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Agricultural insurance has become increasingly important to farmers' livelihood and production in rural China. Yet despite the enormous governmental subsidizing efforts, the insurance participation rate remains below expectations. This study revisits the linkage between farmers' risk attitudes and crop insurance utilization by providing a cross-cutting perspective such that the role of risk aversion is re-scrutinized in Chinese “kindred” village economies.

The authors administrated a lottery-based multiple price list (MPL) experiment by recruiting rice farmers from 12 villages in Sichuan province in southwestern China. Using the experimental data, farmers' risk attitudes are assessed and coefficients of risk aversion are estimated within the rank-dependent expected utility (RDEU) framework by maximizing a structured likelihood function.

This study provides substantiating evidence that rice farmers in southwestern China exhibit relatively high risk aversion. The authors also provide suggestive evidence of the positive relationship between farmers' risk aversion and crop insurance utilization. In addition, findings reveal that kinship network has a negative effect on crop insurance utilization, such that farmers who are connected in higher degree of kinship network have lower likelihood of crop insurance utilization, which suggests that kinship network may be substitute for formal crop insurance. Result also demonstrates that the incentive effect of risk aversion on farmers' crop insurance participation manifests differently depending on the degree of kinship network in rural China.

This study provides a cross-cutting perspective by scrutinizing the effects of farmers' risk attitudes and kinship network on crop insurance participation in rural China, which has received relatively little attention in the literature. Conclusions on the effects of risk aversion on crop insurance participation have been mixed in previous studies. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, little has been done to explicitly examine the influence of social proximity and networks on farmers' insurance uptake. This study attempts to fill both gaps. This study provides new insights which might shed lights on the understanding of farmers' crop insurance participation in rural China.

Currently, the researches on garment development and wear comfort evaluation mainly focus on the static condition type and seldom involved dynamic condition. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop cycling clothes’ patterns and evaluate their dynamic wear comfort.

First, the 3D-to-2D flattening technology was applied to develop garment patterns of a cycler’s jersey T-shirt. Then, 3D animation technology was used to simulate the scene of cycling. Next, a novel pressure-measuring method was proposed to measure static and dynamic clothing pressures in a virtual environment. Finally, the collected data were used for evaluating wear comfort.

Compared to static conditions, the dynamic wear comfort noticeably improved at the front neck, side neck, upper front chest, around back neck point and front shoulder, and the front neck. Compared to static conditions, the dynamic wear comfort visibly deteriorates at the back neck, below chest, outseam, back except around back neck point and around scapula, and the around scapula area. The dynamic pressure at back neck, below front chest and shoulder fluctuate wildly throughout the whole cycling. On the contrary, the dynamic pressure at the front neck, side neck, front upper chest and at the back cause it to tend to stability during cycling.

The 3D virtual-reality technology was applied to simulate cycling. And a novel method was proposed to measure numerical clothing pressures for evaluating the dynamic wear comfort. The proposed method can not only quantitatively evaluate the wear comfort of cycling clothes and optimize cycling clothes’ patterns, but also can be applied to other tight garment types.

The purpose of this paper is to find out the main factors that influence wearing comfort and how they influence garment-wearing comfort.

Overall, 120 postures were extracted from the activities of daily life and work. Then, the numerical values of clothing pressure of these postures were measured using three-dimension virtual-reality technology. Finally, the data mining technology was applied to analyze the collected data.

The wearing comfort of pants is mainly influenced by four factors – waist-hip factor, knee-shank factor, crotch factor and thigh-calf factor – and their contributions account for 39.17, 16.4, 13.96 and 6.95 percent, respectively. Hip, waist, crotch and knee influence wearing comfort significantly, and the part below the knee and the part of back thigh have no obvious effect on wearing comfort. Furthermore, the wearing comfort is acceptable if the numerical clothing pressures are below 20 kPa at the parts of hip, waist and crotch and below 10 kPa at the parts of back thigh, knee and shank.

The paper demonstrates how different human body parts influence garment-wearing comfort. All of the results in this research facilitate pattern design of pants and quantitative evaluation of garment-wearing comfort.

