The “Colour Family Drawing Test”: Assessing Children’s Perception of Family Relationships. Studies on Mental Health and Cross-Cultural Comparisons

We apply the Colour Family Drawing Test, as a development of the traditional black and white test, for cross-cultural comparison. The participants, aged 7 - 10 years, both genders, were examined individually. Each subject sat at a single table with a white rectangular card of standard size, 24 well-sharpened colour pencils, a black pencil, an eraser and other appropriate tools. S/he received this verbal instruction: “Draw your family”. The procedure was firstly applied to 120 participants attending primary schools of Rome (Biasi, Bonaiuto and Levin, 2014). The families were evaluated through a semi-structural interview conducted with the children’s teachers and divided into: Harmonious versus Very Conflictual Families. The drawings made by children of Harmonious Families consistently used “Reassuring and Playful Colours” (Pink, Orange, Sky Blue, Light Green, Light Yellow, other pastel colours);and were larger, tidier and more proportioned to respect the opposite group. Children belonging to Conflictual Families used mostly “Alarming and Serious Colours” (Grey, Black, Dark Bleu, Violet, Olive Green) and their drawings were less extended, more often disordered and had typical deformations such as figures too thin. A second investigation examined 120 participants belonging to Asian immigrant families residing in Italy. A third investigation examined 120 participants belonging to Russian families of Moscow. Both last two investigations obtained very similar results on the use of colours, and gave a confirmation of the relevance of the Colour Family Drawing Test.

Cross-cultural Comparison of Cognitive Structure and Behavior of Waterfront Landscape between Subjects of China,Japan and Britain

In order to explore the cultural value of waterfront in urban landscape,from the perspective of cross-cultural comparison psychology,the subjects from Britain,Japan and China have been surveyed to obtain their cognitive structure and behavior on waterfront landscape.Based on the comparison of quantitative statistic results of life value,cognitive structure of waterfront space,and water-loving,a quantitative analysis has been conducted on the relevance between each factor by using Quantification Theory III.Then,it has analyzed the types and purpose of behavior in waterfront space,and the influence brought by cultural value difference.

Motor competence and health-related fitness in children:A cross-cultural comparison between Portugal and the United States

Background: Motor competence and health-related fitness are important components for the development and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle in children. This study examined cross-cultural performances on motor competence and health-related fitness between Portuguese and U.S.children.Methods: Portuguese(n = 508; 10.14 § 2.13 years, mean § SD) and U.S.(n = 710; 9.48 § 1.62 years) children performed tests of cardiorespiratory fitness(Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run), upper body strength(handgrip), locomotor skill performance(standing long jump), and object projection skill performance(throwing and kicking). Portuguese and U.S. children were divided into 2 age groups(6à9 and 10à13 years) for data analysis purposes. A twoàfactor oneàway analysis of covariance(ANOVA) was conducted with the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, handgrip, standing long jump scores, kicking, and throwing speed(km/h) as dependent variables.Results: Results indicated that Portuguese children, irrespective of sex, presented better performances in locomotor and cardiorespiratory performance(standing long jump and Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) than U.S. children in both age bands. U.S. children outperformed Portuguese children during throwing and handgrip tests. Kicking tests presented gender differences: Portuguese boys and U.S. girls outperformed their internationally matched counterparts.Conclusion: Cultural differences in physical education curricula and sports participation may impact differences in motor competence and fitness development in these countries.

Cross-Cultural Studies and ELT-Designing a Cross-Cultural Communication Course

From country to country, social taboos, politics, religious traditions and values differ. Cross-cultural communication refers to communication between people of different cultures. This paper is about what will be discussed in the Cross-Cultural Communication course and how we can ＂teach＂ the target culture which involves so many topics to students who usually do not have close contact with native speakers of English and have little opportunity to discover how these speakers think, feel and act in their own way.

