Oldest fossil record of larval neuropterans found in Inner Mongolia [Phys.org, February 2023]

Title:

Oldest fossil record of larval neuropterans found in Inner Mongolia

 

Author:

Bob Yirka

 

Published:

Phys.org, 15 February 2023

https://phys.org/news/2023-02-oldest-fossil-larval-neuropterans-mongolia.html

 

From the article:

A team of paleontologists at the Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, working with a colleague from the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, both in China, has identified the oldest known fossil record of larval neuropterans. 

 

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Title:

Giant Jurassic dragon lacewing larvae with lacustrine palaeoecology represent the oldest fossil record of larval neuropterans 

 

Authors:

Xuheng Du, Kecheng Niu & Tong Bao 

 

Published:

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 15 February 2023

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.2500

 

Abstract:

Neuropterans seem to be less specious among holometabolans, while they are in fact the relicts of a diverse group from the Mesozoic era. Their early radiation resulted in great family level morphological heterogeneity of extant neuropterans, especially of their larvae. The earliest previously reported fossil larvae of this group were from the Early Cretaceous, where they already showed high taxonomic diversity and an extremely wide range of variations in morphotypes. In this work, the earliest record of the larva of the neuropteran Palaeoneurorthus baii gen. et sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Beds of China is described. The larvae, which have large and elongated bodies, straight stylets with curved apices, an extremely elongated cervix and an extended anterior lobe of pronotum, are placed in Nevrorthidae. The elongated cervix is probably a specialized adaptation for hunting small organisms. The palaeoenvironment of these larvae indicates that larvae of Nevrorthidae have exhibited stable aquatic ecology since the Middle Jurassic, and underwent a possible shift from lakes to more lotic yet constricted modern mountain rivulet habitats over time. 

 

University insiders' perceptions of doctoral education development in five East and Southeast Asian countries: An institutional logics perspective [Scholarly Article - European Journal of Education, 2022]

Title:

University insiders' perceptions of doctoral education development in five East and Southeast Asian countries: An institutional logics perspective

 

Authors:

Tengteng Zhuang, Baocun Liu & Ruichang Ding

 

Publication:

European Journal of Education, 27 June 2022

https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12516

 

Abstract:

This article reports on a study that analysed multiple logics behind the development of doctoral education in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. The analysis focused on the development over the past two decades and general measures to ensure quality. Research materials analysed in this article consisted of semi-structured interviews with insiders in the doctoral education system in each of the five countries. The findings reveal that the growth of the doctoral education sector in China follows state logic, profession logic and corporation logic. Doctoral education in Japan shows state logic, profession logic and market logic. State logic, market logic and corporation logic are manifested in South Korea's doctoral education sector, whereas state logic and profession logic are prominent in Singapore. Doctoral education in Thailand mostly follows state logic and market logic. Establishing and completing the external and internal quality mechanisms, tightening quality inspection procedures and raising requirements for students are common measures put in place for quality assurance throughout East and Southeast Asia.

The countries maintaining research ties with Russia despite Ukraine [Nature, April 2022]

Title:

The countries maintaining research ties with Russia despite Ukraine 

 

Authors:

Smriti Mallapaty, T. V. Padma, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, Richard Van Noorden & Ehsan Masood

 

Published:

Nature, 6 April 2022

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00945-3

 

From the article:

Many Western nations are severing scientific links — but it’s a different story in China, India and South Africa.

 

Distance higher education and regional equality in China Scholarly Article - European Journal of Education, April 2022]

Title: 

Distance higher education and regional equality in China  

 

Authors: 

Fengliang Li, Feiyu Wu & Zhilin Wang  

 

Published: 

European Journal of Education, 5 April 2022 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ejed.12502   

 

Abstract: 

