Thanks to our academic editors and peer reviewers

The Editorial Office of Water Science and Engineering would like to express their sincere appreciation to the academic editors including Prof.Carlo Gualtieri from University of Napoli Federico II,Italy,Prof.Guo-qing Wang and Prof.Zhong-zhi Fu from Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute,China,and Prof.Yan-hui Ao,Prof.Ching-sheng Huang,Prof.Guang-qiu Jin,Prof.Bin Xu,Prof.Sai-yu Yuan,Prof.Zeng Zhou,Prof.Bo Chen,and Prof Da-wei Guan from Hohai Uiversity,China,for their great effort and contribution to WSE in the year 2023.

Effects of a school-based karate intervention on academic achievement,psychosocial functioning,and physical fitness:A multi-country cluster randomized controlled trial

Purpose:To examine the effects of a school-based karate intervention on academic achievement,psychosocial functioning,and physical fitness in children aged 7-8 years.Methods:Twenty schools in 5 different European countries(2 second-grade classrooms per school)participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial(Sport at School trial).Participants were assigned to either a control group,which continued with their habitual physical education lessons,or to an intervention group,which replaced these lessons with a 1-year karate intervention(Karate Mind and Movement program).A total of 721 children(344 girls and 377 boys,7.4±0.5 years old,mean±SD)completed the study,of which 333 and 388 were assigned to the control group and intervention group,respectively.Outcomes included academic performance(average grade),psychosocial functioning(Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for parents),and different markers of physical fitness(cardiorespiratory fitness,balance,and flexibility).Results:The intervention provided small but significant benefits compared to the control group for academic achievement(d=0.16;p=0.003),conduct problems(d=-0.28;p=0.003),cardiorespiratory fitness(d=0.36;p<0.001),and balance(d=0.24;p=0.015).There was a trend towards significant benefits for flexibility(d=0.24;p=0.056).No significant benefits were observed for other variables,including psychosocial difficulties,emotional symptoms,hyperactivity/inattention,peer problems,or prosocial behaviour(all p>0.05).Conclusion:A 1-year school-based karate intervention was effective in improving academic achievement,conduct problems,and physical fitness in primary school children.The results support the inclusion of karate during physical education lessons.

International academic symposium of ISO/TC 312 held in Beijing

The international academic symposium of ISO/TC 312, Excellence in ser vice, was held in Beijing on February 27, which was a part of the 11th plenary meeting of the committee. Directed by SAC, organized by China National Institute of Standardization(CNIS), and supported by China Association for Standardization(CAS) and China Civil Airports Association(CCAA), the symposium was attended by over 20,000 representatives in hybrid forms.

Parental Educational Expectations,Academic Pressure,and Adolescent Mental Health:An Empirical Study Based on CEPS Survey Data

Background:This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental educational expectations and adolescent mental health problems,with academic pressure as a moderating variable.Methods:This study was based on the baseline data of the China Education Panel Survey,which was collected within one school year during 2013–2014.It included 19,958 samples from seventh and ninth graders,who ranged from 11 to 18 years old.After removing missing values and conducting relevant data processing,the effective sample size for analysis was 16344.The OLS(Ordinary Least Squares)multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between parental educational expectations,academic pressure,and adolescents’mental health problems.In addition,we established an interaction term between parents’educational expectations and academic pressure to investigate the moderating effect of academic stress.Results:The study found that adolescents whose parents had high educational expectations reported less mental health problems.(β=−0.195;p<0.001).Additionally,adolescents who had high academic pressure reported more mental health problems.(β=0.649;p<0.001).Furthermore,the study found that academic pressure had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between parental educational expectations and adolescents’mental health problems(β=0.082;p<0.001).Conclusion:Parental educational expectations had a close relationship with adolescents’mental health problems,and academic pressure moderated this relationship.For those adolescents with high levels of academic pressure,the association between high parental educational expectations and mental health problems became stronger.On the contrary,for those adolescents with low levels of academic pressure,the association between high parental educational expectations and mental health problems became weaker.These findings shed new light on how parental educational expectations affected adolescent mental health problems and had significant implications for their healthy development.

