Cooperative Research Project Research Articles

Chinese Studies: Researches and services in the National Library of China

Background The Chinese Studies Center of the National Library of China is an institution focusing on the collection, research and service of Chinese studies literature. Since the last century, the National Library of China (NLC) has started to collect a wide range of Chinese studies literature, and has now formed a huge special collection covering multiple languages and disciplines. Purpose This article introduces the origin of construction of the Chinese Studies Center (CSC), its service positioning, development status, major achievements and future outlook, with the aim of clarifying ideas for better development of the NLC’s Chinese studies collection and research services, and for the promotion of the development of Chinese studies to a higher level. Research Design The article aims to build a research framework to assess the role and potential of the CSC in promoting Chinese studies by reviewing its history and analyzing its service orientation and development direction. Study Sample: The research sample includes the CSC's resources, services, accomplishments and cooperations. Data Collection and/or Analysis: The article assesses the performance and influence of the CSC by collecting and analyzing information on its resources, services, achievements and academic exchanges. Results The CSC has basically formed a multi-dimensional development pattern integrating reading services, consulting and reference services, literature research, website construction, scientific research cooperation and foreign exchanges. Its service positioning has become clearer, its responsibilities richer, its research capability further enhanced, and it has achieved social benefits and a series of good results, making a great contribution to the development of Chinese studies. Conclusions The CSC has played an important in promoting Chinese studies and it will continue to enrich the collection of Chinese studies literature, promote the construction of Chinese studies catalogue, create a one-stop research and service platform, and carry out exchanges and cooperation in Chinese studies worldwide, so as to promote the further development of Chinese studies.

Virtual simulation for teaching cardiology in nursing: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionVirtual simulation (VS) can be an effective learning strategy in the context of nursing education on cardiovascular disease; however, its use in teaching cardiology in nursing is less studied. The...

Research on Enhancement Strategies for the Integration of Industry-Education Information Technology Platforms in Vocational Colleges

During this pivotal period in which China's vocational education is transitioning from a scale-oriented to a connotation-oriented development, efforts to reform vocational education are continuously intensifying, with the integration of industry and education consistently serving as the key logical thread in the reform of the modern vocational education system. Educational informatization stands as a crucial indicator of educational modernization, and the comprehensive promotion of educational modernization through educational informatization is a significant strategic decision for China's educational reform and development. However, integration of industry and education has not formed mutual integration and commonality between the entire school and enterprise levels in aspects such as talent cultivation, faculty construction, and scientific research cooperation, leading to a lack of a scientific evaluation system for assessing the effectiveness of this integration. Therefore, vocational colleges should actively construct an integration of industry and education information management platform based on the thinking of integration of industry and education and the ISO 25010 software quality model. This will further improve and enhance the service capabilities of the integration of industry and education information technology platform, facilitate multi-party interactive cooperation among governments, industries, enterprises, and schools, better meet the requirements of talent cultivation model transformation and innovative development in the construction of higher vocational colleges, and standardize the process of integration of industry and education, making it more transparent, visualizing data analysis, and comprehensively evaluating effectiveness.

Mega Research Infrastructure as a Driver for High-quality Development and Innovation: Promoting Scientific Cooperation and Interdisciplinarity

Mega research infrastructures, as megaprojects, play a crucial role in promoting high-quality development, particularly in relation to innovation. They contribute to the development of disciplinary layouts and scientific collaborations. Additionally, during the operational phase of a infrastructure, maximizing efficiency and ensuring sustainable development become key aspects of project management. The operation of mega research infrastructures involves increasing levels of interdisciplinarity, interagency collaboration, and cross-regional cooperation. Therefore, it is essential to further clarify the characteristics of scientific collaboration within these facilities and understand the current status and evolving trends of disciplinary and collaborative networks. This work serves as a fundamental and necessary endeavor. In this study, we employ social network analysis methods to investigate the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility as a case study. We analyze the network structure and evolution of its collaborative and disciplinary networks from 2009 to 2022. The findings reveal the enormous potential and value of mega research infrastructures in promoting scientific research cooperation and development. They emphasize the need for increased attention and support for instrument scientists by facility managers, as well as the importance of expanding collaboration areas and formats to enrich the range of disciplines involved. The contribution of this study lies in its systematic analysis of the evolutionary process of collaborative and disciplinary networks within mega research infrastructures. It reveals the scientific value of these facilities in driving scientific research cooperation and interdisciplinary integration, providing a scientific basis for project management and policy formulation in the operational phase of mega research infrastructures. The research will align the strategic development direction of mega research infrastructures with the requirements of high-quality development and deepen the foundational role of mega research infrastructures in supporting high-quality development.