A Comparison of Languages on the Chinese and English Clothing Tags from the Cross-cultural Perspective

With the rapid growth of China's marketing economy, a lot of China-made clothes sweep into the foreign markets in recent years, so the internationalization, standardization and normalization of the languages of the clothing tags seem more important than they probably are. From the cross-cultural perspective and with the help of stylistic analysis, the author studies the languages of 10 Chinese-version clothing tags and 10 original English-version clothing tags respectively in lexis, syntax and discourse. The English version of Chinese clothing tags inclines to use the imperative sentences with strong tone of command, and their corresponding sentence structures and those of the original English clothing tags are not alike. Comparatively the latter give a more static feeling in a milder tone. In the perspective of lexis and discourse, clothing tags, both home and abroad, use the simple words and add the words with pictures. Tentatively, the author gets a general conclusion of the skills and characteristics of English clothing tags' language. Besides, according to the current problems existing in the Chinese clothing tags' translation,the author gives the relative advice to the Chinese clothing company in order to promote the international commercial communication, besides, the author expects more studies on this field with a new view point.

Cross-Cultural Comparison: Aesthetic Appreciation of Palace Art in the Mid-Qing Dynasty and French“Rococo”Art

In the cross-cultural context,as artistic and cultural phenomena between the East and the West,the palace art in the mid-Qing Dynasty and the French“Rococo”art is bound to be influenced by the social history,artistic and cultural environment in which they live.Through a parallel comparison of the aesthetics of court art in the mid-Qing Dynasty and French Rococo art,it is found that there are similarities in the social and cultural environments and the aesthetic tastes of the aesthetic subject at that time,and there are differences in the presentation of the function of art culture and the aesthetic style of the aesthetic subject.At the same time,there is a phenomenon of the east-west integration of“western law for use”and“eastern elements”.

Problems and principles in translation of cross-cultural research instruments

The process of translation is an important part of cross-cultural studies. Cross-cultural researchers are often confronted by the need to translate instruments from one language to another. In the translation, linguistic equivalence, functional equivalence, cultural equivalence and metric equivalence are factors that need to be considered greatly. This paper examines the translation of cross-cultural research instrument from these points of view, illustrates with examples and puts forward suggestions for incorporating each factor into research studies.

A Comparison study of First and Second Language Acquisition

More focuses of foreign language teaching theory and practice are on the study of first language and second language acquisition. The article deals with the concept of first and second language acquisition, the relationship between them and the factors influencing on them. The characteristics of the children acquisition and adult acquisition are also studied.

A Comparison Study of Tropical Pacific Ocean State Estimation:Low-Resolution Assimilation vs.High-Resolution Simulation

A comparison study is performed to contrast the improvements in the tropical Pacific oceanic state of a low-resolution model respectively via data assimilation and by an increase in horizontal resolution. A low resolution model (LR) (1°lat by 2°lon) and a high-resolution model (HR) (0.5°lat by 0.5°lon) are employed for the comparison. The authors perform 20-yr numerical experiments and analyze the annual mean fields of temperature and salinity. The results indicate that the low-resolution model with data assimilation behaves better than the high-resolution model in the estimation of ocean large-scale features. From 1990 to 2000, the average of HR's RMSE (root-mean-square error) relative to independent Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project (TAO) mooring data at randomly selected points is 0.97℃ compared to a RMSE of 0.56℃ for LR with temperature assimilation. Moreover, the LR with data assimilation is more frugal in computation. Although there is room to improve the high-resolution model, the low-resolution model with data assimilation may be an advisable choice in achieving a more realistic large-scale state of the ocean at the limited level of information provided by the current observational system.

A comparison study of two Tricept units for reconfigurable parallel kinematic machines

This paper presents a comparison study of workspace and dexterity of two Tricept units for Reconfigurable Parallel Kinematic Machines （RPKMs）. The modular leg of RPKMs is designed and the RPKMs can be built by changing tile setting of modules. A compositive kinematic model is developed accordingly. The inverse kinematics and Jacobian of these two Trieept units are analyzed. Considering workspaee volume and dexterity, the effeets of geometric size of some modules on the two Trieept units are discussed. In the end, comparison results of these two Tricept units are. given. The eomparison of two kinds of Parallel Kinematic Machines （PKMs） can be of help in the design and configuration planning of the RPKMs.

