Practitioners In China Research Articles

Comparing greenhouse gas emissions of precast in-situ and conventional construction methods

Precast in-situ construction is gaining popularity among construction practitioners in China for its efficient system and its ability to reduce construction waste. However, there has been little to no empirical evidence that elucidates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this method. In an effort to address this knowledge gap, this paper establishes a systems boundary for the measurement of GHG emissions for precast in-situ construction. Employing a quantitative model, the GHG emissions of precast in-situ is determined and compared with conventional construction method. Results show that the precast in-situ construction produces less GHG emissions than the conventional method. Embodied GHG of building materials is found to be the main GHG emitter in both precast in-situ and conventional construction methods. Furthermore, four factors are identified that positively contributes towards reduced emissions: (i) embodied GHG emissions of building materials, (ii) transportation of building materials, (iii) resource consumption of equipment and techniques and (iv) transportation of waste and soil. Conversely, the transportation of on-site manufacturing equipment is identified as a negative factor on reduced emissions.

French comment on article: ERCP practitioners in China: results from national surveys in 2007 and 2013

French comment on article: ERCP practitioners in China: results from national surveys in 2007 and 2013

The Fair that Never Was

The unbuilt proposals for the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair offer a cross section of designs put before the public in a formative moment just before modernism came to dominate architectural discourse and production. Projects by luminaries Bernard Maybeck and Richard Neutra joined projects by Joseph Strauss and Henry Killam Murphy. Here were architectural hopefuls at the nadir of the Great Depression attempting to draw their way into the commission of a lifetime. Thus, a Beaux-Arts bohemian competed with a sincere modernist, a self-promoting engineer, and America's leading practitioner in China. At the same time, the proposals were part of the larger economic and political landscape of San Francisco, as neighborhood associations and politicians used them to attract the fair to their part of the city. More than pie in the sky, these designs show in amplified form the way architecture is embedded in public discourse as a form of persuasion, a kind of politics by other means through which elites and other stakeholders argued for their preferred reality. As tools of intra-urban boosterism, these plans reveal the competing interests within San Francisco at a pivotal moment in its development, when its future lay in the formation of a regional metropolis that could compete with Los Angeles for commerce on the West Coast and beyond.

Philosophy and Practice of Career and Technical Education Practitioners in China and U.S.: Some Insights

ABSTRACTTeaching philosophy is recognized as a major force shaping teaching practices of instructors across all fields of education. In the present article, we take a cross-cultural perspective on teaching philosophy in the field of career and technical education. The teaching philosophies of practitioners in Chinese vocational agricultural universities and American land-grant universities are compared in terms of 6 philosophical approaches commonly found in adult education. Data collected through the researcher-developed Philosophies of Vocational Education Scale revealed commonalities between the 2 groups (64 Chinese, 64 American) of randomly polled instructors, despite the difference in social settings. Liberal, progressive, behaviorist, somewhat humanistic philosophy was favored in both groups. Analytic and radical philosophies were not so apparent among instructors in either group.

ERCP practitioners in China: results from national surveys in 2007 and 2013.

Background and study aims: The endoscopist performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has an essential role in the development of that procedure. Given that the practice status and training background of Chinese ERCP practitioners (ERCPists) were largely unknown, two surveys were conducted to determine the status and development of this professional group. Methods: National surveys were conducted by the Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy in 2007 and 2013. Information regarding numbers, demographic characteristics, practice status, and training background of ERCPists was collected. Results: Total numbers of ERCPists in mainland China increased from 1155 to 3345 (0.88 to 2.47 per million inhabitants) between 2006 and 2012. Regional distribution of ERCPists showed significant imbalance, and the ERCPist – population ratio correlated with gross domestic product per capita (2006, r = 0.871, P Conclusions: Between 2006 and 2012 in China there has been significant development in ERCP personnel and training. However, the shortage and regional imbalances are still obvious and a higher ERCP volume per endoscopist is needed.

