Search

As the number of African students in the international education market increases, it is important to understand their motivation to study in China and decision-making process they follow. This study focuses on African students being educated in Hangzhou, a new first-tier city. Using interview data, a tentative model on the push-pull factors affecting African students' decision-making is presented. The findings show that African students' decision-making process follows one of two sequences depending on whether they have received advice from others. All African students in China who were interviewed began to consider studying abroad due to personal reasons, recommendation from others, a lack of opportunity nearby, and the poor capacity of local universities along with social instability. For African students who do not have others' advice to guide them, the subsequent stages of their decision-making process include choosing first to study in China and choosing a city and institution. This decision-making depends in large part on the information available online including program availability, reputation and rank of the university, its academic quality, the image of the city, and the availability of scholarships, the affordability of tuition and the cost of living, and application accessibility. By contrast, those who have access to others' advice may skip the choice of host country and city, directly choosing the recommended institution.

The integration of ChatGPT as a supplementary tool for writing instruction has gained traction. However, uncertainties persist regarding how ChatGPT complements teacher assessment and the overall effectiveness of this combined approach. To address this, we conducted a mixed-methods investigation involving 46 undergraduate students from a research university in southern China, engaging them in a Chinese academic writing task. The intraclass correlation coefficient results revealed ChatGPT's efficiency in scoring students' writing, showing moderate to good consistency with teacher evaluations. A paired sample t-test unveiled significant differences in feedback quantity and types between ChatGPT and teacher assessments. Drawing from both interview data and quantitative findings, the study uncovers three ways in which ChatGPT complements teacher assessment, benefiting students with various writing proficiency levels: (1) fostering deeper comprehension of teacher assessments among students, (2) encouraging students to make judgments regarding feedback, and (3) promoting independent thinking about revisions. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of ChatGPT within the context of a combined assessment approach. It underscores that certain inherent weaknesses in ChatGPT's functioning can paradoxically lead to favorable outcomes. By shedding light on the synergy between ChatGPT and teacher assessments, this research seeks to inform and enhance writing instruction in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the complexity of the Jacobian matrix inversion process in the power flow algorithm for AC/DC microgrids, leading to large memory requirements and susceptibility to convergence issues, a novel power flow algorithm based on an improved unified iteration method for AC/DC microgrids is proposed. Firstly, the fundamental equations of the unified iteration method and the characteristics of DC systems are analyzed. The reactive power correction terms and voltage phase correction differences are removed from the modified equations of the unified iteration method, and result in a reduction in the order of the Jacobian matrix in the power flow algorithm. Subsequently, the improved IEEE 11-node system is subjected to simulation verification to attain precise power flow solutions for hybrid AC/DC microgrids. The theoretical analysis identifies the main influencing parameters of active and reactive power errors and assesses their impact factors. Finally, experimental validation of the improved power flow algorithm is carried out on a physical platform, clarifying the applicability range of the proposed method. The research results indicate that within allowable error margins, the proposed approach reduces the difficulty of Jacobian matrix inversion, resulting in an 80% increase in computational speed compared to the unified iteration method. It is suitable for microgrid systems with short electrical distances and small magnitudes of node voltage amplitudes and phase differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible cables in cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) are easy to be excited and vibrate. Cable vibration will react on the end-effector, causing attitude deviation of the end-effector. The main objective of this study is to accurately model axially moving flexible cables and characterize the dynamic behaviors of associated compliant CDPRs. Firstly, a model for transverse vibration of the axially moving length-variable cable is developed. On this basis, an original nonlinear dynamic model of the CDPRs able to capture the vibration of the cables and the dynamics of the end-effector is proposed. Secondly, the frequency–amplitude relationship of the CDPR is obtained. Moreover, the significance of the excitation effect caused by the axially moving length-variable cables is demonstrated, by comparing the results with and without excitation effect at different frequencies. It turns out that, as the oscillation frequency of the end-effector increases, the end-effector and cables exhibit the dynamics process from steady state to unstable large-amplitude vibration and finally to stable small-amplitude vibration. This indicates that the dynamics of the CDPR exhibit non-linear characteristics, due to the influence of flexible cables. Finally, the proposed dynamic model of compliant CDPRs is validated by experiments performed in the laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the objective of continuing the city of Wenzhou's local entrepreneurial culture, several primary and secondary schools located in the region collaboratively developed their curriculum to focus on fostering the entrepreneurial spirit--also known as the "Wenzhou spirit." Through methods such as scientific penetration, comprehensive practical activities, specialised courses and school culture building, the school-based curriculum sets Wenzhou's outstanding entrepreneurs as examples and brings the pioneering entrepreneurship into schools, classrooms and students' values. The curriculum aims at culturing the fundamental mental preparedness of entrepreneurship for the next generation of Wenzhou people.

Exosome and microRNAs (miRs) are implicated in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) process. In this study, I/R mouse model was established, and exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) were isolated, identified, and injected to I/R mice to observe nerve injury and microglia M1 polarization. The differentially expressed genes in I/R microglia from databases were analyzed, and miRs differentially expressed in exosomes-treated microglia were analyzed by microarray. miR-26b-5p expression in hUCMSCs was intervened. Besides, microglia was extracted and co-cultured with SH-SY5Y or PC12 cells in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) models to simulate I/R in vivo . Additionally, Toll-like receptor (TLR) activator GS-9620 was added to microglia. Exosomes alleviated nerve injury and inhibited M1 polarization in microglia. After I/R modeling, CH25H expression in microglia was upregulated but decreased after exosome treatment. miR-26b-5p was upregulated in microglia after exosome treatment and could target CH25H. Reduction in exosomal miR-26b-5p reversed the effects of hUCMSCs-exos on microglia. TLR pathway was activated in microglia after I/R but exosomes prevented its activation. Exosomal miR-26b-5p could repress M1 polarization of microglia by targeting CH25H to inactivate the TLR pathway, so as to relieve nerve injury after cerebral I/R. This investigation may offer new approaches for I/R treatment.