A Study on Applications and Case Studies Regarding Bluetooth Technology for Travel Time Measurement

Bluetooth technology emerged over twenty years ago and has continuously improved throughout the years to meet diverse and complex applications. Initially invented to replace the need for physical data cables, Bluetooth offers users a quick and easy way to share data files over a wireless network. Traffic engineers and transportation engineering researchers have utilized the potential opportunities that exist with Bluetooth and have implemented this technology into traffic monitoring techniques. To gain a better understanding of Bluetooth sensors and how they work, a comprehensive literature search was conducted. Twenty-five articles were studied regarding case studies of Bluetooth sensor implementation for travel time measurement. Besides reviewing the literature and previous case studies, three new case studies in the State of Delaware, USA, were also conducted and carefully analyzed. The benefits and drawbacks associated with Bluetooth technology for travel time measurements have been identified in this paper. The overall conclusion of the authors is Bluetooth alone and by itself is not a proper technology for travel time measurements. More studies need to be conducted on the accuracy and overall application, before one can confidently utilize the Bluetooth technology for travel time measurements.

A Model Comparison Study of Fragment Production in 140 A MeV 58,64Ni+9Be Reactions

The cross sections of fragments produced in the 140 A MeV58,64Ni＋9 Be projectile fragmentation reactions are calculated by using the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics （AMD） model, the modified statistical abrasion- ablation （SAA） model, and the empirical EPAX2/EPAX3 formulae. The Gogny-gO interaction is taken as the effective nucleon-nucleon interaction in the AMD calculation, and the decays of fragments obtained from the AMD results are calculated by using the GEMINI code. The calculated cross sections of fragments are compared.

Cross-Cultural Bioethics at an International University in Japan

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University （APU） in Beppu city, Japan has a large body of students from well over 90 countries, especially from the Asia Pacific region, including Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian students. To improve analytical thinking skills among college students, a course on ＂bioethics＂ was introduced and offered in two consecutive semesters to undergraduate students for which 245 students registered at each semester. The course was taught in the form of 14 lecture and discussion sessions, each for 95 minutes based on the content of A Cross-Cultural Introduction to Bioethics （2006） edited by Darryl Macer, and reviewed a wide variety of ethical and bioethical issues. In the next semester, the students received a similar teaching content that was rearranged to reflect the 15 universal principles of bioethics and human rights covered in the Bioethics Core Curriculum （2008）. Case studies were also added to each unit of the Core Curriculum with the support of the UNESCO＇s Asia Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok （Case Studies for Bioethics 2010）. To evaluate the results of teaching and to compare the achieved objectives between the two groups of students, a short questionnaire was given to all students who finished the course and took up the final written examination. In the whole, 454 students （225 in group I and 229 in group 2） completed the course and took the final examination and 427 （218 in group 1 and 209 in group 2） responded to the questionnaire which inquired into their interest in the discussion of bioethical issues： why they believed they were important, and what they had learned through them. The results of the questionnaire have been examined and compared to evaluate the success of ＂bioethics＂ in stimulating the interest and thinking ability of the students and enriching their experience of a cross-cultural discussion over bioethical issues using universal principles as general guidance. The result of this examination was so impressive that from 2011 bioethics has been formalized into the reformed curriculum of our international school.

Study of Polymer Blends with Sub-cluster Theory Part 2 Comparison of PVC/ABS, PVC/SBS Blends

Series of PVC/ABS and PVC/SBS blends of composition 20/ 80. 40/ 60, 60 / 40 and 80 / 20were prepared in a screw extruder. The phase morphology, miscibility and rheological behaviour of two systems were investigated. The viscosity-composition plots were represented by sub-cluster equation, the various differences between two systems are interpreted with the equation parameters

A Comparison of Chinese and English Classroom Management:A Case Study of“Are Our Kids Tough Enough?”

In the documentary Are Our Kids Tough Enough,five Chinese teachers went to teach at a High School in Hampshire,England,and had a final assessment comparison of the quality of teaching with the English teachers.The collision of different cultures in the documentary has caused people to ponder over education both at home and abroad.This study explores effective classroom strategies and the positive role of cross-cultural factors in Chinese and English classroom management models to build an effective and dynamic classroom.Through a comparative study of Chinese and English classroom management models,this paper mainly finds out that English teachers tend to be more free-ranging in classroom management.Besides,the classroom atmosphere is relaxed,and students are active in thinking,but not concentrative.Chinese teachers,on the other hand,tend to have very serious management styles,and set strict discipline in the classroom.They concentrate under high pressure and,to a certain extent,suppress students’flexibility.In addition,this paper also elaborated three elements which are closely related to classroom management:(1).Teaching methods;(2).Teaching activity design;(3).Assessment.Through the comparative study,we find that Chinese classroom management model is more rigid,in which teachers can easily grasp the situation,but the classroom atmosphere is not very active.The British classroom management model is more flexible;students will not be too constrained,and classroom atmosphere is more active.But this has higher request to the teacher’s classroom management ability:avoiding loss of control of the classroom discipline.

