bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The physical and developmental outcomes of children whose mothers are substance abusers: Analysis of associated factors and the impact of early intervention
Authors: Cheng Anna Wai Fun , Chan Hin Biu , Ip Lai Sheung , Wan Katy Kit Ying , Yu Ellen Lok Man , Chiu Wa Keung , Chung Pui Hong , Yeoh Eng Kiong
Published: October 2022

Background/objectives

Maternal illicit drug use is associated with negative physical and developmental outcomes for their born children. We aim to find out the incidence of different developmental problems in a cohort of Chinese children born to drug-abusing mothers, compare the physical health and developmental outcomes of the subjects recruited in the Integrated Program to the Comprehensive Child Development Service (CCDS), and to study the potential factors on their associations.

Methods

A retrospective longitudinal cohort study with frequent clinical assessments of the children’s physical and developmental outcomes in a HKSAR’s regional hospital from birth until 5 years old. 123 Children in Integrated Program were compared with 214 children in CCDS between 1 January 2008 and 28 February 2019. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the possible factors associated with the developmental outcomes.

Results

Developmental delay was detected in 129 children (38.9%). CCDS group has significantly higher incidence of cognitive delay (p = < 0.001), language delay (p = < 0.001), motor delay (p = < 0.001), social delay (p = 0.002), and global delay (p = 0.002). On Cox multivariable regression analysis, integrated program (HRadj 0.53, 95% C. I. 0.34–0.84), social support (HRadj 0.45, 95% C.I. 0.25–0.80), and maternal abstinence from drug use up to 2-year post-delivery (HRadj 0.62, 95% C.I. 0.40–0.95) were significant protective factors, while male gender (HRadj 1.73, 95% C.I. 1.18–2.54) was a significant risk factor.

Conclusion

CCDS achieves early engagement of drug-abusing expectant mothers during pregnancy, and an early integrated program with multidisciplinary collaboration was an independent factor in improving the developmental outcomes of these vulnerable children.
Preparation, structural characterization, antioxidant activity and protection against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by polysaccharides from the lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii
Authors: Tian Maoying , Wang Lin , Dong Zhaowei , Wang Xi , Qin Xiaoyan , Wang Chao , Wang Jin , Huang Qinwan
Published: October 2022

Response surface methodology (RSM) and Box- Behnken design (BBD) based on one-way experiments were used to optimize the extraction parameters of the lateral root polysaccharides of Aconitum carmichaelii. The extracted polysaccharides were named as refined fucose polysaccharide. The optimal conditions included a water to raw material ratio of 43, an extraction time of 2 h, and an extraction temperature of 90°C. The shape of RFP was shown by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The monosaccharide composition and molecular weight of RFP was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, RFP exhibited moderate antioxidant activity by analyzing the scavenging rates of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, and ABTS + radical. RFP exerted cytoprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced injury in the rat renal tubular epithelial cell line rat renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) and inhibited apoptosis. In addition, researches found that RFP could alleviate cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury in mice by enhancing the levels of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX-4), decreasing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), reducing lipid peroxidation, and thus inhibiting ferroptosis. In conclusion, this study provides a good strategy for obtaining bioactive polysaccharides from Fuzi.
Network pharmacology-based prediction of active compounds in the Wenyang Jiedu Huayu formula acting on acute-on-chronic liver failure with experimental support in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Tang Dan , Wang Ruo-Yu , Sun Ke-Wei , Wu Yunan , Ding Lin , Mo Yang
Published: October 2022

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by undermined liver function, massive necrosis/apoptosis of hepatocytes, and hepatic inflammatory cell recruitment, leading to multiorgan failure. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely applied in clinical and experimental studies of ACLF. In this study, 23 compounds with 6,386 drug targets were obtained from Wenyang Jiedu Huayu (WYJDHY), and 8,096 genes were identified as ACLF disease targets, among which 3,132 were overlapping co-targets. Expression profile analysis identified 105 DEGs among the co-targets, which were associated with biological activities such as lymphocyte activation, immune response regulation, and pathways such as Th17 cell differentiation and NF-κB signaling. After PPI analysis and network construction, atractylenolide I (AT-1) has been identified as the hub active ingredient of the WYJDHY formula. LPS stimulation inhibited rat hepatocytes’ BRL 3A cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, increased the levels of ALT, AST, IL-6, and VCAM-1 within the culture medium, and activated NF-κB signaling, whereas AT-1 treatment significantly attenuated LPS-induced toxicity on BRL 3A cells. Furthermore, the NF-κB signaling inhibitor PDTC exerted effects on LPS-stimulated BRL 3A cells similar to those of AT-1, and the combination of PDTC and AT-1 further attenuated LPS-induced toxicity on BRL 3A cells. In vivo, AT-1 alone or with PDTC improved the symptoms and local inflammation in ACLF model rats. In conclusion, 23 active ingredients of six herbs in the WYJDHY formula were retrieved, and 105 co-targets were differentially expressed in ACLF. AT-1 exerts protective effects on LPS-stimulated hepatocytes and ACLF rats, possibly by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.
Plant polysaccharides with anti-lung injury effects as a potential therapeutic strategy for COVID-19
Authors: Huang Peng , Zhang Jiahui , Duan Wenqian , Jiao Juying , Leng Aijing , Qu Jialin
Published: October 2022

