International Comparative Study on the Curriculum Connection between Middle and Higher Vocational Education

The modern vocational education system is the premise and logical starting point of the Curriculum Connection between Middle and Higher Vocational Education , which is the foundation of constructing modern vocational education system. The international comparative study method is employed to organize, study and analyze the Curriculum Connection between Middle and Higher Vocational Education in the major developed countries in the world. The thesis is aimed at finding the distinctive development characteristics and common development rules of the Curriculum Connection between Middle and Higher Vocational Education in main developed countries,so as to provide experience reference for the future theoretical research and practical research in China

Effects of benthic algae on release of soluble reactive phosphorus from sediments: a radioisotope tracing study

AbstractTo evaluate the effect of benthic algae on soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) release from sediments in shallow lakes, experiments on SRP release with and without benthic algae in sediment cores and an experiment on SRP uptake by benthic algae were conducted using the radioisotope (32P) tracing method. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in sediment cores was also investigated. The results show that benthic algae effectively reduce the release of SRP from sediments to overlying water. The uptake of SRP by benthic algae, which is the direct way in which benthic algae affect the SRP release from sediments, is low in filtered water and increases with the SRP concentration. However, in the experiment, the increased uptake rate lasted for a short time (in one hour), and after that it returned to a low rate. Benthic algae make the DO concentration and the oxic layer thickness increased, which can indirectly reduce the SRP release from sediments. These findings indicate that benthic algae can reduce the SRP release from sediments in both direct and indirect ways. It seems that the indirect way also plays an important role in reducing the SRP release from sediments

Applying Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Nurses' Intention and Volunteering to Care for Sars Patients in Southern Taiwan

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) spread worldwide after an outbreak in Guangdong Province, China, in mid-November 2002. Health care workers were at highest risk of infection. The purpose of this study, which was based on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB), was to determine the extent to which personal attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control influence nurses' intention and volunteering to care for SARS patients. After the SARS outbreak, a total of 750 staff nurses (response rate 90%) at one hospital completed a questionnaire assessing their intention to provide care to SARS patients. Overall, 42.7% of nurses had a positive intention to provide care to SARS patients, and 25.4% of nurses would volunteer to care for SARS patients. Four factors explaining 35% of the variance in nurses' intention to care for SARS patients were self-efficacy (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), attitude (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), years of working in the study hospital (β = −0.15, p < 0.001), and receiving resources from the hospital (β = 0.13, p < 0.001). Two factors explaining 15% of the variance in nurses' volunteering to care for SARS patients were intention (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and attitude (β = 0.15, p < 0.001). The final model shows that the variables of the TPB contributed significantly to the explanation of a portion of variance in nurses' intention and volunteering to care for SARS patients. The results are helpful for human resources managers facing a new contagious disease

Mandarin For All: Book 2

The course is intended for general public who wish to learn to speak Mandarin for everyday conversation purposes. The course module has been specially edited for non-native undergraduate students. The course module designed is based on the format of the Chinese Proficiency Test named as Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) level 2, China