Can the two Asian giants reach a political settlement?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the history of the Sino-Indian conflict and to evaluate recent changes as reflected in the high level meetings between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It explores the evolving relationship in terms of three types of bargaining: elusive, tacit and convergent. Design/methodology/approach – By adopting a historical approach one gets a better sense of the evolving pattern of relations between China and India and the circumstances in which the evolution is occurring. Findings – China-India relations are similar to a journey where the progress is measured in terms of small steps rather than a final peace settlement. Relations have changed slowly towards a positive direction in economic relations, and there is a pattern of stability in border talks but the issue is complicated by the linkages between the Tibet question and border issues. Research limitations/implications – This topic requires considerable research because it is important for the future of Asian international relations and it is under-researched. Perhaps there could be an edited volume which brings together researchers from different backgrounds and expertise. The suggested work must be empirical but with a theoretical framework related to different types of bargaining cultures and experiences in Asia. Originality/value – As China and India evolve in their diplomatic practices and thinking, as Asian powers are readjusting their policies in the light of new circumstances, there are insights for policy analysts and practitioners in China and India among other Asian countries.

Professional task-based curriculum development for distance education practitioners at master’s level: A design-based research

<p>Curriculum development for distance education (DE) practitioners is more and more focusing on practical requirements and competence development. Delphi and DACUM methods have been used at some universities. However, in the competency-based development area, these methods have been taken over by professional-task-based development in the last decade, which has not been applied in the open and distance education area so far. Is the professional-task-based curriculum development approach suitable for open and distance education? This study aims to develop a Master Degree curriculum for DE practitioners in China based on professional tasks. Design-based research (DBR) was used and two cycles of DBR were conducted. Interviews and observations were used to collect data. In the first round of DBR, the authors find that professional-task-based development is feasible and could direct more closely to practical requirements of competencies, and that meanwhile, this approach has some disadvantages and limitations. In the second round of DBR, the approach was revised and results showed that the revised approach was much more suitable and reasonable for DE practitioners. Results of this study include: 1) professional-task based curricula for DE practitioners in China; 2) a curriculum development approach for open and distance education revised from professional-task-based development.</p>

To be or not to be a doctor, that is the question: a review of serious incidents of violence against doctors in China from 2003–2013

Background The fact that violence against doctors is occurring in China is a hot topic worldwide today. Many doctors have been killed and injured. To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon in China, we collected evidence of serious violence against medical practitioners in China in order to appeal to the Chinese government and urge them to take action.

Students’ Perceptions of School Counselors: An Investigation of Two High Schools in Beijing, China

This study sought to examine students' perceptions of their school counselors in two high schools in Beijing, China. Independent t tests found that female students rated school counselors' availability significantly higher than male students did. Also, students who had received prior counseling services rated counselors significantly higher in the following areas than did students who had never received counseling services: knowledge of achievement tests, friendliness and approachability, understanding students' point of view, advocating for students, promptness in responding to requests, ability to explain things clearly, reliability to keep promises, availability, and overall effectiveness. A 2 × 2 between-subjects ANOVA found an interaction effect between gender and use or nonuse of counseling services. In general, students gave positive evaluations of school counselors and were satisfied with counseling services.Keywords: school counselors; counseling services; students' perceptions; high schools; Beijing, ChinaChina has been experiencing dramatic economic and social changes in the past 3 decades (Guthrie, 2012). During this time there has been increased attention to both mental health problems and student development (Cyranoski, 2010; Lim, Lim, Michael, Cai, & Schock, 2010; Xin & Zhang, 2009). It has been estimated that at least 17.5% of the Chinese population has some form of mental illness, one of the highest rates in the world (Phillips et al., 2009), accounting for about 20% of hospitalizations in the country (Fei, 2006). Facing significant mental health challenges, several authors have noted the need for more counseling professionals and mental health service providers (Cook, Lei, & Chiang, 2010; Davey & Zhao, 2012). In rural areas with fewer resources, the demand for mental health care is even greater (Ji, 2000).Given such great needs for mental health services, China has been making tremendous efforts in reforming its mental health service system (Tse, Ran, Huang, & Zhu, 2013). In 2004, China launched the 686 Project, a mental health reform initiative modeled on the World Health Organization's recommended framework for integrating hospital-based services with a community mental health service system (Ma, 2012). By the end of 2011, 1.83 million Chinese people with severe mental illness had been treated as a result of the project.While China has witnessed growth in the counseling profession, at the same time it has struggled to build national certification and licensing standards, and create comprehensive counselor training (Chang & Kleinman, 2002; Cook et al., 2010; Davey & Zhao, 2012; Ding, Kuo, & Van Dyke, 2008; Hou & Zhang, 2007). In 2002, China's National Counseling Licensing Board was formed, and there is currently a three-tier national licensing program. More than 30 locations throughout China offer the qualification exams for counselors, and recently a national exam to license school counselors was instituted (Lim et al, 2010). Results from a nationwide survey of professional training of mental health practitioners in China showed that quality of training and supervision were among common concerns (Gao et al., 2010). Also, more accredited professional training programs at the university or college level must be designed and established. Beijing Normal University, in collaboration with Rowan University in the United States, was reported to be the first university in China to offer a school counseling training program (Lim et al., 2010).Mental Health of Students in ChinaIncreased attention to student well-being has shown high prevalence of mental health problems among Chinese students (Cook et al, 2010; Wang & Miao, 2001). Common psychological problems among students included test anxiety, academic pressure, loneliness, social discomfort, video game addiction (Thomason & Qiong, 2008), Internet addiction, child obesity, self-centeredness and reclusion (Worrell, 2008). …

