical centers and regional hospitals in Taiwan were analyzed. Each facility was given a single copy of the questionnaire between September and December 2019, and service records were extracted from the National Health Insurance Database. European data were adopted from the 2017 European Society of Cardiology Atlas.Results: The number of cardiologists per million populations in Taiwan was 57.4, and it was lower than the European median (72.8). The median percentages of interventional and electrophysiologists among cardiologists were 64% and 15% in Taiwan, which were both higher than the European median values (12% and 5%, respectively). The accessibility rates to implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in Taiwan were both higher (3.4 and 3.0 centers per million populations) comparing to those in European countries (median 1.6 and 1.5 centers per million populations). Comparing to 67 hospitals without HF care teams in Taiwan, 31 hospitals (31.6%) with HF teams have significantly more cardiology staff, enhanced procedural capabilities with more alternatives on oral or intravenous HF relevant medications.Conclusion: Our analysis clearly demonstrated discrepancies in cardiology subspecialties and CRT/ICD accessibilities between European countries and Taiwan. Variations in HF-focused services and facilities plus HF-directed medications have demonstrated significant differences among Taiwanese hospitals with or without HF care team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the inter-relationships of acculturative stressors experienced by Chinese international students. A sample of 463 Chinese students in six EU countries (UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain and Belgium) responded to a web-based survey. The results showed that Chinese students in France suffered from bigger constraints in linguistic issues and dealing with life tasks than Chinese students in UK. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that language constraints and perceived cultural differences play a key role in influencing other stressors. The findings indicated that language constraints and perceived cultural differences accounted for 62% of the total variance of academic integration difficulty; language constraints accounted for 17% of the variance of problems in dealing with daily tasks; perceived cultural differences accounted for 56% of the variance of social integration difficulty; academic integration and problems in dealing with daily tasks explained 14% of the variance of homesickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the future of psychopharmacologic treatment of depression as of August 2010. The author states that as of the said date, limitations in pharmacotherapies of depression include the fact that they are monoamine-based, they have modest efficacy and they have significant tolerability issues. There are a number of drug mechanisms approved either in the U.S. or Europe that may represent the future of psychopharmacology of depression including multimodal serotonergic agents, glutamatergic treatments and triple uptake inhibitors.

Live attenuated vaccines have been used for control of the disease caused by goose parvovirus (GPV), but the mechanism involved in attenuation of GPV remains elusive. This report presents the complete nucleotide sequences of two live attenuated strains of GPV (82-0321V and VG32/1) that were independently developed in Taiwan and Europe, together with the parental strain of 82-0321V and a field strain isolated in Taiwan in 2006. Sequence comparisons showed that 82-0321V and VG32/1 had multiple deletions and substitutions in the inverted terminal repeats region when compared with their parental strain or the field virus, but these changes did not affect the formation of the hairpin structure essential for viral replication. Moreover, 82-0321V and VG32/1 had five amino acid changes in the non-structural protein, but these changes were located at positions distant from known functional motifs in the non-structural protein. In contrast, 82-0321V had nine changes and VG32/1 had 11 changes in their capsid proteins (VP1), and the majority of these changes occurred at positions close to the putative receptor binding sites of VP1, as predicted using the structure of adeno-associated virus 2 as the model system. Taken together, the results suggest that changes in sequence near the receptor binding sites of VP1 might be responsible for attenuation of GPV. This is the first report of complete nucleotide sequences of GPV other than the virulent B strain, and suggests a possible mechanism for attenuation of GPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: China is the second producer of pea (Pisum sativum L.) in the world with a collection of 5,000 accessions, of which approximately 20% are introduced from 70 foreign countries. To evaluate genetic diversity of the introduced pea germplasm and construct its core collection, 731 pea accessions originating from 67 countries of various continents were analyzed using 21 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs. One hundred and nine polymorphic bands were amplified in all accessions with an average of 5.19 alleles per primer pair. The polymorphic alleles were not