Construction of University Teaching and Academic Community from the Perspective of Digital Transformation

Under the background of digital transformation, the construction of the university teaching and academic community is of great significance for promoting educational innovation and improving the quality of talent training. By strengthening the construction of digital infrastructure, promoting the professional development of teachers, constructing a digital learning platform, and establishing a scientific research cooperation mechanism, an effective university teaching and academic community can be built. This will help promote exchanges and cooperation between teachers and students, improve teaching quality and scientific research level, and cultivate more talents with innovative and practical abilities for society.

Development of an Infrared Marker based Encoder System as a Non-Contact Positioning System for Ultrasonic Probes

The digitalization of testing procedures is one of the challenges in the development of modern non-destructive testing systems. In order to guarantee a high level of inspection reliability, the assignment of measurement data to the measurement position plays an important role as well as the optimal inspection hardware. In a cooperative research and development project, an optical tracking system has been developed with which it is possible to determine the positions of different ultrasonic probes in space without contact. Thus, the position of the measurement is linked to the measurement results directly. Infrared LED markers attached to the ultrasonic probes are used for this purpose. The position of the markers are tracked in space with a camera. By linking several cameras and trackers, a positional accuracy of a few millimeters can be achieved for a camera specimen distance of 2 m. The more cameras are used the bigger the investigated part can be. For the tracking system, an existing optical camera system is coupled with a conventional of the shelve ultrasonic phased array device by means of a newly developed universal encoder. Different single transducer probes or phased array probes can be used. The costly and time consuming use of mechanical encoders is thus eliminated. This combination enables the further digitalization of hand-guided ultrasonic testing precisely in those areas where robot-based testing is not feasible. Additionally, a much easier way of documentation is possible. Due to the exact position determination a better evaluation of the measurement data can be carried out via a subsequent 3D display of the ultrasound data.

Zürich II Statement on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): Scientific and Regulatory Needs.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals of global concern. A group of 36 scientists and regulators from 18 countries held a hybrid workshop in 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland. The workshop, a sequel to a previous Zürich workshop held in 2017, deliberated on progress in the last five years and discussed further needs for cooperative scientific research and regulatory action on PFASs. This review reflects discussion and insights gained during and after this workshop and summarizes key signs of progress in science and policy, ongoing critical issues to be addressed, and possible ways forward. Some key take home messages include: 1) understanding of human health effects continues to develop dramatically, 2) regulatory guidelines continue to drop, 3) better understanding of emissions and contamination levels is needed in more parts of the world, 4) analytical methods, while improving, still only cover around 50 PFASs, and 5) discussions of how to group PFASs for regulation (including subgroupings) have gathered momentum with several jurisdictions proposing restricting a large proportion of PFAS uses. It was concluded that more multi-group exchanges are needed in the future and that there should be a greater diversity of participants at future workshops.

A systematic review of biobanks in Latin America: Strengths and limitations for biomedical research.

Biobanks are valuable tools for developing and applying scientific research and international cooperation through the collection of biological materials and their associated data. Systematic research following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines was conducted in late 2022 in PubMed and Scopus, and generated 17 articles to be reviewed in depth and critically assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist due to the limited available data; 12 relevant health organizations and government websites outside of peer-reviewed journals were also included. Our research identified 44 biobanks in Latin America. In general, there is a lack of regulation and legislation guaranteeing the stored materials' quality and institutional collaboration. We believe a consensus needs to be reached regarding the terminology and definitions used for biobanks. The design for informed consent should also be agreed upon to ensure the privacy of the data shared among institutions. In conclusion, in Latin America, there is a clear need for government support in creating specific procedures for biobanks and providing further support for existing biobanks.

An Empirical Study on the Influencing Factors of University Teachers' Teaching or Scientific Research Cooperation among the Learning Community

An Empirical Study on the Influencing Factors of University Teachers' Teaching or Scientific Research Cooperation among the Learning Community

Twenty years of RIEC Cooperative Research Projects in Vision Science Lab.

Twenty years of RIEC Cooperative Research Projects in Vision Science Lab.

