The others-concept and friendly and cooperative behavior in children

This study explored the predictability of friendly, cooperative behavior of school children over a 5-week period. The basis for the predictions was the children's others-concept, as measured by the Paired Hands Test. Structured observations of groups of children working together on assigned tasks were made during five consecutive weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 15 minutes. The observations were obtained by recording each session and categorizing verbal statements as to their task-relatedness and friendliness. This procedure allowed comparisons between children with high and low others-concepts with respect to these behaviors. In three tasks out of five the high others-concept children showed a higher frequency and greater proportion of task-related and friendly behaviors. The tasks which best differentiated between children with high and low others-concepts were those which seemed to be the most challenging and exciting, and which called for the highest degree of group cooperation. The study demonstrated how friendly and cooperative interactions among small groups of children are influenced by a combination of their others-concept and situational factors.     

The global significance of biodiversity science in China: an overview

Biodiversity science in China has seen rapid growth over recent decades, ranging from baseline biodiversity studies to understanding the processes behind evolution across dynamic regions such as the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We review research, including species catalogues; biodiversity monitoring; the origins, distributions, maintenance and threats to biodiversity; biodiversity-related ecosystem function and services; and species and ecosystems’ responses to global change. Next, we identify priority topics and offer suggestions and priorities for future biodiversity research in China. These priorities include (i) the ecology and biogeography of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountains, and that of subtropical and tropical forests across China; (ii) marine and inland aquatic biodiversity; and (iii) effective conservation and management to identify and maintain synergies between biodiversity and socio-economic development to fulfil China''s vision for becoming an ecological civilization. In addition, we propose three future strategies: (i) translate advanced biodiversity science into practice for biodiversity conservation; (ii) strengthen capacity building and application of advanced technologies, including high-throughput sequencing, genomics and remote sensing; and (iii) strengthen and expand international collaborations. Based on the recent rapid progress of biodiversity research, China is well positioned to become a global leader in biodiversity research in the near future.