bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of two bioanalysis methods for the determination of etimicin in human serum and urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: Applications to a human pharmacokinetic and breakpoint study
Authors: Cui Xinge , Zheng Xin , Ren Jianwei , Liu Hongzhong , Jia Yuan , Wu Aiguo , Han Xiaohong
Published: January 2023

Etimicin is a fourth-generation aminoglycoside antibiotic. It has potent activity and low toxicity when employed for the treatment of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections. The pharmacokinetics of etimicin in humans have not been elucidated completely. Two liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) bioanalytical methods, without the use of any ion-pairing reagents, were developed and validated for the quantification of etimicin in human samples of serum and urine. Using a deuterated reagent as the internal standard, analytes in serum and urine samples were extracted by protein precipitation and dilution before LC-MS/MS analysis, respectively. For the two methods, chromatographic separations were undertaken under isocratic elution of water–ammonia solution–acetic acid (96:3.6:0.2, v/v/v) and methanol at 50%:50% and a flow rate of 0.35 ml/min within 5 min. A Waters XTerra MS C18 column (2.1 × 150 mm, 3.5 μm) and a column temperature of 40°C were chosen. A Sciex Qtrap 5500 mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ion source was used in both methods under multiple-reaction monitoring in positive-ion mode. The two methods showed good linearity, accuracy, and precision with high recovery and a minimal matrix effect in the range of 50.0–20000 ng/ml for serum samples and 50.0–10000 ng/ml for urine samples, respectively. Carry-over effects were not observed. Etimicin remained stable in human samples of serum or urine under the storage, preparation, and analytical conditions of the two methods. These two simple and reliable methods were applied successfully to a dose-escalation, phase I clinical trial of etimicin in Chinese healthy volunteers after intravenous administration of single and multiple doses. Based on these two methods we ascertained, for the first time, the comprehensive pharmacokinetics of etimicin in humans, which will be used for the exploration of the breakpoint research further.
Naringenin protects against acute pancreatitis-associated intestinal injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation via AhR signaling
Authors: Yan Xu , Lin Tianjiao , Zhu Qingyun , Zhang Yushi , Song Zhimin , Pan Xinting
Published: January 2023

Background: In this study, we examined the functions and mechanisms by which naringenin protects against SAP (severe acute pancreatitis)-related intestinal injury by modulating the AhR/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Material and methods: Fifteen healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into SAP (n = 12) and normal (n = 3) groups. Mice in the SAP group received caerulein and lipopolysaccharide intraperitoneal injections and were then randomly assigned to the SAP, NAR, CH223191, and Dexamethasone (DEX) groups. Pathological changes in the pancreatic and intestinal mucosa were observed by Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) staining. In vitro, RAW264.7 cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharide and treated with naringenin. The levels of NLRP3, AhR, IL-1β, TNF, and IL-6 in the SAP model and RAW264.7 cells were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The nuclear translocation of AhR was shown by immunofluorescence. AutoDockTools was used to predict the conformations of naringenin-AhR binding, and PyMol 2.4 was used to visualize the conformations.

Results: Mouse pancreatic and intestinal injury was alleviated by treatment with naringenin. Naringenin inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibited damage to intestinal tight junctions. Moreover, naringenin increased AhR nuclear translocation and activated the AhR pathway.

Conclusion: Naringenin can reduce SAP-associated intestinal injury by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome via the AhR signaling pathway.
Exploring the molecular mechanism of notoginsenoside R1 in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy based on network pharmacology and experiments validation
Authors: Shao Ruifei , Li Wei , Chen Rui , Li Kunlin , Cao Yu , Chen Guobing , Jiang Lihong
Published: January 2023

Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) is an important manifestation of sepsis, and abnormal cardiac function affects the development of sepsis. Notoginsenoside R1 (NG-R1) is a unique bioactive component of Panax notoginseng with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, the effects and possible mechanisms of NG-R1 on SIC are not clear. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential targets and regulatory mechanisms of the action of NG-R1 on SIC. To investigate the potential mechanism, we used network pharmacology, molecular docking, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. The results showed that NG-R1 ameliorated myocardial fibrosis in septic mice. Validation of network pharmacology and molecular docking results revealed that NG-R1 reduced tumor necrosis factor-Alpha (TNF-α) expression in myocardial tissues and AC16 cardiomyocytes in mice, as well as inflammatory factor release in AC16 cells, so TNF-α may be a potential target of NG-R1 against SIC. The present study demonstrated that NG-R1 could protect against SIC and by regulating the expression of TNF-α inflammatory factors, providing a new idea for sepsis drug development.
Bioconvection Maxwell nanofluid flow over a stretching cylinder influenced by chemically reactive activation energy surrounded by a permeable medium
Authors: Khan Arshad , Iqbal Zahoor , Ahammad N. Ameer , Sidi Maawiya Ould , Elattar Samia , Awad Somia , Yousef El Sayed , Eldin Sayed M
Published: January 2023