Challenges of Ethnographic Research with War Migrants from Ukraine

In this short reflection on ethnographic research with forced migrants who arrived in Poland after February 24, 2022, I would like to address topics that to me - as an anthropologist, Ukrainian studies specialist and researcher of Ukrainian communities in Poland, including war migrants - seem crucial in designing a research project in cooperation with people who fled from Ukraine. These are primarily issues related to research ethics, the situation of difficult research in cooperation with potentially traumatized people, positioned by popular discourses as refugees and victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, my reflection concerns access to the site, the researcher's involvement and responsibility, the specificity of the situation in which this research is conducted, as well as problems and challenges facing their archiving and representation. I will shortly indicate the threats that researchers must take into account, such as revictimization, lack of psychological tools, burdens and burnout of the researcher, and the further life of the constructed ethnographic knowledge, built on the experience of war migrants from Ukraine. I also include some practical tips on designing conversations with war migrants from Ukraine. In addition to the indicated challenges of ethnographic research in cooperation with forced migrants from Ukraine, the paper contains an appeal for a radical increase in ethical standards in a situation of war and forced migration.

(Invited) Formation and Characterization of Fe-Silicide Nanodots for Optoelectronic Application

Light emission from group-IV based nanostructures has been attracting much attention in the field of Si-based photonics because of its potential to combine photonic processing with electronic processing on a single chip [1]. Among various Fe-silicides, semiconducting β-FeSi2 shows light emission in the near-infrared region [2, 3] and is one of promising materials in optoelectronic application from viewpoints of tuning emission energy and improving luminous efficiency by means of quantized structures. In this work, we focus on low temperature formation of β-FeSi2 nanodots (NDs) over ~1011 cm-2 in areal density on SiO2 and the characterization of light emission properties of β–FeSi2 NDs.After conventional wet-chemical cleaning steps of p-type Si(100) substrates, a ~300-nm-thick SiO2 layer was grown at 1000°C in dry O2 and followed by dipping shortly in a dilute HF solution to make uniform surface termination with Si-OH bonds. After that, Fe films in the thickness range from 1.0 to 3.0 nm were formed on the OH-terminate SiO2 layer by electron beam evaporation without any extra heating. And then, the Fe–films were exposed to remote plasma of pure H2 (H2-RP) at 400°C to form highly-dense Fe-NDs [4]. Subsequently, so-prepared Fe-NDs were exposed to pure SiH4 at 400°C while controlling the amount of SiH4 exposure by duration and pressure.AFM images taken after exposure of Fe-films to H2-RP confirm the high-density formation of well-defined NDs. In the cases of H2-RP exposure of 1.3-nm-thick and 3.0-nm-thick Fe-films, the areal dot densities as high as ~1.1 × 1011 and ~1.3 × 1011 cm−2 were obtained, respectively, in which the average dot-heights of self-assembled Fe-NDs were determined to be ~5.3 and ~10.9 nm, respectively, by fitting a log-normal function to each measured size distribution. Notice that AFM images taken after SiH4 exposure show almost no change in the areal dot density while a slight increase in the average dot height. From cross-sectional transmission electron microscope images, we have also verified the formation of distorted-spherical shape NDs with a lattice spacing of ~0.18 nm associated with β-FeSi2. And the result is well consistent with the chemical composition of NDs after SiH4 exposure as evaluated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, with 976 nm light excitation using a semiconductor laser, the NDs after the SiH4 exposure show stable photoluminescence (PL) signals in the energy region from ~0.7 to ~0.9 eV even at room temperature. On the other hand, no PL signals were detected from the NDs before the SiH4 exposure and after Ar anneal at 400°C. Also, when the size of the Fe-silicide NDs was increased from ~5.3 to ~10.9 nm in average dot height by increasing the initial Fe-film thickness, a distinct red-shift in PL was clearly observed. Thus, the observed PL can be interpreted in terms of radiative recombination of photogenerated carriers through quantized states of β-FeSi2 NDs. These results indicate that SiH4 exposure to Fe-NDs formed on SiO2 is a very promising technique for the low-temperature fabrication of luminescent FeSi2 NDs.AcknowledgementThis work was supported in part by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) 21H04559 of MEXT Japan, and the Cooperative Research Project Program of the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University.

The track, hotspot and frontier of anammox technology in wastewater treatment 2001–2022

Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) technology is gaining traction as a promising solution for wastewater denitrification due to its ability to reduce investment, and minimize operational costs and sludge production. As a result, it has become a hot research topic of wastewater treatment, with a growing body of literature exploring its potential applications. However, despite the increasing interest in this field, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis that provides a clear overview of the development context and quantitative research on the overall trends of anammox technology in wastewater treatment. To manage this gap, this article conducted a systematic bibliometric analysis of global application research of anammox technology in wastewater treatment using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometric for the core collection database of Web of Science. The study included drawing a collaborative map of countries, institutions, and researchers to display the distribution of research forces and scientific research cooperation in this field. Moreover, the article employed software co-occurrence analysis to obtain the hot scientific fields in anammox wastewater treatment. Finally, valuable insights into the future direction of research in this field were provided through the use of a keyword co-occurrence network atlas and literature co-citation network atlas, which were employed to analyze research hotspots, research frontiers, and development trends.