When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develops into the severe phase, lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and/or respiratory failure could develop within a few days. As a result of pulmonary tissue injury, pathomorphological changes usually present endothelial dysfunction, inflammatory cell infiltration of the lung interstitium, defective gas exchange, and wall leakage. Consequently, COVID-19 may progress to tremendous lung injury, ongoing lung failure, and death. Exploring the treatment drugs has important implications. Recently, the application of traditional Chinese medicine had better performance in reducing fatalities, relieving symptoms, and curtailing hospitalization. Through constant research and study, plant polysaccharides may emerge as a crucial resource against lung injury with high potency and low side effects. However, the absence of a comprehensive understanding of lung-protective mechanisms impedes further investigation of polysaccharides. In the present article, a comprehensive review of research into plant polysaccharides in the past 5 years was performed. In total, 30 types of polysaccharides from 19 kinds of plants have shown lung-protective effects through the pathological processes of inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and immunomodulation by mediating mucin and aquaporins, macrophage, endoplasmic reticulum stress, neutrophil, TGF-β1 pathways, Nrf2 pathway, and other mechanisms. Moreover, the deficiencies of the current studies and the future research direction are also tentatively discussed. This research provides a comprehensive perspective for better understanding the mechanism and development of polysaccharides against lung injury for the treatment of COVID-19.
Semi-quantum key distribution with two classical users
Authors: Wu Wan Qing , Sun Chen Yang
Published: October 2022

Semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) is an important research issue which allows one quantum participant equipped with advanced quantum devices to distribute a shared secret key securely with one classical user who has restricted capabilities. In this paper, we propose a SQKD protocol which allows one quantum user to distribute two different private secret keys to two classical users respectively at the same time. Alice distributes two particle sequences from Bell states to Bob and Charlie respectively. Once the particles have been processed and returned, Alice can simultaneously detect reflected particles by Bob and Charlie based on Bell-state measurement and generate two different raw keys. To enable more participants in sharing keys, this protocol can be extended to the m + 1 party communication scheme by employing m-particle GHZ state. In large-scale communication networks, this extended model significantly reduces the complexity of communication compared to the traditional SQKD scheme. Security analyses show that the presented protocol is free from several general attacks, such as the entangle-measure attack, the modification attack, the double CNOT attack, and so on.
Effects of combined aerobic and resistance training on gut microbiota and cardiovascular risk factors in physically active elderly women: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhong Fei , Xu Yongjin , Lai Hsin-Yi , Yang Min , Cheng Lei , Liu Xinger , Sun Xiaomin , Yang Yi , Wang Jian , Lv Wen , Huang Cong
Published: October 2022

Background: Exercise can modulate gut microbiota and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between exercise-induced changes in gut microbiota and CVD risk have not been investigated.

Objective: This study determined the effects of exercise training on CVD risk and gut microbiota in physically active elderly women and whether exercise-induced gut microbiota changes were associated with CVD risk.

Methods: An 8-week randomized controlled trial was conducted with 14 elderly women assigned to exercise group (n = 8) or control group (n = 6). Physical function, sarcopenic obesity, and metabolic syndrome were evaluated as components of CVD risk. Gut microbiota composition was determined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine intra-group and inter-group differences.

Results: A significant group × time interaction was observed for chair sit-and-reach (F = 8.262, p = 0.014), single-leg standing with eyes closed (F = 7.340, p = 0.019), waist circumference (F = 6.254, p = 0.028), and body fat mass (F = 12.263, p = 0.004), for which the exercise group showed improved trends. The exercise group exhibited significant improvements in skeletal muscle mass (p = 0.041) and fasting blood glucose (p = 0.017). Regarding gut microbiota, a significant interaction was observed for the class Betaproteobacteria (F = 6.822, p = 0.023) and genus Holdemania (F = 4.852, p = 0.048).