Forecasting the Academic Performance by Leveraging Educational Data Mining

The study aims to recognize how efficiently Educational DataMining(EDM)integrates into Artificial Intelligence(AI)to develop skills for predicting students’performance.The study used a survey questionnaire and collected data from 300 undergraduate students of Al Neelain University.The first step’s initial population placements were created using Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO).Then,using adaptive feature space search,Educational Grey Wolf Optimization(EGWO)was employed to choose the optimal attribute combination.The second stage uses the SVMclassifier to forecast classification accuracy.Different classifiers were utilized to evaluate the performance of students.According to the results,it was revealed that AI could forecast the final grades of students with an accuracy rate of 97%on the test dataset.Furthermore,the present study showed that successful students could be selected by the Decision Tree model with an efficiency rate of 87.50%and could be categorized as having equal information ratio gain after the semester.While the random forest provided an accuracy of 28%.These findings indicate the higher accuracy rate in the results when these models were implemented on the data set which provides significantly accurate results as compared to a linear regression model with accuracy(12%).The study concluded that the methodology used in this study can prove to be helpful for students and teachers in upgrading academic performance,reducing chances of failure,and taking appropriate steps at the right time to raise the standards of education.The study also motivates academics to assess and discover EDM at several other universities.

Academic Stress Assessment Using Virtual Reality as an Educational Tool in Spine Surgery

Introduction: The evaluation of academic stress in medical students and residents is a topic of significant interest, given the considerable challenges they face during their learning process with traditional teaching methods. The use of technologies like virtual reality presents an opportunity to enhance their skills through simulations and training. The main objective of this study is to qualitatively assess the stress levels experienced by medical students and residents by integrating virtual reality into their current learning methods, aiming to improve their ability to manage stressors in their practice. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was conducted with 12 medical students and 12 Traumatology and orthopedics residents. The purpose of the questionnaire was to evaluate the levels of academic stress using the SISCO inventory. The stress levels were calculated by transforming average values into percentages, and the following criteria were assigned: 0 to 33% for Mild Stress, 34 to 66% for Moderate Stress, and 67 to 100% for Deep Stress. Then, a virtual reality class focused on spine surgery was provided. Both medical students and residents were trained using the Non Nocere SharpSurgeon software platform and Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality glasses. At the end of the session, a second questionnaire related to the practice with virtual reality was conducted with the same evaluation criteria and a comparative analysis was carried out. Results: 12 undergraduate students from Hospital Angeles Mexico, CDMX and 12 traumatology and orthopedics residents at Hospital Santa Fe, Bogota were evaluated. The students in CDMX reported an average qualitative stress of 28.50% during habitual practices, which decreased to an average of 14.67% after virtual reality practice. Residents in Bogotá experienced an average qualitative stress of 30.50% with their current learning methods but this reduced to an average of 13.92% after using virtual reality. These findings indicate that the use of virtual reality has a positive impact on reducing stress levels qualitatively. Conclusions: The use of virtual reality as a learning method for medical students and residents qualitatively improves stress levels. Further studies are required to define the potential uses of Virtual Reality to improve learning methods and emotional state in medical students and residents and for a quantitative assessment to validate the training as certified learning methods.

Application of Academic Salons in Cultivating the Scientific Research Skills of First-Year Nursing Master’s Students