The role of nanofluids in the development of many electronic devices at the industrial level is very significant. This investigation describes the thermal exploration for a bioconvective flow of Maxwell nanoparticles over stretching and revolving the cylinder placed in a porous medium. The fluid flow is in contact with chemically reactive activation energy. The swirling flow is induced by the stretching rotary cylinder. The magnetic effect of constant strength B0 is practiced to the flow system in combination with thermally radiative effects and a heat source/sink for controlling the thermal effects upon the flow system. The thermophoretic and Brownian motion characteristics, due to the nanofluid flow, are captured by implementing the Buongiorno model. The central focus of this study is to explore the thermal and mass transfer for the flow problem accompanied by motile microorganisms. The governing equations have been converted to the dimensionless form with similar variables, and the homotopy analysis method (HAM) has then been applied for solution. It has been concluded in this investigation that fluid flow decays for escalation in the Maxwell, porosity, and magnetic parameters, and Forchheimer and bioconvection Rayleigh numbers, while upsurges with the augmenting values of the Buoyancy factor. With the increasing values of the Brownian number, thermophoretic and radiation factors upsurge the thermal profiles and decline the concentration profiles. Moreover, the density of motile microorganisms declines with the expansion in the Peclet number. The range for η is taken from 0 to seven to get the convergence of the graph.
Nonlinear Fourier analysis of matter-wave soliton interferometry
Authors: Feng Yu-Jie , Sun Zhi-Yuan , Yu Xin
Published: January 2023

The bright solitons in quasi-1D atomic Bose-Einstein condensates are good candidates for constructing matter-wave interferometers with high sensitivity and long phase-accumulation times. Such interferometers at the mean-field level can be theoretically studied within the framework of quasi-1D Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation with narrow repulsive potential barriers. In this paper we present a basic proposal of using the nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT), also known as the inverse scattering transform, as an effective tool to analyze the soliton contents for those interferometers, which thanks to the nearly integrable nature of the GP equation when the normalized atom number fraction near the barrier is small. Based on typical cases, we show that the soliton components can be accurately detected from the output wave fields of the interferometers by computing the NFT spectra.
Nuclear fission properties of super heavy nuclei described within the four-dimensional Langevin model
Authors: Ishizuka Chikako , Zhang Xuan , Shimada Kazuya , Usang Mark , Ivanyuk Fedir , Chiba Satoshi
Published: January 2023

Understanding of fission properties of super-heavy nuclei (SHN) is essential not only for the synthesis of new elements but also for astrophysical nucleosynthesis because fission fragments from SHN are recycled as the seed nuclei of the r-process. A recent discovery of the r-process site by the gravitational wave observations requires more precise nuclear information for the detailed simulation of the r-process nucleosynthesis. However, the fission mechanisms of the SHN are not understood well, and therefore theoretical predictions of distributions of the fission fragments of SHN are very model-dependent. Our four-dimensional Langevin model can calculate various properties of the fission fragments, such as the distribution of fission yields, kinetic energies, and deformation of fission fragments and their correlations just after scission. Those results are consistent with the experimental data, especially in the actinide region without adjusting parameters. Based on such a reliable model, we previously investigated the fission of representative SHN where the experimental data exist and found that doubly-magic shell closure of 132Sn and 208Pb dominates the fission process. This paper demonstrates the results of our calculations for the systematics of fission yield and the total kinetic energies from the neutron-rich to the neutron-deficient side of SHN. We also show decomposition of fission modes, such as standard/super-long/super-short modes, based on a Brosa-like concept.
Effect of increased protein intake and exogenous ketosis on body composition, energy expenditure and exercise capacity during a hypocaloric diet in recreational female athletes
Authors: Hiroux Charlotte , Schouten Moniek , de Glisezinski Isabelle , Simon Chantal , Crampes François , Hespel Peter , Koppo Katrien
Published: January 2023

Introduction:Since low body weight is an important determinant of success in many sports such as gymnastics, martial arts and figure skating, athletes can benefit from effective weight loss strategies that preserve muscle mass and athletic performance. The present study investigates the effects of increased protein intake and exogenous ketosis on body composition, energy expenditure, exercise capacity, and perceptions of appetite and well-being during a hypocaloric diet in females.