Chinese talismans as a source of lead exposure

We describe a case of lead exposure after prolonged intake of ashes from burnt Chinese talismans. A 41-year-old woman presented with elevated blood lead level during screening for treatable causes of progressive weakness in her four limbs, clinically compatible with motor neuron disease. The source of lead exposure was confirmed to be Chinese talismans obtained from a religious practitioner in China. The patient was instructed to burn the Chinese talismans to ashes, and ingest the ashes dissolved in water, daily for about 1 month. Analysis of the Chinese talismans revealed a lead concentration of 17 342 µg/g (ppm).

Assessing knowledge and application of emergency risk communication principles among public health workers in China.

Since 2003, the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission (formerly the Ministry of Health) has implemented changes to more effectively communicate risk during public health emergencies. In spite of ongoing improvements, provincial and sub-provincial leaders face barriers, such as established modes of operation, lack of training, shortage of trained risk communicators, and limited understanding and willingness of recipients to mitigate risks. We assessed the current status of and barriers to risk communication knowledge and practice among public health practitioners in China. We designed the survey questionnaire to capture information related to the risk communication core capacities required by international health regulations and common risk communication principles. Our findings showed that risk communication training has successfully developed an awareness of risk communication principles and the ability to implement those principles in practice in China. Future efforts should focus on areas such as a dedicated risk communication workforce, requirements that public health agencies develop a risk communication plan, and additional training for public health practitioners and their partners. It is critical that the infectious diseases prevention and control law be amended to grant provincial and local public health agencies more autonomy to release information.

Intentions to Participate in Wine Tourism in an Emerging Market: Theorization and Implications

With the rapid economic growth that has occurred in recent decades in China, engaging in wine tourism has emerged as a new phenomenon. This study aims to examine factors that may influence Chinese people’s intentions to visit local wineries. We have employed a theoretical model based on the self-determination theory to holistically explore the effects of travel motivation, attitudes toward domestic wine, subjective norm, past experiences, and perceived travel barriers. An online questionnaire was conducted in three tier-one cities, resulting in 500 respondents in the sample. The survey revealed that subjective norm influences visit intentions through the mediating role of travel motivation and so do attitudes toward domestic wine when mediated by the wine-specific travel motivation. Past experiences positively affected visit intentions. A lack of wine knowledge and low confidence in domestic wine inhibited visit intentions. We have discussed practical implications of effective measures to enhance marketing efforts by wine/tourism practitioners in China.