Conclusion: The 8-week exercise training improved physical function, lowered CVD risk, and modulated relative abundance of gut microbiota associated with CVD in physically active elderly women.
Localizing targets for neuromodulation in drug-resistant epilepsy using intracranial EEG and computational model
Authors: Liu Yang , Li Chunsheng
Published: October 2022

Neuromodulation has emerged as a promising technique for the treatment of epilepsy. The target for neuromodulation is critical for the effectiveness of seizure control. About 30% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) fail to achieve seizure freedom after surgical intervention. It is difficult to find effective brain targets for neuromodulation in these patients because brain regions are damaged during surgery. In this study, we propose a novel approach for localizing neuromodulatory targets, which uses intracranial EEG and multi-unit computational models to simulate the dynamic behavior of epileptic networks through external stimulation. First, we validate our method on a multivariate autoregressive model and compare nine different methods of constructing brain networks. Our results show that the directed transfer function with surrogate analysis achieves the best performance. Intracranial EEGs of 11 DRE patients are further analyzed. These patients all underwent surgery. In three seizure-free patients, the localized targets are concordant with the resected regions. For the eight patients without seizure-free outcome, the localized targets in three of them are outside the resected regions. Finally, we provide candidate targets for neuromodulation in these patients without seizure-free outcome based on virtual resected epileptic network. We demonstrate the ability of our approach to locate optimal targets for neuromodulation. We hope that our approach can provide a new tool for localizing patient-specific targets for neuromodulation therapy in DRE.
EEG diagnosis of depression based on multi-channel data fusion and clipping augmentation and convolutional neural network
Authors: Wang Baiyang , Kang Yuyun , Huo Dongyue , Feng Guifang , Zhang Jiawei , Li Jiadong
Published: October 2022

Depression is an undetectable mental disease. Most of the patients with depressive symptoms do not know that they are suffering from depression. Since the novel Coronavirus pandemic 2019, the number of patients with depression has increased rapidly. There are two kinds of traditional depression diagnosis. One is that professional psychiatrists make diagnosis results for patients, but it is not conducive to large-scale depression detection. Another is to use electroencephalography (EEG) to record neuronal activity. Then, the features of the EEG are extracted using manual or traditional machine learning methods to diagnose the state and type of depression. Although this method achieves good results, it does not fully utilize the multi-channel information of EEG. Aiming at this problem, an EEG diagnosis method for depression based on multi-channel data fusion cropping enhancement and convolutional neural network is proposed. First, the multi-channel EEG data are transformed into 2D images after multi-channel fusion (MCF) and multi-scale clipping (MSC) augmentation. Second, it is trained by a multi-channel convolutional neural network (MCNN). Finally, the trained model is loaded into the detection device to classify the input EEG signals. The experimental results show that the combination of MCF and MSC can make full use of the information contained in the single sensor records, and significantly improve the classification accuracy and clustering effect of depression diagnosis. The method has the advantages of low complexity and good robustness in signal processing and feature extraction, which is beneficial to the wide application of detection systems.
Effects of high altitude on renal physiology and kidney diseases
Authors: Wang Si-Yang , Gao Jie , Zhao Jing-Hong
Published: October 2022

The hypobaric and hypoxic conditions of high-altitude areas exert adverse effects on the respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems. The kidneys have an abundant blood supply (20%–25% of cardiac output) and high blood flow; thus, they are susceptible to the effects of hypoxia. However, the effects of acute and chronic exposure to high altitudes on renal physiology and pathology are not fully understood. Moreover, few studies have investigated the impact of high-altitude exposure on patients with chronic kidney disease or acute kidney injury. In this review, we summarized changes in renal physiology and renal pathology due to high-altitude exposure as well as the impact of high-altitude exposure on existing kidney diseases, with the aim of informing the prevention and treatment of kidney diseases at high altitudes.
The potential for biochar application in “Shatangju” (Citrus reticulate cv.) orchard on acid red soil: Biochar prepared from its organic waste in an orchard
Authors: Guo Yanjun , Qiu Baoli , Khan Zaid , Jiang Hui , Ji Qianhua , Fan Qizhou , Khan Muhammad Musa
Published: October 2022