Objective:To explore the application effect of academic salons on developing the scientific research skills of first-year nursing master’s students.Methods:According to Wallas’four-stage model of the creative process,from November 2022 to February 2023,66 first-year nursing master’s students from the School of Nursing at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University were selected using a convenient sampling method to participate in a multidisciplinary academic salon consisting of a total of 8 sessions held once every two weeks.Before the first and after the last academic salon,postgraduate research skills evaluation questionnaires and perception of research skills acquisition questionnaires were used to assess first-year nursing master’s students.A semi-structured interview was conducted with nine students after the final academic salon.Results:The total scores for scientific research skills and sense of achievement among first-year nursing master’s students after the academic salon were higher than those before the salon,and the difference was statistically significant.The interview results showed that the“salon theme,”“tutor comments,”and“sharer output”are the focus of the first-year nursing master’s students in the academic salon.Conclusions:Academic salons can enhance postgraduate students’scientific research skills and foster a greater appreciation for scientific research.We can enhance academic salons by carefully choosing relevant themes,inviting knowledgeable presenters and expert tutors to provide feedback,and prioritizing equality and effective communication.

Peer pressure and academic stress among junior high school students:a cross-sectional study

Objective:The objective of the study was to explore the connection between peer pressure and academic stress among junior high school students.Methods:This descriptive correlational study was conducted to investigate the link between perceived peer pressure and academic stress.The study involved a total of 525 adolescents,aged 14-19 years,drawn from 6 public junior high schools(PJHS)in Padang,Indonesia,using purposive sampling.Academic stress and perceived peer pressure were assessed using the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents(ESSA)and the Perceived Peer Pressure Scale(PPPS).Results:The findings indicated significant variations in stress levels among students in different grade levels(7th,8th,and 9th grades)(P<0.05),while there were no noteworthy differences in peer pressure across these grade levels(P>0.05).Additionally,there was a positive correlation observed between perceived peer pressure and academic stress(r=0.14,P<0.05).Furthermore,multiple regression analyses,incorporating demographic variables and perceived peer pressure as independent factors,yielded statistically significant results(adjusted R^(2)=0.082,F=4.33,P<0.001).Notably,peer pressure had a direct impact on academic stress among adolescents,with class level and parents’educational background mediating the relationship between academic stress and adolescent behavioral problems.Conclusions:These findings underscore the importance of addressing both external and internal factors at the individual,family,school,and societal levels to enhance adolescents’psychological resilience and mitigate problem behaviors.

Translation and psychometric validation of the Korean version of the academic nurse self-efficacy scale for Korean bachelor-level nursing students

Objective:This study aimed to translate the Academic Nurse Self-Efficacy scale(ANSE),assess its appropriateness for use in Korean nursing students,and evaluate the Korean Version of the Academic Nurse Self-Efficacy scale’s(K-ANSE)validity and reliability.Methods:The data of 444 nursing college students at 10 universities across the country were collected from November 1,2020 to June 8,2021.The K-ANSE was analyzed utilizing SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0 programs.The K-ANSE’s content validity,construct validity,convergent/discriminant validity,criterion-related validity,and reliability were evaluated.Results:Internal emotion management,auto-regulatory behavior,external emotion management,and sociality were established.The Cronbach’sαfor the overall scale was 0.87,and that of the 4 subscales ranged from 0.70 to 0.89.Conclusions:The Korean version of the ANSE seems to be a valid and reliable instrument to measure Korean bachelor-level nursing students.

Academic Conference on Vaccines Preventing Respiratory Infections Successfully Held in Beijing

The autumn season marks the peak incidence of respiratory diseases.In order to further enhance the prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases in China and safeguard public health,the Academic Conference on Vaccines Preventing Respiratory Infections,organized by the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association(CPMA).

Thank you to our academic editors and peer reviewers

The Editorial Office of Water Science and Engineering would like to express their sincere appreciation to the academic editors including Prof.Carlo Gualtieri from University of Napoli Federico II,Italy,Prof.Guo-qing Wang and Prof.Zhong-zhi Fu from Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute,China,and Prof.Yan-hui Ao,Prof.Ching-sheng Huang,Prof.Guang-qiu Jin,Prof.Bin Xu,Prof.Sai-yu Yuan,Prof.Zeng Zhou,Prof.Bo Chen,and Prof Da-wei Guan from Hohai Uiversity,China,for their great effort and contribution to WSE in the year 2022.