Media Inclination and Outward Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from Chinese Firms

AbstractMedia inclinations, whether favorable or biased, play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion. Sometimes, media coverage may unintentionally foster skepticism towards foreign firms, which could create challenges for those companies when they enter new markets. Based on a panel dataset from 2005 to 2020, this is one of the first studies to investigate empirically the impact of media opinion on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) behaviors at the firm level. The media inclination index was constructed according to the varying inclinations of media from different countries in their reporting on each event. We examined the impact of media inclination on the investment value, frequency, and number of industries. This study has revealed the following insights: (i) Positive media coverage can stimulate the investment behavior of Chinese firms. (ii) The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the promotional effect of media reporting inclination on OFDI is more significant for state‐owned firms from the investor's perspective and especially pronounced for firms in developing countries from the investee's perspective. (iii) Diplomatic visits and scientific research cooperation can amplify the positive impact of media opinions on the OFDI behaviors of Chinese firms.

Comparison of facade noise reduction measurement methods: Field results

Many projects require acoustical measurements of facade noise reduction be conducted to verify that Building Code, “green” rating systems (e.g., LEED), or other project interior noise criteria are met. In addition, federally funded airport sound insulation programs in the United States require facade noise reduction measurements be conducted to verify the eligibility of residences receiving sound insulation treatments. Currently, there exists a variety of standards to measure facade noise reduction (e.g., ASTM E966, ISO 16283-3, SAE ARP 6973). These standards employ various measurement methods: artificial exterior noise source, calibrated exterior noise source, line source, etc. In addition, these standards provide guidance on the location of exterior microphones (flush versus near facade) and correction factors to be applied to the data. Recently, a field comparison of three measurement methods was made at multiple residences: artificial exterior noise source, artificial interior noise source, and flush versus near microphone position. This is follow-on research from the National Academies of Science Airport Cooperative Research Project 02-51 and its purpose is to determine whether valid facade noise reduction measurements can be made with the loudspeaker located at the interior of the residence. A comparison of results across the measurement methods will be presented.

A comparative study of international and Chinese digitization from the perspective of mapping knowledge domains

As a powerful tool to promote sustainable development, digitization profoundly impacts economic and social development. Systematically reviewing and performing econometric analyses of the literature in the digitization field can provide reference for the next stage of research. Based on the theory of bibliometric citation analysis and the knowledge domain mapping method, this study takes Web of Science United States (WOS) and Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI) as data sources and uses CiteSpace analysis tools to carry out data mining and visual comparative analysis on Chinese and international research hotspots, knowledge structure, and scientific research co-operation in the digitization field. The results show that (1) Chinese research hotspots and frontiers focus on digitization practice, while international research hotspots and frontiers focus on digitization theory, (2) that there is an ageing fault in the classic Chinese digitization literature, and the classic international digitization literature constantly changes with research hotspots, (3) and that the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom are at the centre of the international digitization scientific research cooperation network. There is close cooperation among international institutions and authors. There are few contacts between Chinese institutions. Chinese authors have less cooperation with authors from other countries in the world.

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology for water quality monitoring: knowledge graph analysis and Frontier trend

Water environment health assessment is one of the vital fields closely related to the quality of human life. The change of material contained in water will lead to the reflectance change of hyperspectral remote sensing data. According to this phenomenon, the water quality parameters are calculated to achieve the purpose of water quality monitoring. Series knowledge graphs in this field are drawn after analyzing 564 publications from WOS (Web of Science) and EI (The Engineering Index) databases since 1994 with the support of VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Including statistics of documents publication time, contribution analysis, the influence of publications and journals, and the influence of funding institutions. It is concluded that the research trend of hyperspectral water quality monitoring is the machine learning algorithm based on UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) hyperspectral instrument data by analyzing scientific research cooperation, keyword analysis, and research hotspots. The whole picture of the research is obtained in this field from four subfields: application scenarios, data sources, water quality parameters, and monitoring algorithms in this paper. It is summarized that the miniaturization, integration, and intelligence of hyperspectral sensors will be the research trend in the next 10 years or even longer. The conclusions have significant reference values for this field.