Carbonization of agricultural and forestry wastes is the main use of biochar application in agriculture. In this study, the effects of biochar on the physical and chemical properties of soil and diversity in rhizosphere microorganisms, leaf nutrients and fruit quality of acid red soil in “Shatangju” (Citrus reticulate cv.) orchard were studied using organic wastes and small-scale carbonization furnaces from orchards were used to produce biochar. The results showed that the finished rate of biochar produced from the organic wastes in the orchard was approximately 37%, and the carbon content of the finished product was as high as 80%. The results suggested that the biochar produced in the orchard could meet the annual consumption of the orchard. Applying biochar can improve the physical and chemical properties of acid soil in the “Shatangju” orchard by enhancing the availability of various mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and boron. The species and quantity of root and rhizosphere microbial communities (fungi, bacteria and archaea) increased, and the dominant bacterial group changed, manifested in the increase in microbial diversity. Biochar directly affected the soil pH value and increased the soil organic carbon content, which may be the main reason for the change in microbial diversity in the soil and rhizosphere of “Shatangju” in the orchard and pot tests. The fruit quality of each treatment group with biochar was also better than that of the control group and improved fruit coloring. In the pure soil test, whether or not chemical fertilizer was applied, 3% biochar amendments can provide a suitable pH value for “Shatangju” growth and are relatively stable. Regardless of whether or not fertilizer was applied, 1.5%-3% biochar improved the soil in the pot test. In the field, the biochar at a rate of 2.4 kg/plant to 3.6 kg/plant, respectively, was the best in improving soil physical and chemical properties, foliar nutrition and fruit quality. Therefore, the amount of biochar added in the open environment (if the garden) can be slightly adjusted according to the results of the closed environment test (pure soil test and pot test). In this experiment, we explored the self-recycling of organic carbon, mainly through the preparation of a simple small-scale biochar furnace suitable for the use by orchards, and selected the appropriate amount of biochar to improve the physical and chemical conditions of “Shatangju” orchard soil and increase fruit quality.
Artificial optimization of bamboo Ppmar2 transposase and host factors effects on Ppmar2 transposition in yeast
Authors: Zhou Xiaohong , Xie Jiamin , Xu Chao , Cao Xiuling , Zou Long-Hai , Zhou Mingbing
Published: October 2022

Mariner-like elements (MLEs) are promising tools for gene cloning, gene expression, and gene tagging. We have characterized two MLE transposons from moso bamboo, Ppmar1 and Ppmar2. Ppmar2, is smaller in size and has higher natural activities, thus making it a more potential genomic tool compared to Ppmar1. Using a two-component system consisting of a transposase expression cassette and a non-autonomous transposon cotransformed in yeast, we investigated the transposition activity of Ppmar2 and created hyperactive transposases. Five out of 19 amino acid mutations in Ppmar2 outperformed the wild-type in terms of catalytic activities, especially with the S347R mutant having 6.7-fold higher transposition activity. Moreover, 36 yeast mutants with single-gene deletion were chosen to screen the effects of the host factors on Ppmar2NA transposition. Compared to the control strain (his3Δ), the mobility of Ppmar2 was greatly increased in 9 mutants and dramatically decreased in 7 mutants. The transposition ability in the efm1Δ mutant was 15-fold higher than in the control, while it was lowered to 1/66 in the rtt10Δ mutant. Transcriptomic analysis exhibited that EFM1 defection led to the significantly impaired DDR2, HSP70 expression and dramatically boosted JEN1 expression, whereas RTT10 defection resulted in significantly suppressed expression of UTP20, RPA190 and RRP5. Protein methylation, chromatin and RNA transcription may affect the Ppmar2NA transposition efficiency in yeast. Overall, the findings provided evidence for transposition regulation and offered an alternative genomic tool for moso bamboo and other plants.
Comparison of microscopic and metagenomic approaches to identify cereal pathogens and track fungal spore release in the field
Authors: Pilo Paola , Lawless Colleen , Tiley Anna M. M. , Karki Sujit J. , Burke James I. , Feechan Angela
Published: October 2022

Wheat is one of the main staple food crops, and 775 million tonnes of wheat were produced worldwide in 2022. Fungal diseases such as Fusarium head blight, Septoria tritici blotch, spot blotch, tan spot, stripe rust, leaf rust, and powdery mildew cause serious yield losses in wheat and can impact quality. We aimed to investigate the incidence of spores from major fungal pathogens of cereals in the field by comparing microscopic and metagenomic based approaches for spore identification. Spore traps were set up in four geographically distinct UK wheat fields (Carnoustie, Angus; Bishop Burton, Yorkshire; Swindon, Wiltshire; and Lenham, Kent). Six major cereal fungal pathogen genera (Alternaria spp., Blumeria graminis, Cladosporium spp., Fusarium spp., Puccinia spp., and Zymoseptoria spp.) were found using these techniques at all sites. Using metagenomic and BLAST analysis, 150 cereal pathogen species (33 different genera) were recorded on the spore trap tapes. The metagenomic BLAST analysis showed a higher accuracy in terms of species-specific identification than the taxonomic tool software Kraken2 or microscopic analysis. Microscopic data from the spore traps was subsequently correlated with weather data to examine the conditions which promote ascospore release of Fusarium spp. and Zymoseptoria spp. This revealed that Zymoseptoria spp. and Fusarium spp. ascospore release show a positive correlation with relative humidity (%RH). Whereas air temperature (°C) negatively affects Zymoseptoria spp. ascospore release.
Bifunctional regulators of photoperiodic flowering in short day plant rice
Authors: Sun Changhui , He Changcai , Zhong Chao , Liu Shihang , Liu Hongying , Luo Xu , Li Jun , Zhang Yuxiu , Guo Yuting , Yang Bin , Wang Pingrong , Deng Xiaojian
Published: October 2022