Relationship between Interaction Anxiousness,Academic Resilience,Cultural Intelligence and Ego-Identity among Chinese Vocational Pathway University Students:A Conditional Process Analysis Model

Background:University students’ego-identity,an essential component of their psychological development and mental health,has widely attracted the attention of policymakers,schools,and parents.Method:A total of 298 Chinese vocational pathway undergraduates were recruited,and a conditional process analysis model was adopted to explore the interaction mechanism of ego-identity.Results:The results suggest that the ego-identity of Chinese vocational pathway undergraduates is significantly affected by interaction anxiousness,academic resilience,and cultural intelligence.(1)Interaction anxiousness significantly and positively predicts ego-identity.(2)Academic resilience positively and partially mediates the effect of interaction anxiousness on ego-identity.(3)Cultural intelligence significantly and positively moderates the relationship between interaction anxiousness and ego-identity.However,a similar moderating effect was not found between interaction anxiousness and academic resilience.(4)As cultural intelligence increases,the negative influence of interaction anxiousness on ego-identity gradually diminishes,whatever the cultural intelligence level.Conclusions:Interaction anxiousness,academic resilience,and cultural intelligence are essential determinants of ego-identity among Chinese vocational pathway undergraduates.Strategic interventions should be utilized to enhance their abilities to alleviate interpersonal tensions,promote their resilience in facing academic difficulties,cope with diverse cultures,and boost their sense of self-confirmation.

Effective interventions to improve domain-specific social, emotional, or academic outcomes for twice-exceptional individuals who are gifted with ADHD as a disability

The demand for effective interventions to improve domain-specific academic outcomes for individuals with special needs at either end of the spectrum has existed for some time.Since the earlier contributions to the literature documenting gifted individuals who were simultaneously exhibiting disabilities,there has been some progress in our understanding.We now know that in individuals with both gifts and disabilities,potentially,either or both of the exceptionalities can obscure the effects of the other,which significantly delays the average time to receive a diagnosis.Such delays in diagnosis detrimentally impact the the form of effective interventions without a diagnosis.The purpose of this paper is t quality of life across various domains because there can be no opportunity to receive help in o determine whether effective interventions exist to improve domain-specific(i.e.,social,emotional,or academic)outcomes for people with both gifts and disabilities.A query was performed using evidence databases TRIP and PDQ for“twice-exceptional,”“Giftedness,”“Disability,”and“intervention.”The four most relevant,freely available studies in English were selected for critique.Despite identifying potential threats to validity among the studies,methodological similarities among them were strong enough to confidently conclude that not only do effective interventions exist for the population of gifted with ADHD,but the outcomes of these interventions may also carry over into other domains resulting in indirect effects.

Tik-Tok Usage During Third Wave of COVID-19 and Its Impacts on Personal,Academic,and Social Life of Teenagers and Youngsters in Turkey

Tik-Tok is a famous entertainment and art creation app that is used all around the world,which enables everyone to make short video clip ranging from 30 seconds to 1 minute and which is published and shared with family,friends,and public.This app is downloaded about 1.5 billion times with 800 million users all around the world,Tik-Tok users from China,India,USA,Russia,and Turkey are at the top.This paper explores the usage of Tik-Tok under the pandemic COVID-19 and how does it impact on personal,academic,and social life of youngsters and teenagers in Turkey.We collected primary data by using questionnaires from four big provinces:Istanbul,Ankara,Izmir,and Antalya(mainly top tourist provinces),500 samples were collected by using convenience sampling method,data collected in between 1 April 2021 to 2 May 2021,data analyzed by Multiple ANOVA,three times simple regression was used to explore the impact of Tik-Tok on personal,academic,and social life separately,furthermore correlation test was also applied to show strength among variables.Results indicate statistical significance(p<0.01)which supports the hypotheses.

CREG held an academic seminar on the development and utilization of rare earth mineral resources

China Rare Earth Group(CREG)held an academic seminar on the development and utilization of rare earth mineral resources in Ganzhou recently.Global new pattern of rare earth resources development and the current situation of technology development were discussed,and the strategic opportunities and challenges faced by China were analyzed.