Distance higher education plays a critical role in the promotion of regional equality in China by contributing to the availability of higher education. However, unbalanced regional development of distance higher education can lead to a widening of educational inequity. The study on which this article reports sheds light on the issue of unbalanced regional development of distance higher education in China, using provincial data that spans from 2008 to 2018. A dual-index method with Gini coefficient and Theil index was employed to measure regional inequality of distance higher education in China. The findings show that tertiary correspondence education and tertiary radio and television education represent a comparatively small percentage of the regional inequality in distance higher education. Online tertiary education contributes to a greater extent to regional inequality in distance higher education. Intra-regional inequality constituted a large percentage of the total inequality. Also, intra-regional inequality in tertiary correspondence education has increased in western, and central China from 2008 to 2018. Inequality in tertiary radio and television education has also increased in central China from 2008 to 2016. Intra-regional inequality in online tertiary education was marked in all three regions, while inter-regional inequality in online tertiary education decreased from 2008 to 2018.

 

CHINA - New genetic research rules: What impact on collaboration? [University World News, April 2022]

Title:

New genetic research rules: What impact on collaboration? 

 

Author:

Yojana Sharma 

 

Published:

University World News, 7 April 2022

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220407145532404

 

From the article:

New regulatory guidelines on ethical genetic research in fields that require research use of human and animal genetic resources have been released by the Chinese government.

 

How should HE respond to the new geopolitical dynamics? [University World News, February 2022]

Title:   

How should HE respond to the new geopolitical dynamics?  

 

Author: 

Catherine Saracco   

 

Published:    

University World News, 8 February 2022 

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220208142502416  

 

From the article: 

Over the past decade, the global geopolitical balance has undergone considerable upheaval. Will global competition between the United States, China and Europe continue to be the benchmark for student mobility flows? Will the Anglo-Saxon model of higher education be able to resist these challenges? Looking at four major trends.

 

Chris Wyatt Africa Video (January 2022) - China in Africa: a view from the Middle Kingdom with Eric Olander, Managing Editor of The China Africa Project (CAP)

Title of video:

China in Africa: a view from the Middle Kingdom with Eric Olander

Interviewer:

Chris Wyatt

Interviewee:

Eric Olander

Managing Editor of The China Project (CAP), an independent, non-partisan multimedia news initiative dedicated to exploring every facet of Chinese engagement in Africa.

 

Duration of interview/video:

1:52:12

Published:

Chris Wyatt Africa, 21 January 2022

https://rumble.com/vszlps-china-in-africa-a-view-from-the-middle-kingdom-with-eric-olander.html

Charm and China in a multipolar world [National University of Singapore, December 2021]

Title:

Charm and China in a multipolar world

 

Author/Speaker:

Former Foreign Minister Mr George Yeo

Visiting Scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS

 

Published:

National University of Singapore, 6 December 2021

https://www.nus.edu.sg/newshub/news/2021/2021-12/2021-12-06/CHINA-st-6dec-pA18.pdf

 

From the description:

Time and patience are needed for a multipolar superstructure to emerge. In the meantime, it is in China’s interests to know when to go hard or soft in its relations with others.

 

Note:

This talk is part of the Thought Leadership presentations of NUS. Some of the world’s leaders, and leading thinkers from NUS and overseas, regularly gather and add to the rich diversity of thoughts and ideas on our campuses, in Singapore and across the globe. 

China’s Technology Cooperation with Russia: Geopolitics, Economics, and Regime Security [Scholarly Article - The Chinese Journal of International Politics, 2021]

Title:

China’s Technology Cooperation with Russia: Geopolitics, Economics, and Regime Security 

 

Author:

Christopher Weidacher Hsiungh

Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Stockholm, Sweden

 

Published:

The Chinese Journal of International Politics, Volume 14, Issue 3, Autumn 2021

https://academic.oup.com/cjip/article-abstract/14/3/447/6352583?redirectedFrom=fulltext

 

Abstract:

Technology cooperation has long constituted an important part in China’s bilateral engagement with Russia. In recent years, however, Sino-Russian technology cooperation has seen a remarkable increase and both sides now view such interaction as a core dimension in the current and future development of the strategic partnership. This article examines the two countries’ technological collaboration, focusing in particular on China’s engagement with Russia in emerging technologies and strategic domains. The article argues that three explanations account to explain closer engagement from China: (i) intensified strategic competition with the USA, (ii) broader efforts to expand the overall trade and economic relationship with Russia, and (iii) domestic regime security incentives. Overall, while there exist several challenges and obstacles, increased technology cooperation will continue to expand and also enhance the Sino-Russian strategic partnership. This does not mean that China and Russia will form a formal alliance, but technology cooperation will constitute a critical component in their bilateral relationship, as it reduces their dependence on Western technology, and further consolidates an already well-grounded bilateral relationship.