Photoperiod is acknowledged as a crucial environmental factor for plant flowering. According to different responses to photoperiod, plants were divided into short-day plants (SDPs), long-day plants (LDPs), and day-neutral plants (DNPs). The day length measurement system of SDPs is different from LDPs. Many SDPs, such as rice, have a critical threshold for day length (CDL) and can even detect changes of 15 minutes for flowering decisions. Over the last 20 years, molecular mechanisms of flowering time in SDP rice and LDP Arabidopsis have gradually clarified, which offers a chance to elucidate the differences in day length measurement between the two types of plants. In Arabidopsis, CO is a pivotal hub in integrating numerous internal and external signals for inducing photoperiodic flowering. By contrast, Hd1 in rice, the homolog of CO, promotes and prevents flowering under SD and LD, respectively. Subsequently, numerous dual function regulators, such as phytochromes, Ghd7, DHT8, OsPRR37, OsGI, OsLHY, and OsELF3, were gradually identified. This review assesses the relationship among these regulators and a proposed regulatory framework for the reversible mechanism, which will deepen our understanding of the CDL regulation mechanism and the negative response to photoperiod between SDPs and LDPs.
Cytological, genetic and transcriptomic characterization of a cucumber albino mutant
Authors: Yan Jinqiang , Liu Bin , Cao Zhenqiang , Chen Lin , Liang Zhaojun , Wang Min , Liu Wenrui , Lin Yu'e , Jiang Biao
Published: October 2022

Photosynthesis, a fundamental process for plant growth and development, is dependent on chloroplast formation and chlorophyll synthesis. Severe disruption of chloroplast structure results in albinism of higher plants. In the present study, we report a cucumber albino alc mutant that presented white cotyledons under normal light conditions and was unable to produce first true leaf. Meanwhile, alc mutant could grow creamy green cotyledons under dim light conditions but died after exposure to normal light irradiation. No chlorophyll and carotenoid were detected in the alc mutant grown under normal light conditions. Using transmission electron microscopy, impaired chloroplasts were observed in this mutant. The genetic analysis indicated that the albino phenotype was recessively controlled by a single locus. Comparative transcriptomic analysis between the alc mutant and wild type revealed that genes involved in chlorophyll metabolism and the methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway were affected in the alc mutant. In addition, three genes involved in chloroplast development, including two FtsH genes and one PPR gene, were found to have negligible expression in this mutant. The quality of RNA sequencing results was further confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. We also examined 12 homologous genes from alc mutant in other plant species, but no genetic variation in the coding sequences of these genes was found between alc mutant and wild type. Taken together, we characterized a cucumber albino mutant with albinism phenotype caused by chloroplast development deficiency and this mutant can pave way for future studies on plastid development.
A high-throughput quantitative method to evaluate peroxisome-chloroplast interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Oikawa Kazusato , Midorikawa Keiko , Kodama Yutaka , Numata Keiji
Published: October 2022

Organelles contribute to plant growth via their movements and interactions, which ensure efficient metabolic flow and help plants adapt to environmental stress. Live-cell imaging of the interactions of organelles has been performed in yeast, plant, and animal cells. However, high-throughput quantitative methods are needed to simultaneously analyze the interactions of many organelles in living plant cells. Here, we developed a semi-automatic high-throughput method to quantitatively evaluate the interactions between peroxisomes and chloroplasts using a distance transformation algorithm and high-resolution 3D fluorescent images taken by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Using this method, we measured the 3D distance between the center of peroxisome and chloroplast surface in Arabidopsis thaliana. We then compared the distances between these organelles in leaf mesophyll cells under light and dark conditions. This distance was shorter in the light than in the dark, which is in agreement with the findings of previous studies. We used our method to evaluate peroxisome–chloroplast (plastid) interactions in different cell types in the light and dark, including guard, stem, and root cells. Like in mesophyll cells, the distance between the peroxisome and chloroplast was shorter in the light in guard and stem cells, but not in root cells, suggesting that photosynthetic plastids (chloroplasts) play important roles in these interactions. When leaf mesophyll cells were incubated under high-intensity light, the frequency of shorter distances between peroxisomes and chloroplasts significantly increased. Our high-throughput, semi-automatic method represents a powerful tool for evaluating peroxisome–chloroplast interactions in different types of plant cells under various environmental conditions.
Why does higher education sometimes lead to unhappiness in China? An explanation from housing assets
Authors: Wu Yidong , Zhao Renjie , Zhang Yalin , Chen Zhuo
Published: October 2022