Current psychotherapy supervision conditions among mental health practitioners in China

Objective: To investigate the psychotherapy supervision conditions and related factors among mental health practitioners in China. Methods: A total of 291 mental health practitioners completed a 43-item self-administered questionnaire about the current state of mental health practitioners' supervision. Results: The percentage of supervision among mental health practitioners was 54.6% and 97% wanted to be supervised. About one-third of practitioners had not been supervised regularly, and 38.5% of supervision was conducted through peer discussion. Verbal reporting was used for 60.3% of supervision. Factors significantly related to mental health practitioners' acceptance of supervision included the average number of counseling sessions and the source of the training fee. Conclusion: Mental health practitioners in China require much more supervision than they currently receive. The setting and methods of supervision should also be improved.

Dual branding strategy for a successful new product launch in China

Marketers may increase the chance of success for a new product launch by using a sub-brand name and a parent brand name simultaneously. In this article, we report the successful case of using two brand names—dual branding strategy—by practitioners in China for the Minute Maid Orange Pulp juice drink launch. A suggestive sub-brand name helps consumers recall the key benefits and features of the new product. A suggestive parent brand name communicates the benefits of the product category. A dual branding strategy addresses the problem of using only one brand name for a new product launch. After the successful launch of the first new product by a parent brand, marketers are able to launch other new products under other sub-brand names in the future to meet different consumer needs. Marketers may use the same parent brand to introduce different products to build scale for the brand, and are able to clearly differentiate the different product offerings under different sub-brand names. If a company acquires a brand from another company, a marketer may position the acquired brand as a sub-brand under the parent brand if the marketer has defined the business scope of the parent brand broadly enough and with a suggestive parent brand name.

REINVENTING SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE FOR THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC: THE SOVIET PSYCHO-PROPHYLACTIC METHOD OF DELIVERY IN 1950S CHINA

This article examines why and how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) presented the Soviet Union's psycho-prophylactic method of delivery (known as Lamaze method to the Western world) as truly socialist and and how pregnant women and medical practitioners in China experienced it in the delivery rooms in the 1950s. The CCP's adoption of the Soviet Union's methods of delivery reflected its struggles with scientific, yet bourgeois, Western medicine and its efforts to create an alternative model of modernity, in which science served the masses, during the Cold War.

What Is Important During the Selection of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in a Health Care Reimbursement or Insurance System?” Critical Issues of Assessment from the Perspective of TCM Practitioners

ObjectiveComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has gained increasing popularity over the last several decades internationally, leading to an increasing interest from decision makers and researchers as to how to assess the effectiveness of CAM. The attempts, however, have been unsatisfactory. The most important reason is a lack of attention to the theoretical characteristics of CAM, which are completely different from those of allopathic medicine or biomedicine. This study attempted to survey expert Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners in China to elucidate critical issues when assessing the effectiveness of TCM. MethodsA questionnaire (with 20 close-ended and 2 open-ended questions) about the influencing factors of measuring the cost and effectiveness of TCM was distributed to TCM practitioners who had been working in the field of research for at least 5 years and had published at least one related scientific article in the last 5 years. Internal consistency test was performed for all questions to verify the reliability of the questionnaire. Principal-component analysis was performed for remaining items after Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett’s test of sphericity. A linear combination model was then built to evaluate the contribution of various factors involved for the selection of TCM into the health care reimbursement or insurance system. ResultsOf 429 questionnaires issued, 137 were returned from respondents from 31 medical and research institutions, giving a recovery rate of 31.93%. Internal consistency coefficient obtained was 0.745, indicating good reliability of this measurement scale, and the data passed the KMO test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (KMO index = 0.691). In addition, eight common factors were extracted after the rotation of principal-component analysis with a cumulative variance of 70.92%. ConclusionsOur findings suggested that factors to be considered during the selection of TCM in health care reimbursement or insurance system include patient preference, long-term outcomes, comparative study of alternative options between TCM and allopathic medicine or biomedicine, pharmacoeconomic evaluation results and the overall economic burden of patients, and side effects of TCM. In addition, the TCM experts stressed the need of cost-effectiveness assessment of the expensive TCM of similar therapeutic functions during the selection process. Moreover, during the evaluation of health-related quality of life of TCM, they warned to avoid overexaggeration of their roles and that the generic scale should be modified according to the clinical circumstances.