Cross-culture Communication Patterns-Chinese and North American Communications:A case study

This study used a case study methodology and qualitative approach to discover cross-culture communication patterns between Chinese and North American.

4种胶乳免疫比浊法淀粉样蛋白A试剂检测性能及结果一致性评价

目的评估4种淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)试剂分析性能和结果一致性。方法性能评价。收集临床检测剩余样本,参考CLSI相关文件,评估4种淀粉样蛋白A试剂的精密度、线性、稀释验证、干扰、携带污染及参考区间,并对4种试剂(分别标记A~D)进行方法学比对及偏移评估。结果A、B、C、D4种试剂检测SAA的重复性和实验室内不精密度均<4%。在声称的分析测量范围内均呈线性(R^(2)>0.99)。4种试剂的稀释回收率为90.0%~103.1%、90.3%~138.1%、116.9%~131.2%、97.5%~102.0%。检测20例表观健康人,每种试剂均有18例(90%)检测结果在制造商提供的参考区间内。共纳入47临床样本进行比对,与4种试剂检测结果的均值相比,分别有11例(23.4%)、13例(27.7%)、3例(6.4%)、6例(12.8%)偏差超过±15%。样本中游离胆红素≤364.8μmol/L、结合胆红素≤327.7μmol/L、血红蛋白≤4.98g/L、乳糜≤1599.2 FTU时,百分偏差均在±10%以内。结论本研究评估的4种胶乳免疫比浊法SAA试剂在全自动生化分析上检测的精密度、线性、抗干扰能力均符合制造商声称要求,但部分试剂稀释回收性能不符合要求,不同试剂检测临床样本结果一致性有待提高,临床实验室在选用前应严格评估。

基于真实世界数据的儿科处方流转平台用户特征比较研究

目的/意义基于儿科处方流转平台真实数据开展使用者特征比较研究,以期完善我国儿科处方流转服务和相关平台建设,为提高处方流转平台服务能力提供参考。方法/过程收集2019年9月10日—2023年7月31日使用北京儿童医院处方流转平台购买药品的患儿信息,根据药品获取途径分为线上购药组和线下购药组,采用JMP 17.0(SAS)统计分析,组间比较采用Pearson χ^(2)检验。结果/结论两组人群的社会人口学特征、就诊行为特征、单次开药处方特征差异均有统计学意义。儿科处方流转平台在医联体单位具有较大潜力,线上模式是实现跨院药品流转的良好应用场景。根据不同用户群体建设多中心线上药品物流中心和线下药房等措施能有效提升平台服务能力。

中学化学教材比较研究的现状、热点及趋势——基于CiteSpace的可视化分析

以中国知网2000—2022年中学化学教材比较研究文献为研究对象,采用量化统计法和文献计量研究法,借助CiteSpace软件为分析工具,对相关文献的年度发文量、发文作者、发文机构和关键词进行可视化分析。结果显示:化学教材比较研究总体呈上升趋势,研究热点集中于不同国家、国内不同版本、新旧化学教材、教材内容及内部结构等方面。通过辨析可视化研究结果,针对中学化学教材比较研究提出增强教材比较研究的实践性、协同性、新颖性和研究全面性等建议。

近十年国内虚拟位移现象研究述评

国内语言学界对于虚拟位移现象的研究,从一开始的跨语言对比研究到近几年不断兴起的汉语本体研究和认知研究,有了较大发展。近十年国内虚拟位移现象的研究主题涉及汉语虚拟位移判定、概念要素特征和编码形式描写、汉语虚拟位移语体性质以及不同视角的认知阐释研究等,但汉语虚拟位移判定的基础性问题尚未厘清,且多以书面语为主。今后需拓展虚拟位移现象的研究视野和领域,推进跨学科交叉研究。