This article aims to answer the question that whether higher education would lead to happier life in China and tries to provide some explanations from the perspective of housing asset. Using data from four waves of China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), we find that higher education on average is significantly negatively correlated with people's happiness in urban China. Higher education tends to prevent people from achieving “extremely happy” lives; instead, it is more likely to lead to “acceptable” lives. Based on the realities of housing market in urban China, we find that housing asset plays the mediating role in the relationship between higher education and happiness. Specifically, years of schooling could evidently compress the years of being homeowners; as a result, highly educated people generally have more unpaid housing debts and bear more housing purchase costs due to the soaring housing prices. Meanwhile, higher education has negative effect on people's happiness in cities with relatively high housing prices, while this effect is insignificant in cities with relatively low housing prices. Moreover, the market-oriented housing reform that launched in 1998 has negative impact on highly educated people's happiness, since it has dramatically boosted housing prices and essentially changed housing distribution system for urban employees. Besides, we also find that Ph.D graduates are the relatively unhappiest people compared to bachelors or masters. Obviously, our findings have important policy implications for Chinese government to understand and resolve the “education-happiness paradox.”
Ripples in the pond: Evidence for contagious cooperative role modeling through moral elevation and calling in a small pre-study
Authors: Zhang Qionghan , Ma Jianhong , Wang Yuqi , Lu Xiqian , Fan Changcun
Published: October 2022

Existing research has identified the importance of role models in the imitation of cooperative behaviors. This Pre-Study attempted to explore the contagion effects of cooperative models. Drawing on goal contagion theory, we proposed that encountering cooperative models could catalyze participants’ cooperation when participants joined new groups without role models, and that moral elevation and calling would play a chain-mediating role in this process. To test the hypothesis, we designed a four-person public goods game consisting of two phases in which participants were formed into teams with different people in each phase. We randomly assigned 108 participants to either a consistent contributor (CC) or control condition. The only difference was that participants in the CC condition encountered a cooperative role model (i.e., CC) in the first phase, while those in the control group did not. The results moderately supported all hypotheses. Briefly, our findings provide empirical evidence supporting the two processes of goal contagion theory: when individuals encounter a CC, they first make inferences about the CC’s goal, as reflected by moral elevation, and then adopt the model’s prosocial goals (i.e., calling), resulting in increased cooperative behaviors in new groups. These findings could extend our understanding of the contagion effect of cooperative modeling, but require high-powered replication studies before such conclusions can be drawn.
The role of web-based flipped learning in EFL learners’ critical thinking and learner engagement
Authors: Pang Ya
Published: October 2022

The flipped learning approach with the use of social media as an emerging technology has changed the quality of learning in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educational contexts. This review probed the effect of the web-based flipped learning approach on learners’ engagement and critical thinking. The earlier studies revealed the significance of social media in developing learner engagement and critical thinking. Studies indicated that the provision of opportunities for more cooperative and collaborative learning activities, and high-quality interaction through the use of social media can be influential in developing learners’ engagement. Moreover, social media platforms can provide a context for feedback, and various types of challenging tasks that can improve EFL learners’ critical thinking. However, this review implicated that social media in flipped learning approach may be beneficial for instructors, learners, teacher educators, curriculum designers, educational policy-makers, and advisors to be aware of this valuable learner-centered approach.
Exploring the role of AI algorithmic agents: The impact of algorithmic decision autonomy on consumer purchase decisions
Authors: Fan Yuejiao , Liu Xianggang
Published: October 2022

Although related studies have examined the impact of different images of artificial intelligence products on consumer evaluation, exploring the impact on consumer purchase decisions from the perspective of algorithmic decision autonomy remains under-explored. Based on the self-determination theory, this research discusses the influence of the agent decision-making role played by different AI algorithmic decision autonomy on consumer purchase decisions. The results of the 3 studies indicate that algorithmic decision autonomy has an inverted U-shaped effect on consumer’s purchase decisions, consumer’s self-efficacy mediates the relationship between algorithmic decision autonomy and purchase decisions, and consumer’s power distance moderates the relationship between algorithmic decision autonomy, self-efficacy, and purchase decisions. The research results can provide references for marketers, retailers, algorithm designers, and other parties to formulate algorithm marketing strategies, make AI algorithm decisions better serve consumers, and achieve value co-creation with consumers.
Informal payments by patients, institutional trust and institutional asymmetry
Authors: Horodnic Adrian V. , Williams Colin C. , Ciobanu Claudia Ioana , Druguș Daniela
Published: October 2022