uniformly distributed among accessions from different continents, and the number of effective alleles and Shannon''s information index (I) varied among origin-based groups of alien pea resources. The I values were much different among origin-based groups according to pairwise comparison. The Asia group possessed the highest level of genetic diversity (I = 1.1753), followed by the Europe (I = 1.1387), USSR (I = 1.0285), America (I = 1.0196), Africa (I = 0.9254), and Oceania (I = 0.8608) groups. Using Structure Ver2.2 and POPGEN1.32 software, the 731 accessions were classified into 3 types of structure populations and 4 cluster subgroups in 2 cluster groups, respectively. The 2 category systems were mutually explained well, and the genetic diversity correlated with geographic distribution of the alien pea resources. Based on structure population, the core collection of alien pea resources was constructed with 48 accessions (6.57%) to cover 84.4% of the total allelic variations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the run-up to European Monetary Union scheduled for 1999, as new countries join or consider joining the ERM and a new EMS is being designed, a number of important questions continue to face policy-makers. The choice of bandwidth could well be one of the policy decisions which will ultimately determine the potential success of EMU. Too large a bandwidth may result in fluctuations that appear incompatible with monetary union. Too narrow a bandwidth, which eventually requires widening of realignment, could likewise prove a major setback for the goals of EMU. Even if bandwidths themselves are not formally narrowed, it is still important to understand what narrower "effective" bands for ERM currencies are perceived by financial markets. For currencies in the ERM, it is determined what narrower bands, if any, could succeed. For potential new entrants, it is estimated what bandwidths are realistic. For recent entrants, it is examined how the market reacted to the process of ERM entry.

The Little Ice Age (LIA; ca. 1450-1850 C.E.) is the best documented cold period of the past millennium, characterized by high-frequency volcanism, low solar activity, and high variability of Arctic sea-ice cover. Past studies of LIA Atlantic circulation changes have referenced the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), but recent studies have noted that LIA climate patterns appear to possess complexity not captured by an NAO analogue. Here, we present a new precipitation-sensitive stalagmite record from northern Italy that covers the past 800 years. We show that in the early LIA (1470-1610 C.E.), increased atmospheric ridging over northern Europe split the climatological westerlies away from central and northern Europe, possibly caused by concurrent Artic sea-ice reduction. With ongoing ice melting in the northern high latitudes and decreasing solar irradiance in the coming years, the early LIA may potentially serve as an analogue for European hydroclimatic conditions in the coming decades., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Tezacaftor-ivacaftor is an approved cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator shown to be efficacious and generally safe and well tolerated over 8-24 weeks in phase 3 clinical studies in participants aged 12 years or older with cystic fibrosis homozygous for the Phe508del CFTR mutation (F/F; study 661-106 [EVOLVE]) or heterozygous for the Phe508del CFTR mutation and a residual function mutation (F/RF; study 661-108 [EXPAND]). Longer-term (>24 weeks) safety and efficacy of tezacaftor-ivacaftor has not been assessed in clinical studies. Here, we present results of study 661-110 (EXTEND), a 96-week open-label extension study that assessed long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of tezacaftor-ivacaftor in participants aged 12 years or older with cystic fibrosis who were homozygous or heterozygous for the Phe508del CFTR mutation., Methods: Study 661-110 was a 96-week, phase 3, multicentre, open-label study at 170 clinical research sites in Australia, Europe, Israel, and North America. Participants were aged 12 years or older, had cystic fibrosis, were homozygous or heterozygous for Phe508del CFTR, and completed one of six parent studies of tezacaftor-ivacaftor: studies 661-103, 661-106, 661-107, 661-108, 661-109, and 661-111. Participants received oral tezacaftor 100 mg once daily and oral ivacaftor 150 mg once every 12 h for up to 96 weeks. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints were changes in lung function, nutritional parameters, and respiratory symptom scores; pulmonary exacerbations; and pharmacokinetic parameters. A post-hoc analysis assessed the rate of lung function decline in F/F participants who received up to 120 weeks of tezacaftor-ivacaftor in studies 661-106 (F/F) and/or 661-110 compared with a matched cohort of CFTR modulator-untreated historical F/F controls from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry. Primary safety analyses were done in all participants from all six parent studies who received at least one dose of study drug during this study. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02565914)., Findings: Between Aug 31, 2015, to May 31, 2019, 1044 participants were enrolled in study 661-110 from the six parent studies of whom 1042 participants received at least one dose of study drug and were included in the safety set. 995 (95%) participants had at least one TEAE; 22 (2%) had TEAEs leading to discontinuation; and 351 (34%) had serious TEAEs. No deaths occurred during the treatment-emergent period; after the treatment-emergent period, two deaths occurred, which were both deemed unrelated to study drug. F/F (106/110; n=459) and F/RF (108/110; n=226) participants beginning tezacaftor-ivacaftor in study 661-110 had improvements in efficacy endpoints consistent with parent studies; improvements in lung function and nutritional parameters and reductions in pulmonary exacerbations observed in the tezacaftor-ivacaftor groups in the parent studies were generally maintained in study 661-110 for an additional 96 weeks. Pharmacokinetic parameters were also similar to those in the parent studies. The annualised rate of lung function decline was 61·5% (95% CI 35·8 to 86·1) lower in tezacaftor-ivacaftor-treated F/F participants versus untreated matched historical controls., Interpretation: Tezacaftor-ivacaftor was generally safe, well tolerated, and efficacious for up to 120 weeks, and the safety profile of tezacaftor-ivacaftor in study 661-110 was consistent with cystic fibrosis manifestations and with the safety profiles of the parent studies. The rate of lung function decline was significantly reduced in F/F participants, consistent with cystic fibrosis disease modification. Our results support the clinical benefit of long-term tezacaftor-ivacaftor treatment for people aged 12 years or older with cystic fibrosis with F/F or F/RF genotypes., Funding: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The EVIDENCE (EVidence of Interferon Dose-response: European North American Comparative Efficacy) study was an international, randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded, parallel-group study assessing the efficacy and tolerability of interferon (IFN) beta-1a, 44 mcg subcutaneously (sc) three times weekly (tiw), and IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg intramuscularly (im) once weekly (qw), in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The aim of this analysis was to assess whether reductions in T2 burden of disease (BOD) were greater for patients receiving IFN beta-1a, 44 mcg sc tiw, than for those treated with IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg im qw, and to assess the impact of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs)., Methods: A post-hoc analysis was performed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data collected prospectively from the EVIDENCE study. The analysis included all patients with evaluable T2 MRI scans at the start of dosing and at week 48, and those who received at least one drug dose (n = 553). Lesions were identified by a radiologist blinded to treatment codes and the total volume of T2 lesions (BOD) was reported in mm3., Results: Both median percentage decreases and absolute reduction in BOD were greater in the IFN beta-1a, 44 mcg sc tiw, treatment group. The adjusted mean treatment difference in percentage change in BOD from baseline to week 48 showed a significant treatment benefit for patients treated with IFN beta-1a, 44 mcg sc tiw, over those treated with IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg im qw (-4.6%; standard error: 2.6%; p = 0.002). The presence of NAbs reduced the effect of IFN beta-1a 44, mcg sc tiw, on BOD, but BOD changes were still similar to those seen with IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg im qw., Conclusion: Patients with RRMS treated with IFN beta-1a, 44 mcg sc tiw, had greater reduction in T2 BOD after 48 weeks than those treated with IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg im qw, which is consistent with other clinical and MRI outcome measures in the EVIDENCE study. In patients testing positive for NAbs (NAb+) to IFN beta-1a 44 mcg sc tiw, changes in BOD were smaller than in NAb negative (NAb-) patients, but similar to those receiving IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg im qw.

Three major outbreaks of Newcastle disease (ND) occurred in Taiwan in the last three decades (in 1969, 1984, and 1995). Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) isolated in the three outbreaks, together with those isolated in 1998, were sequenced between nucleotides 47 and 435 of the fusion gene. A phylogenetic tree based on sequences obtained showed that the NDV isolated in 1969 was similar to the genotype III viruses. In contrast, all isolates in 1984 and seven of the eight isolates in 1995, together with all isolates in 1998, fell into the genotype VII. These results suggest that the 1969 outbreak of ND in Taiwan was caused by the genotype III virus, whereas the 1984 and 1995 outbreaks were caused by the genotype VII viruses. To date, the genotype VII viruses have caused many outbreaks in east Asia and western Europe. We suspect that these outbreaks have constituted the fourth panzootic of ND, which is distinct from the third panzootic caused by the "pigeon PMV-1 viruses." NDV isolated in Taiwan in 1984 was the earliest isolation of the genotype VII virus.