Exploring the Impact of Translanguaging on Chinese-speaking Students’Academic English Writing:Taking CET-4 as an Example

This qualitative research study attempts to discover the real thinking process of learners who are native Chinese speakers in Academic English Writing(AEW)through interviews.Introspecting an EFL learner’s thinking process in English writing is based on two theories:critical period hypothesis and translanguaging.The results of the study indicate that translanguaging has a positive impact on the English CET-4 writing of learners who lack proficiency in English.For those learners who lack proficiency in the second language,translanguaging is an effective auxiliary tool for them to complete AEW.

Unveiling the Pedagogical Potency of Quizlet:Enhancing Vocabulary Acquisition and Academic Performance Among Business English Major Students in China

The effectiveness of Quizlet,an online vocabulary learning tool,in enhancing vocabulary acquisition and academic performance among Business English major students in China was investigated in this study.With emphasis on the importance of vocabulary proficiency for English learners,especially those in English-related majors,this research aimed to understand the impact of Quizlet on vocabulary mastery and its connection to overall academic success.A one-academic-year longitudinal experiment was carried out involving two classes,utilizing quantitative methods for assessing vocabulary retention and academic progress.Improvement was seen in the final exam rankings and vocabulary retention rates in Quizlet-engaged classes.Hopefully,this study could provide valuable insights for educators,curriculum designers,and researchers,guiding the optimization of language acquisition strategies in the digital age.

An Exploratory Study of Hedging in Chinese ESL Learners' Academic

Hedging, referring to the use of various lexical and syntactic features modifying and mitigating propositions and claims, is extensively employed in effective academic writing. However, the use of hedges seems to be quite problematic for lots of Chinese ESL learners. In view of the situation, this study explores the use of hedges in academic abstracts by a group of undergraduate English majors in a university in Hainan Province. After analyzing data from a corpus and interviews, several problems have been found in the use of hedging devices of these students, and relevant implications have been drawn to the teaching of hedging in the context, which can help the students produce more effective academic writing and to achieve greater university success.

An Empirical Study on Academic Writing of Applied Linguistics Articles

It has been suggested that Swales’create-a-research-space(CARS)model has had a tremendous influence on genre analysis in EAP and ESP and on the teaching of academic writing aiming at both L1 students or NNS students.In this essay,five RAs from TESOL Quarterly published from 1999 to 2001 will be analysed.The papers were selected because they were close in time and they had clearly defined and labelled introduction and conclusion sections.Based on CARS model,the paper will focus on structure of introductions and examine the link between introductions and conclusions by analysing the structure of conclusions.

Academic Writing from the Perspective of Second Language Acquisition

Under the influence of Chomsky's idea of the innate language faculty, language aptitude is seen as a special ability which is separate from general cognitive ability in the field of SLA. Thus, some linguists(Krashen, 1985) argue that language acquisition is a natural process and the acquired language knowledge contributes to the actual use of a second language. Furthermore,language learning through teaching or error correction is a conscious process which only means the learner knows the language knowledge, but it does not mean the learner can use this learnt knowledge to express something. However, Cummins(1979) argues that there are two independent language abilities, i.e., basic interpersonal communication skills and academic language proficiency. BICS refers to the ability required for oral communication and it can be acquired naturally, while CALP is in relation to one's academic language ability which can be developed by formal instruction. Cummins' proposal has made a great contribution to the awareness of classroom instruction in developing learners' academic skills including academic writing in SLA. The principle goal of this paper is to consider the characteristics of academic essays and the writing strategies of them. The major claim of this paper is that an academic essay is written for the purpose of explaining something, comparing two different things, analyzing facts, or trying to convince readers to accept the author's perspectives. Therefore, it is significant to write an academic essay by employing the strategies of definition, serializing, comparison, classification, and critical analysis, etc.