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the extent of the practice of using informal payments for accessing the services of public clinics or hospitals across Europe and to explain the prevalence of this corrupt practice using the framework of institutional theory. To achieve this, a multi-level mixed-effect logistic regression on 25,744 interviews undertaken in 2020 with patients across 27 European Union countries is conducted. The finding is that the practice of making informal payments remains a prevalent practice, although there are large disparities in the usage of this practice in different European countries. However, informal payments by patients are more likely when there is a lower institutional trust and a higher degree of asymmetry between formal and informal institutions. The resultant proposal is that policy makers need to address the institutional environment to tackle such informal payments. How this can be achieved is outlined.
Attentional attenuation (rather than attentional boost) through task switching leads to a selective long-term memory decline
Authors: Muhmenthaler Michèle C. , Meier Beat
Published: October 2022

Allocating attention determines what we remember later. Attentional demands vary in a task-switching paradigm, with greater demands for switch than for repeat trials. This also results in lower subsequent memory performance for switch compared to repeat trials. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the consequences of task switching after a long study-test interval and to examine the contributions of the two memory components, recollection and familiarity. In the study phase, the participants performed a task-switching procedure in which they had to switch between two classifications tasks with pictures. After a short vs. a long study-test interval of a week, the participants performed a surprise memory test for the pictures and gave remember/know judgements. The results showed that recognition memory declined after 1 week and this was mainly due to a decrease in “remember” responses. The results also showed that the task-switching effect on memory was enduring. Whereas the results of the immediate test were mixed, the results of the delayed tests showed that the task-switching effect was based on recollection, expressed in more “remember” responses for repeat than for switch trials. As recollection is more sensitive to attention manipulations than familiarity, the results align with the notion that attentional requirements at study determine what we remember, in particular after a long study-test interval.
The relationship between psychological resilience, neuroticism, attentional bias, and depressive symptoms in college Chinese students
Authors: Wang Mengmei , Li Jiangbo , Yan Guoli , Lei Tong , Rong Wei , Sun Ling
Published: October 2022

In recent years, the incidence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students has been increasing. Studies have shown that depressive symptoms are related to a variety of psychosocial factors, among which neuroticism, resilience, and attention bias are most notably related, but the correlation among the three is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the influence mechanisms of different degrees of resilience, attentional bias, and neuroticism in the formation of depressive symptoms. The college freshmen of this study were selected through stratified multi-stage cluster sampling. Students provided informed consent and then completed a general situation questionnaire and four scales: the Chinese version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Zung Self-Rating Depressive Symptoms Scale. In total, 1,493 freshmen participated in the research group. Our results showed that low resilience, negative attention bias, and high neuroticism jointly increased the risk of depressive symptoms. There is a significant correlation between these three factors and depressive symptoms. Additionally, strength, tenacity, and attention bias all had more significant effects on the occurrence of depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that there may be an important psychological mechanism for the occurrence, development, and poor prognosis of depressive symptoms.
Family life and autistic children with sensory processing differences: A qualitative evidence synthesis of occupational participation
Authors: Daly Gina , Jackson Jeanne , Lynch Helen
Published: October 2022

Autistic children with sensory processing differences successfully navigate and engage in meaningful family daily occupations within home and community environments through the support of their family. To date however, much of the research on autistic children with sensory processing differences, has primarily been deficit focused, while much of the caregiver research has focused on issues of distress, burden, effort, and emotional trauma in coping with their child's diagnosis. This study aimed to conduct a qualitative evidence synthesis, using a meta-ethnographic approach to explore the gap identified in understanding successful occupational experiences of family participation and daily family routines when supporting an autistic child with sensory processing differences and to offer an alternative strengths-based perspective. Inclusion criteria were studies which were peer-reviewed qualitative design, published from 2000 to 2021, and that concerned parents/caregivers' perspectives of family occupations of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Studies were electronically searched in eight databases from October to December 2021 and 23 studies were identified which met the inclusion criteria. Noblit and Hare's seven step approach for conducting analysis in meta-ethnography was used, and three themes identified: (1) sensory processing differences in daily life, (2) what is hard about hard, and (3) orchestrating family life. Results identified the centrality of sensory experiences in understanding family life. Living with unpredictability while orchestrating certainty through routines was core to successful participation. This review provides insights into how parents negotiate the complexities of constructing family life when living with an autistic child. The results can inform the design of future interventions that specifically address the relationship between meaningful participation in family occupations and daily routines and sensory processing in autistic children.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022298938, identifier: CRD42022298938.
When are you taking us outside? An exploratory study of the integration of the outdoor learning in preschool and primary education in Quebec
Authors: Beauchamp Audrey-Anne , Lacoste Yannick , Kingsbury Célia , Gadais Tegwen
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Recent research investigating the benefits of being outdoors and contact with nature in children showed strong associations with children’s health and development. More teachers are choosing to integrate outdoor learning (OL) into their practice in Quebec, but few studies have focused on OL in the school environment, particularly in Canada and more specifically in Quebec, despite the fact that the school context lends itself favorably to this practice.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to portray OL in preschool and primary schools in Québec by identifying three key elements: (1) teachers’ perception of the outdoors, (2) the uses of OL in schools, and (3) teaching strategies and factors that influence teachers’ integration of OL.