Including Community Partners in the Development and Adaptation of Intervention Strategies to Prevent Initiation or Escalation of Opioid Misuse.

Current literature lacks clear examples of how to engage with communities in the development of opioid misuse interventions for diverse populations and across various settings. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative (HEAL) Prevention Cooperative (HPC) research projects work collaboratively with communities to develop and adapt their opioid misuse interventions to increase both feasibility and sustainability. Ten HPC projects were selected to receive NIH funding and are required to have partnerships with communities where their intervention is being conducted. This paper applies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-adapted Public Participation Framework to examine the levels of community engagement used by each of these 10 HPC projects (Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium Community Engagement Key Function Committee Task Force on the Principles of Community Engagement, 2015). Using this framework, this paper illustrates the range of community engagement approaches and levels that the HPC projects rely on to develop, adapt, and adopt opioid prevention interventions across diverse populations and settings. This paper also lays a foundation for future examinations of the role of community engagement in intervention implementation and effectiveness and the level of community engagement that is necessary to improve intervention effectiveness.

Assessing the impact of geopolitics on international scientific cooperation - The case of US-China marine pollution research

This study aims to discuss the impact of geopolitical changes on international cooperation in scientific research using a case study of Sino-US international scientific cooperation in the field of marine pollution research. The potential impact of U.S.-China international relations on U.S.-China international scientific research cooperation in marine pollution research using scientometric technique based on the Web of science core dataset. The results show that (i) The deterioration of U.S.-China international relations hasn't decreased in the number of publications in this field, and the number of publications in both China and the United States has shown an increasing trend. Moreover, after 2015, China's publications surpassed those of the United States to become the leading country in scientific research output in the field of marine pollution; (ii) The annual average number of collaborative publications between China and the United States is increasing under the influence of geopolitics, and the scientific research links between them are growing under the influence of geopolitics. The scientific research ties between the two countries remain strengthened during the deterioration of international relations; (ii) As international relations change, China's international partners expand with high frequency of cooperation, while the U.S. has less change in the number of international partners and maintains a stable cooperation. In terms of scientific research output in the field of marine pollution between the US and China, the impact of geopolitics on inter-country research cooperation has not been evident.

Streamlining regulatory review in a multicenter platform trial: Opportunity to enhance patient centered care and drive innovation and efficiency.

1572 Background: In addition to being required by the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects for United States-based institutions that receive federal funding and are engaged in cooperative research projects, the use of a central Institutional Review Board (cIRB) has multiple benefits. Yet more advanced trial designs have unique needs and challenges that may hinder adoption of an efficient cIRB. Platform trials, which require both a master protocol and successive individual protocol amendments for each new agent, are prone to high regulatory burden that can slow trial recruitment, representing a significant workload for study personnel. Specific challenges for platform trials include high burden of new amendments and IRB review schedules staggered across sites, making it challenging to have all sites operating under the same amendment concurrently. Methods: Administrative assessments were collected over the course of the I-SPY2 trial. The primary outcome of interest was time from amendment submission to approval (calculated as the number of days from submission to the local IRB by the site investigators to approval by the local IRB). Quantitative data in terms of hours spent on regulatory tasks pre- and post-cIRB implementation was estimated. Site investigators were asked in December 2022 to complete a brief questionnaire to investigate perceptions on changes to workload and level of comfort using a cIRB. Results: Amendments were activated when 50% of high accruing sites had IRB approval. The number of sites with approval for an amendment to go live was < 25% prior to cIRB adoption, and 83% after. Following transition to the cIRB in February 2021, the mean time from amendment submission to approval decreased from 54.4 to 20.7 days by Jan 2023. Changes to the informed consent were possible once the cIRB was adopted, including: standardizing site-specific IRB language in a section of the consent, so it need not be adjusted with every new agent amendment; standardizing site-specific workflows; shortening consent and making it more patient friendly. The average time that CRCs spent on regulatory work at each site decreased by an average of 160 minutes, but was variable, revealing continued use of local IRB, other committees at some sites. A total of 14 respondents completed the survey; most respondents indicated that keeping up with the amendment approval process was easier post-cIRB and 94% were comfortable relying on a cIRB. The short time for cIRB approval revealed the inefficiency of other processes, including coverage analysis and building of drug order sets. Conclusions: Active engagement of cIRB leadership and IRB working group has enabled regulatory review that now takes less than 30 days. The cIRB is now the standard for the I-SPY family of trials. Other services can also be shared and will continue to drive efficiency and reduce the regulatory burden for sites.