This paper aims to examine the association of corporate social responsibility (CSR), family ownership and earnings management.

The authors specifically examine mining companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2012-2014. Total observations are 105 firm-years. Research data are collected from sustainability reports, annual reports and annual financial statements. Data are analysed using panel data regression.

The evidence suggests a negative association between corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRDs) and earnings management. The authors also examine the direct and moderating role of family ownership. The authors find a positive association between family ownership and earnings management. In addition, family ownership strengthens the negative association between CSR and earnings management.

This research only examines mining companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange, which limit the generalisation of the results.

The results should useful for: investors wishing to use the level of CSRD as an indicator of firm ethics, especially in relation to family-owned firms; capital-market regulators wishing to improve market transparency by introducing requirements to encourage more CSRD; and other users of financial statements, especially financial analysts to consider ownership structure, specifically family ownership.

Previous studies have mainly focussed on companies in the USA. This paper adds to the body of knowledge regarding whether the positive relationship between family ownership and CSR is also present outside the USA, especially in emerging countries. Further, this study examines the effect of family ownership on the association of CSR and earnings management, which rarely examined in previous studies.

The area shrinkage of the body under pressure is very important to evaluate the comfort of pressure sense, and it is an important index that appraises compression garment. The purpose of this paper is to obtain the area shrinkage mass of the waist cross section by using the finite-element method (FEM), and the waist of women’s pantyhose could be designed with a different degree of elasticity during the course of design based on clothing pressure comfort.

This study aimed at the problems existing in the wearing of women’s elastic pantyhose, took the waist of pantyhose as the research object, and the contact between human body and pantyhose as elastic contact. The finite-element model of the waist cross section and elastic pantyhose fabric was acquired through CT scan and Mimics software. After simulating on the corresponding displacement distribution of the waist of sample elastic pantyhose during the process of dressing by using ANSYS, the authors divided the waist cross section into 24 equal regions according to angle (every 15 degrees as a region), and then the area shrinkage mass of each region was obtained by area calculation formula. According to the tendency of area shrinkage distribution, the waist of women’s elastic pantyhose could be designed for different regions of tension considering the pressure comfort, so as to guarantee that the wearing comfort can be maintained on the premise of ensuring the functionality of the elastic pantyhose.

In this paper, the authors obtained the area shrinkage mass of elastic pantyhose at waist cross section, and this area shrinkage distribution could be used as an objective evaluation index for pressure comfort. All these solutions are of great significance to the optimization design of pantyhose and can provide theoretical basis for the structural improvement of functional pantyhose and the prediction of clothing pressure.

This paper simulated the area shrinkage mass for the waist of elastic pantyhose by using FEM, and the waist of women’s elastic pantyhose could be designed for different regions of tension considering the pressure comfort according to the area shrinkage distribution tendency, so as to guarantee the wearing comfort during the wearing process.

Objective appraisal of pressure comfort is the key point of optimal designing of clothing. The purpose of this paper is to study a new method to provide pressure comfort for the waist of elastic pantyhose through the relationship between pressure and displacement using the finite element method (FEM).

This paper presented a simulation model of the waist cross section consisting of three parts, namely skin, soft tissue and lumbar vertebrae, respectively, according to CT scan. The finite element the model of waist cross-section was established using Mimics software. The pressure–displacement quadratic equation can be obtained using ANSYS software and fitting curves. Meanwhile, we divide the waist cross-section into 12 equal regions according to angle, and then the area shrinkage mass of the waist cross-section can be calculated, respectively.

In this research work, we got the displacement distribution trend of elastic pantyhose at the waist cross section according to the area shrinkage mass of 12 regions, and this displacement could be used as an objective evaluation index for pressure comfort. All these solutions supply a theoretical reference for optimal design of the women's elastic pantyhose.

The paper analyzed the relationship between pressure and displacement for the waist of elastic pantyhose using FEM, and then got the displacement distribution trend of elastic pantyhose at the waist cross section according to the area shrinkage mass of different regions. It can supply a new method to appraise pressure comfort.