A Marriage of Convenience on the Rocks? Revisiting the Sino–Angolan Relationship [Scholarly Article - Africa Spectrum, October 2021]

Title:

A Marriage of Convenience on the Rocks? Revisiting the Sino–Angolan Relationship 

 

Authors:

Paulo de Carvalho, Dominik Kopiński & Ian Taylor

 

Published:

Africa Spectrum, 22 October 2021

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00020397211042384

 

Abstract:

China's relationship with Angola – which is both the region's top oil exporter to China and recipient of the highest amount of Chinese loans – represents a critical case when it comes to studying Sino–African relations. The Sino–Angolan relationship, forged for purely pragmatic reasons at an opportune moment of mutual need in the early 2000s, has been labelled a ‘marriage of convenience’. A variety of factors have, however, altered the environment in which China first made inroads into Angola; most notably a decline in oil prices, and the 2017 political transition. These have provided fresh impetus to the Angolan political economy and relations with China. Based on interviews we show that although oil remains a central ingredient, China's role has substantially evolved. The marriage of convenience is experiencing a period of rocky introspection, one in which the notion of China having sway in Angola can finally be laid to rest.

HONG KONG - What is the fate of Hong Kong’s universities under Xi? [University World News, November 2021]

Title:

What is the fate of Hong Kong’s universities under Xi? 

 

Author:

Bryan E Penprase & John Aubrey Douglass  

 

Published:

University World News, 3 November 2021

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20211103141457620

 

From the article:

These are dark days for universities, and more generally civil liberties, in Hong Kong. In the early 1980s, China’s president Deng Xiaoping outlined the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ for the reunification of Hong Kong with China as part of negotiations with the United Kingdom.

 

China’s clampdown on fake-paper factories picks up speed [Nature, October 2021]

Title:

China’s clampdown on fake-paper factories picks up speed 

 

Author:

Holly Els 

Published:

Nature, 1 October 2021

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02587-3

 

From the article:

As part of a misconduct crackdown, Chinese funders are penalizing researchers who commission sham journal articles from ‘paper mills’, but some say the measures still don’t go far enough.

 

CHINA - China wants to build a mega spaceship that’s nearly a mile long [LiveScience, September 2021]

Title:

China wants to build a mega spaceship that’s nearly a mile long

 

Author:

Edd Gent

 

Published:

LiveScience, 2 September 2021

https://www.livescience.com/mega-spaceship-china-proposal.html

 

From the article: 

China is investigating how to build ultra-large spacecraft that are up to 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) long. But how feasible is the idea, and what would be the use of such a massive spacecraft?  

 

The project is part of a wider call for research proposals from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, a funding agency managed by the country's Ministry of Science and Technology. A research outline posted on the foundation's website described such enormous spaceships as "major strategic aerospace equipment for the future use of space resources, exploration of the mysteries of the universe, and long-term living in orbit."

 

Meet 'dragon man,' the latest addition to the human family tree [CNN, 25 June 2021]

Title:

Meet 'dragon man,' the latest addition to the human family tree

 

Author:

Katie Hunt

 

Published:

CNN, 25 June 2021

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/25/asia/dragon-man-china-early-human-scn/index.html

 

From the article:

A cranium hidden at the bottom of a well in northeastern China for more than 80 years may belong to a new species of early human that researchers have called "dragon man."  The exciting discovery is the latest addition to a human family tree that is rapidly growing and shifting, thanks to new fossil finds and analysis of ancient DNA preserved in teeth, bones and cave dirt.

