Exploring the affordances of telepresence robots in foreign language learning

The importance of authentic communicative practices in foreign language (FL) learning has long been recognized. However, most FL learners lack adequate access to authentic communicative environments in the target language. In this article, we propose the use of telepresence robots as a potential solution to bridge this gap. Telepresence robots can be controlled by remote language learners online, enabling them to gain virtual access to authentic environments in the target language and to interact with native speakers in those environments in real time. In this exploratory study, three English learners and a native-speaker of American English participated in a campus tour activity using a telepresence robot. We examined the experience of our participants and the conversational features of their telepresence interactions through analyses of the interview data, field notes, and transcripts of conversations captured on video. Our findings show that telepresence robots have substantial potential for promoting FL learning by providing authentic communicative practice for remote language learners. The findings have useful implications for informing future research design

The impact of organizational stigmatization on the operational risk and performance of overseas subsidiaries: empirical evidence from Chinese multinational enterprises

This study used the global database of events, language, and tone of international public opinion big data to measure organizational stigmatization against China. It then used an econometric model to investigate the impact of organizational stigmatization on the operational risk and performance of overseas subsidiaries of Chinese multinational enterprises. The results show that: (1) organizational stigmatization increases overseas subsidiaries’ operational risk and reduces their operational performance, which is more evident in overseas subsidiaries of state-owned enterprises; (2) the host country’s political stability weakens the organizational stigmatization’s positive impact on overseas subsidiaries’ operational risk. The geographical distance between the home and host countries strengthens organizational stigmatization’s positive impact on overseas subsidiaries’ operational risk; (3) the host country’s political stability and the geographical distance between the home and host countries have no moderating effect on organizational stigmatization and overseas subsidiaries’ operational performance; and (4) organizational stigmatization by the host country reduces overseas subsidiaries’ operational performance via the channel of operational risk. This study innovates the measurement method of organizational stigmatization and lays the foundation for investigating the microeconomic impact of organizational stigmatization from the perspective of overseas subsidiaries

Chinese Women’s Family Status: Analysis of Chinese Decennial Surveys, 1990-2010

The experiences and status of Chinese women have significantly changed over the last two to three decades, along with China’s modernization. In this article we investigate the domestic division of labor between the two sexes at the present-day in the context of gender equality. Based on data from three Surveys on Chinese Women’s Social Status taken in 1990, 2000 and 2010, the article focuses on important dimensions of women’s family status, such as general changes in domestic decision-making and the time women spend in domestic labor, including rural-urban differences. The article points to “equal rights for both husband and wife” (Fu Qi Ping Quan, 夫妻平权) as being the major pattern in domestic decision-making, yet men have still more rights than women. Also, women are still the main force in domestic labor, although the difference between the times spent in domestic labor by women and men respectively has gradually narrowed. There also seems to be a greater correlation between education and women’s status in rural areas than in urban areas

Analysis and evaluation of rice grain quality in Indica rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice quality is a comprehensive quantitative trait greatly influenced by heredity and environment. Here, 11 rice quality traits and Rapid Visco-Analyser (RVA) profiles of 30 indica rice germplasms were detected and analyzed. In addition, we used grain size genes and starch synthesis gene Wx to detect the rice quality genotypes of rice. The results showed different degrees of correlation among rice quality traits. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) divided rice quality traits into four principal components, and the cumulative contribution rate reached 82.478%. Cluster analysis divided 30 rice varieties into five categories. The first four types had better rice quality. Identification of rice quality genes indicated that most of the genotypes were GS3, GS9, GW5, GW8 and Wxb, and a few were GW7 and Wxa. Identifying rice quality characteristics and genotypes of rice varieties may lay a theoretical foundation for promoting the cultivation of new rice varieties, enabling breeders andresearchers to develop better rice varieties

Measurement report: The promotion of low-level jet and thermal-effect on development of deep convective boundary layer at the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert

A vigorous development process of the deep convective boundary layer (CBL) was observed at the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert on 6 June, 2022. Based on coherent Doppler wind lidar and ERA5 data, the formation mechanism of the deep CBL exceeding 5 km was well analyzed, which was mainly promoted by the low-level jet (LLJ) and thermal-effect. The LLJ has made sufficient momentum, energy and material preparations for the development of the deep CBL. Firstly, the cold downhill airflow of the Tibet Plateau leading to LLJ weakens the height and intensity of the temperature inversion layer, which reduces the energy demand for the broken of the IL. Secondly, the LLJ not only supplements the material and energy in the residual layer, but also suppresses the exchange with the lower atmosphere. In addition, the LLJ provides a driving force for the development of the deep CBL. In terms of thermal factors, the Tibet Plateau sensible heat driven air-pump and cold front transit provide additional impetus for the development of the deep CBL. Finally, the formation of deep CBL was catalyzed by the extreme thermal effects of the underlying surface, such as the furnace effect and the atmospheric superadiabatic expansion process. The study of the development of the deep CBL is important for revealing the land-air exchange process of momentum, energy, and material between the Taklimakan Desert and the Tibetan Plateau

Weekend admissions and outcomes in patients with pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundTo document pooled evidence on the association between weekend hospital admissions and the potential risks of mortality, intensive care requirements, and readmission among patients with pneumonia.MethodsWe performed a systematic search across the PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. We collected observational studies exploring the association between weekend admissions and outcomes of interest in patients with pneumonia. To analyze the data, we used a random effects model and expressed the effect sizes as pooled odds ratios (ORs) accompanied by their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe analysis comprised data from 13 retrospective studies. Compared to patients admitted on weekdays, those admitted during the weekend had a non-statistically significant marginally higher risk of in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00, 1.04) but similar 30-day mortality after admission (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.97, 1.10), and similar risks of admission to intensive care unit (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.98, 1.11) and re-admission (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.65–1.12).ConclusionOur findings do not support the presence of a “weekend effect” in patients with pneumonia.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO, identifier CRD42023425802, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/

Tetra­kis(2-methyl­benzimidazolium) β-octa­molybdate(VI)

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C8H9N2)4[Mo8O26], consists of two 2-methyl­benzimidazolium cations and one-half of a β-Mo8O26 4− anion, which is completed by crystallographic inversion symmetry. An extensive net of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the cations and anions contribute to the crystal packing