Objective appraisal of pressure comfort is the basement of optimal design of clothing. The purpose of this paper is to study a new method to appraise pressure comfort through displacement distribution, and then explored the multiple relationship between pressure and displacement on the lower leg cross-section using finite element method (FEM) and curve fitting.

This paper presented a 2D simulation model of the lower leg cross-section consisting of three layer different mechanical properties, namely skin, soft tissue, and bone. Analyzed the relationship and variation tendency between contact pressure and strain, calculated the multiple relationship between pressure and displacement on the lower leg cross-section where located at the top part of men’s socks in detail, and then obtained the quadratic functional equation between angle and pressure/displacement ratio through segmented curve fitting using Origin 7.5 software.

In this research work, the mathematical equation is obtained which describe the relationship between angle and pressure/displacement of the top part of men’s socks. On the premise of the known contact pressure values on the lower leg cross-section, the corresponding displacement values on the human body surface can be obtained by the functional equation under stress, and this displacement could be used as an objective evaluation index for pressure comfort. Based on these conclusions, the authors could provide theoretical reference for pressure prediction and optimizing the design of clothing.

This paper is unconcerned with the simulating of pressure, strain, and displacement distribution when dressing during the course of walking and running.

The paper analyzed the relationship and variation tendency between contact pressure and strain using FEM, and then obtained the quadratic functional equation between angle and pressure/displacement ratio of the top part of socks. It can supply a new method to appraise pressure comfort.

The inward displacement perpendicular to the body surface produced by compression garment is an important index to evaluate pressure comfort and optimal design of tight clothing products. The purpose of this study is to explore the pressure distribution state at waist position of elastic legwear and then to solve the common problem of excessive pressure or easy slippage for waist of elastic legwear.

In this paper, the authors obtained the waist cross-section model of human body using CT scanning and mimics modeling and then simulated the pressure and displacement distribution after wearing sample four elastic legwear using finite element method. The dressing process of elastic legwear was divided into six periods (instantaneous, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 h) in this study, and the finite element software ANSYS was used to simulate the displacement and deformation of the waist cross section. The authors finally obtained the functional relationship between pressure/displacement ratio and angle using curve fitting.

In this paper, the authors obtained the functional relationship between pressure/displacement ratio and angle using curve fitting. Comparison found that the “pressure/displacement–angle” function curve showed an almost consistent trend at any time. That was to say, when the human body was in the state of clothing pressure, the corresponding displacement value of the human body can be calculated by the curve equation under the premise of known pressure value.

This study solves the difficult problem which hard to measure displacement values by conventional methods due to the small deformation of the human body after dressing the compression garment. Conclusions also provide a theoretical reference for evaluating pressure comfort and optimizing clothing structure for the elastic legwear, and this method is also applicable to other types of compression garment.

Purpose – Our purpose in this chapter is to argue for the importance of integrating reading and writing in classrooms and to provide examples of what integration of this nature looks like in classrooms across content areas and grade levels.Design/methodology/approach – In this chapter we provide an overview of the argument for reading–writing integration, highlight four common tools (skill decomposition, skill decontextualization, scaffolding, and authenticity) that teachers use to cope with complexity in literacy classrooms, and describe four classrooms in which teachers strive to integrate reading and writing in support of learning.Findings – We provide detailed examples and analyses of what the integration of reading and writing in the service of learning looks like in four different classroom contexts and focus particularly on how the four teachers use scaffolding and authenticity to cope with complexity and support their students’ literacy learning.Research limitations/implications – We intentionally highlight four noteworthy approaches to literacy instruction, but our examples are relevant to specific contexts and are not meant to encompass the range of promising practices in which teachers and students engage on a daily basis.Practical implications – In this chapter we provide classroom teachers with four concrete tools for coping with the complexities of literacy instruction in classroom settings and highlight what instruction of this nature – with an emphasis on scaffolding and authenticity – looks like in four different classroom contexts.Originality/value of chapter – Teachers and other educational stakeholders must acknowledge and embrace the complexities of learning to read and write, so that students have opportunities to engage in rich and authentic literacy practices in their classrooms.