 

Values gaps affecting human resources management relations between expats and locals: The case of a Chinese manufacturer in South Africa [Scholarly Article - AJM, 2021]

Title:

Values gaps affecting human resources management relations between expats and locals: The case of a Chinese manufacturer in South Africa

 

Authors:

Yanyin Zi, College of Intercultural Communication, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan

&

Arthur Linke, Stellenbosch University Business School, Western Cape South Africa 

Published:

African Journal of Management, Volume 7, Issue 2, 6 May 2021

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23322373.2021.1902213

Abstract:

Chinese companies have continued to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) and engagement within Africa, perceived as a last global frontier market, particularly in light of China’s Belt and Road initiative. The literature highlights a number of human resources management (HRM) risks, challenges and misalignments, including values gaps between Chinese company expats and local stakeholders, affecting achievement of the objectives of FDI. Whilst Chinese (Confucianism) and African (Ubuntu) cultural values may appear similar on the surface, there are significant differences in their finer detail that cause HRM challenges in practice. This ethnographic study examined a Chinese manufacturer in post-apartheid South Africa, decoding significant gaps in values towards key themes affecting HRM relations between Chinese expats and local personnel, such as styles of communication, community building, transparency, and planning horizon. Addressing these values gaps was critical to achieving positive HRM outcomes, and thus to the success of the local organization and ultimately the achievement of FDI objectives. Recommendations indicate how the organization and individuals can further contribute towards bridging values gaps, thereby building HRM relations and relationships.

How China’s space station could help power astronauts to Mars [South China Morning Post, June 2021]

Title:

How China’s space station could help power astronauts to Mars 

 

Author:

Stephen Chen 

Published:

South China Morning Post, 2 June 2021

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3135770/how-chinas-space-station-could-help-power-astronauts-mars

 

From the article:

* The Tiangong’s core module is set to become the first crewed vessel powered by ion drives – a technology that could slash journey times to the red planet 

 

* The thrusters have been in use since the 1970s, but China hopes to develop them on a much larger scale for its deep space missions  

Spatial identification and scenario simulation of the ecological transition zones under the climate change in China [Scholarly Article - Journal of Geographical Sciences, April 2021]

Title:

Spatial identification and scenario simulation of the ecological transition zones under the climate change in China

 

Author:

Zemeng Fan

 

Published:

Journal of Geographical Sciences, Volume 31, pp. 497-512 (April 2021)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11442-021-1855-7

 

Abstract:

Explicitly identifying the spatial distribution of ecological transition zones (ETZs) and simulating their response to climate scenarios is of significance in understanding the response and feedback of ecosystems to global climate change. In this study, a quantitative spatial identification method was developed to assess ETZ distribution in terms of the improved Holdridge life zone (iHLZ) model. Based on climate observations collected from 782 weather stations in China in the T0 (1981–2010) period, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (IPCC CMIP5) RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 climate scenario data in the T1 (2011–2040), T2 (2041–2070), and T3 (2071–2100) periods, the spatial distribution of ETZs and their response to climate scenarios in China were simulated in the four periods of T0, T1, T2, and T3. Additionally, a spatial shift of mean center model was developed to quantitatively calculate the shift direction and distance of each ETZ type during the periods from T0 to T3. The simulated results revealed 41 ETZ types in China, accounting for 18% of the whole land area. Cold temperate grassland/humid forest and warm temperate arid forest (564,238.5 km2), cold temperate humid forest and warm temperate arid/humid forest (566,549.75 km2), and north humid/humid forest and cold temperate humid forest (525,750.25 km2) were the main ETZ types, accounting for 35% of the total ETZ area in China. Between 2010 and 2100, the area of cold temperate desert shrub and warm temperate desert shrub/thorn steppe ETZs were projected to increase at a rate of 4% per decade, which represented an increase of 3604.2, 10063.1, and 17,242 km2 per decade under the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. The cold ETZ was projected to transform to the warm humid ETZ in the future. The average shift distance of the mean center in the north wet forest and cold temperate desert shrub/thorn grassland ETZs was generally larger than that of other ETZs, with the mean center moving to the northeast and the shift distance being more than 150 km during the periods from T0 to T3. In addition, with a gradual increase of temperature and precipitation, the ETZs in northern China displayed a shifting northward trend, while the area of ETZs in southern China decreased gradually, and their mean center moved to high-altitude areas. The effects of climate change on ETZs presented an increasing trend in China, especially in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