Methodology

Semi-structured group interviews (n = 4) conducted with 14 teachers and participant observations (n = 4) were used for data collection. Inclusion criteria were to be a preschool or primary school teacher, to have taught at least eight sessions of OL in the past year, and to have no connection or contact with the research team prior to the start of the study.

Results

First, the results showed that teachers commonly understood the outdoors as being in the open air, practicing a physical activity, having the presence of nature, providing physical freedom and targeting a pedagogical intention. Second, teachers appeared to incorporate a variety of pedagogical intentions in OL (e.g., environmental awareness, interdisciplinary learning), in a variety of settings (e.g., city parks, woodlands), and with a variety of academic subjects (e.g., French, mathematics) and learning tasks (e.g., walking, nature shelter building). Third, teachers used a wide range of teaching strategies in OL (e.g., flexible planning, well-established routines). Participants also identified multiple factors specific to their setting that appeared to facilitate (e.g., parental support) or limit (e.g., storage of materials) their integration of OL into the school environment.

Conclusion

This study provided a better understanding of the current use of the OL in the Quebec school environment by identifying the common characteristics, limitations and winning strategies of its use in schools. Teachers and schools interested in OL could benefit from the results of this study, particularly those interested in adopting a Forest School or Udeskole approach.
Role of digitalization, digital competence, and parental support on performance of sports education in low-income college students
Authors: Li Zongxi , Slavkova Olena , Gao Yong
Published: October 2022

Educational institutions have failed to achieve desired goals due to the lack of technology adoption, and this situation needs researchers’ emphasis. Hence, the current study examines the impact of digitalization and digital competencies among students on the educational performance of low-income college students in China. The article also investigates the moderating impact of parental support at the nexus of digitalization, digital competencies among students, and educational performance in low-income college students in China. The questionnaires were used by the researchers to gather the data from the selected respondents. The article has applied the smart-PLS to check the linkage among understudy constructs and test the hypotheses. The results revealed that digitalization and digital competencies among students positively link educational performance. The results also exposed that parental support significantly moderates digitalization, digital competencies, and educational performance in low-income college students in China. This article helps policymakers develop policies to improve educational performance using technology adoption.
Effects of guided exploration on reaching measures of auditory peripersonal space
Authors: Hüg Mercedes X. , Bermejo Fernando , Tommasini Fabián C. , Di Paolo Ezequiel A.
Published: October 2022

Despite the recognized importance of bodily movements in spatial audition, few studies have integrated action-based protocols with spatial hearing in the peripersonal space. Recent work shows that tactile feedback and active exploration allow participants to improve performance in auditory distance perception tasks. However, the role of the different aspects involved in the learning phase, such as voluntary control of movement, proprioceptive cues, and the possibility of self-correcting errors, is still unclear. We study the effect of guided reaching exploration on perceptual learning of auditory distance in peripersonal space. We implemented a pretest-posttest experimental design in which blindfolded participants must reach for a sound source located in this region. They were divided into three groups that were differentiated by the intermediate training phase: Guided, an experimenter guides the participant’s arm to contact the sound source; Active, the participant freely explores the space until contacting the source; and Control, without tactile feedback. The effects of exploration feedback on auditory distance perception in the peripersonal space are heterogeneous. Both the Guided and Active groups change their performance. However, participants in the Guided group tended to overestimate distances more than those in the Active group. The response error of the Guided group corresponds to a generalized calibration criterion over the entire range of reachable distances. Whereas the Active group made different adjustments for proximal and distal positions. The results suggest that guided exploration can induce changes on the boundary of the auditory reachable space. We postulate that aspects of agency such as initiation, control, and monitoring of movement, assume different degrees of involvement in both guided and active tasks, reinforcing a non-binary approach to the question of activity-passivity in perceptual learning and supporting a complex view of the phenomena involved in action-based learning.