Impact of Job Satisfaction and Personal Values on the Work Orientation of Chinese Accounting Practitioners

This study investigates the impact of job satisfaction and personal values on the work orientation of accounting practitioners in China. Satisfaction with work varies across individuals and how individuals view work (i.e., work orientation) may depend not only on satisfaction with various facets of their work but also on their beliefs and values. We used the questionnaire from Wrzesniewski et al. (J Res Pers 31, 21–33, 1997) to measure work orientation. Job satisfaction was measured by the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) developed by Smith et al. (The Measurement of Satisfaction in Work and Retirement. Rand McNally, Skokie, IL, 1969) and personal values were measured by the Schwartz Value Questionnaire Survey (Schwartz, Adv Exp Social Psychol 25, 1–65, 1992). Our sample consisted of 370 accounting practitioners from six major cities in China; 268 were females and 102 were males. We found that 41.9 % of the respondents viewed their work as a career, 37.6 % as a calling and 20.5 % as a job and that job satisfaction to be the highest among the “calling” group and lowest among the “job” group. There were no significant gender differences in the work orientation of the respondents. Our study showed that the value types achievement and hedonism and satisfaction with promotion were significant predictors of the career orientation, while the value type benevolence and satisfaction with the present job were predictors of the calling orientation. Dissatisfaction with work was the major predictor of the job orientation. Furthermore, length of employment was positively associated with both the calling and job orientation, but negatively associated with the career orientation.

The Immunosuppressive Activity of Pseudolaric Acid B on T lymphocytes in vitro

Pseudolaric acid B (PB) is a major bioactive component extracted from Pseudolarix kaempferi. Traditional medicine practitioners in China have been using the roots of this plant to treat inflammatory and microbial dermatoses for centuries. In this study, the experiments were conducted to investigate immunosuppressive activity of PB on T lymphocytes in vitro. The results show that PB has hypotoxicity on hepatocytes and renal cells assessed by Methyl thiazolyl tetrazoliym (MTT) Assay and selectively inhibits the proliferation of T lymphocytes and antigen-specific T lymphocytes stimulated by concanavalin A and dinitrophenyl-modified spleen cells, respectively. Then, PB also shows suppressive effect on T lymphocytes in mixed lymphocyte reaction. Moreover, PB can depress the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) secreted by concanavalin A-activated T lymphocytes or dinitrophenyl-modified spleen cells-activated antigen-specific T lymphocytes. It is first found that PB exhibits the inhibitory action on antigen-specific T lymphocytes and on the production of IL-2 from antigen-specific T lymphocytes and selectively inhibits the proliferation of T lymphocytes and the production of IL-2 as well. PB is in need of further study because of its potent immunosuppressive function.

Proposal on the cultivation of hearing aids fitting practitioner in China

This paper discussed the current status of hearing aids fitting practitioners in China and proposed some proposals on how to cultivate qualified practitioners.The proposals includes setting up short-term training program,launching hearing aids fitting major in occupational schools and cultivating the hearing aids fitting practitioners from the would-be audiologists or otologists in an aim to meet the urgent hearing aids fitting need of Chinese deafness. Key words: Hearing aids; Fitting practitioner; Cultivation; Hearing impaired patient

Career Guidance and Counseling for University Students in China

In recent years, various forms of career guidance and career counseling have become more prominent and better serviced in most universities throughout the world. Such services are obviously to the benefit of the students themselves and for society. After an initially slow start, researchers and practitioners in China have now begun to focus on the localization of guidance and counselling theory and strategies in order to match more exactly actual employment situations in different regions of the country. This should result in a service that meets students' needs more effectively. Using mainly core literature examining the context of career guidance and counseling in China from 2001 to the present, this paper elaborates on the current situation and summarizes the progress that has been made. The authors detail the content, implementation, problems that exist, and ways of improving projects of this kind in Chinese universities. Conclusions and suggestions for further research on career guidance and counseling are provided.