 

China Turns To Virtual Reality (VR) Technology To Hone Combat Skills Of Its Soldiers (by Mansij Asthana)

Title:

China Turns To Virtual Reality (VR) Technology To Hone Combat Skills Of Its Soldiers

 

Author:

Mansij Asthana 

 

Published:

The EurAsian Times, 24 March 2021

https://eurasiantimes.com/china-turns-to-virtual-reality-vr-technology-to-hone-combat-skills-of-its-soldiers/

 

From the article:

China has started training its military personnel with the help of virtual reality (VR) technologies to increase their combat capabilities, according to reports.

 

The Emerging Phenomenon of Anti-Chinese Populism in Africa: Evidence from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ghana [Scholarly Article - Insight on Africa, Dec 2020]

Title:

The Emerging Phenomenon of Anti-Chinese Populism in Africa: Evidence from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ghana

 

Author:

Hagan Sibiri

School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

 

Published:

Insight on Africa, 24 December 2020

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0975087820971443

 

Abstract:

This article explores the salient of anti-Chinese sentiments in Africa and how it has been utilised or materialised as a populist strategy in election campaigns. The contention herein is that anti-Chinese populism has emerged from the rising anti-Chinese sentiments and is utilised primarily as a rhetorical strategy to gain electoral support. In particular, political actors mostly seeking power are inclined to identify and declamatorily rehashed the salient issues driving the anti-Chinese sentiments in political platforms to attract attention and to gain the support of the electorate’s concern about same issues. This dimension of populism hinges not on ideational leanings, but nothing more than an opportunist strategy of exploiting wedge issues for electoral gains. The implications of such an emerging phenomenon cannot be underestimated. Not only is it a hindrance to the budding Africa–China relations but also decadent for China’s global status and its ambitious foreign policy.

 

CHINA - Population genomics reveal rapid genetic differentiation in a recently invasive population of Rattus norvegicus [Scholarly Article - Frontiers in Zoology, 26 January 2021]

Title:

Population genomics reveal rapid genetic differentiation in a recently invasive population of Rattus norvegicus 

 

Authors:

Yi Chen, Lei Zhao, Huajing Teng, Chengmin Shi, Quansheng Liu, Jianxu Zhang & Yaohua Zhang

 

Published:

Frontiers in Zoology, 26 January 2021

https://frontiersinzoology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12983-021-00387-z

 

Abstract:

Background 

Invasive species bring a serious effect on local biodiversity, ecosystems, and even human health and safety. Although the genetic signatures of historical range expansions have been explored in an array of species, the genetic consequences of contemporary range expansions have received little attention, especially in mammal species. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing to explore the rapid genetic change and introduction history of a newly invasive brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) population which invaded Xinjiang Province, China in the late 1970s.  

 

Results 

Bayesian clustering analysis, principal components analysis, and phylogenetic analysis all showed clear genetic differentiation between newly introduced and native rat populations. Reduced genetic diversity and high linkage disequilibrium suggested a severe population bottleneck in this colonization event. Results of TreeMix analyses revealed that the introduced rats were derived from an adjacent population in geographic region (Northwest China). Demographic analysis indicated that a severe bottleneck occurred in XJ population after the split off from the source population, and the divergence of XJ population might have started before the invasion of XJ. Moreover, we detected 42 protein-coding genes with allele frequency shifts throughout the genome for XJ rats and they were mainly associated with lipid metabolism and immunity, which could be seen as a prelude to future selection analyses in the novel environment of XJ.  

 

Conclusions 

This study presents the first genomic evidence on genetic differentiation which developed rapidly, and deepens the understanding of invasion history and evolutionary processes of this newly introduced rat population. This would add to our understanding of how invasive species become established and aid strategies aimed at the management of this notorious pest that have spread around the world with humans.