Methods:Thirty-two female recreational athletes (age: 22.2 ± .5 years; body weight: 58.3 ± .8 kg; BMI: 20.8 ± .2 kg·m−2) underwent 4 weeks of 30% caloric restriction and were randomized to receive either an increased daily amount of dietary protein (PROT, ∼2.0–2.2 g protein·kg−1·day−1), 3 × 20 g·day−1of a ketone ester (KE), or an isocaloric placebo (PLA). Body composition was measured by DXA, resting energy expenditure (REE) by indirect calorimetry, exercise capacity during a VO2max test, appetite hormones were measured in serum, and perceptions of general well-being were evaluatedviaquestionnaires.

Results:The hypocaloric diet reduced body weight by 3.8 ± .3 kg in PLA, 3.2 ± .3 kg in KE and 2.4 ± .2 kg in PROT (Ptime<.0001). The drop in fat mass was similar between treatments (average: 2.6 ± .1 kg, Ptime<.0001), while muscle mass was only reduced in PLA and KE (average: .8 ± .2 kg, Ptime<.05), and remained preserved in PROT (Pinteraction<.01). REE [adjusted for lean mass] was reduced after caloric restriction in PLA (pre: 32.7 ± .5, post: 28.5 ± .6 kcal·day−1·kg−1) and PROT (pre: 32.9 ± 1.0, post: 28.4 ± 1.0 kcal·day−1·kg−1), but not in KE (pre: 31.8 ± .9, post: 30.4 ± .8 kcal·day−1·kg−1) (Pinteraction<.005). Furthermore, time to exhaustion during the VO2max test decreased in PLA (by 2.5 ± .7%,p< .05) but not in KE and PROT (Pinteraction<.05). Lastly, the perception of overall stress increased in PLA and PROT (p< .05), but not in KE (Pinteraction<.05).

Conclusion:Increased protein intake effectively prevented muscle wasting and maintained exercise capacity during a period of caloric restriction in female recreational athletes. Furthermore, exogenous ketosis did not affect body composition, but showed its potential in weight management by preserving a drop in exercise capacity and REE and by improving overall stress parameters during a period of caloric restriction.
Sugar perception in honeybees
Authors: Değirmenci Laura , Rogé Ferreira Fabio Luiz , Vukosavljevic Adrian , Heindl Cornelia , Keller Alexander , Geiger Dietmar , Scheiner Ricarda
Published: January 2023

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) need their fine sense of taste to evaluate nectar and pollen sources. Gustatory receptors (Grs) translate taste signals into electrical responses. In vivo experiments have demonstrated collective responses of the whole Gr-set. We here disentangle the contributions of all three honeybee sugar receptors (AmGr1-3), combining CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genetic knock-out, electrophysiology and behaviour. We show an expanded sugar spectrum of the AmGr1 receptor. Mutants lacking AmGr1 have a reduced response to sucrose and glucose but not to fructose. AmGr2 solely acts as co-receptor of AmGr1 but not of AmGr3, as we show by electrophysiology and using bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Our results show for the first time that AmGr2 is indeed a functional receptor on its own. Intriguingly, AmGr2 mutants still display a wildtype-like sugar taste. AmGr3 is a specific fructose receptor and is not modulated by a co-receptor. Eliminating AmGr3 while preserving AmGr1 and AmGr2 abolishes the perception of fructose but not of sucrose. Our comprehensive study on the functions of AmGr1, AmGr2 and AmGr3 in honeybees is the first to combine investigations on sugar perception at the receptor level and simultaneously in vivo. We show that honeybees rely on two gustatory receptors to sense all relevant sugars.
Transcription dynamics of heat-shock proteins (Hsps) and endosymbiont titres in response to thermal stress in whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Asia-I)
Authors: Barman Mritunjoy , Samanta Snigdha , Ahmed Bulbul , Dey Soumik , Chakraborty Swati , Deeksha M.G. , Dutta Subham , Samanta Arunava , Tarafdar Jayanta , Roy Deepayan
Published: January 2023

The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), is one of the several species complexes of whitefly that are currently significant agricultural pests. Bemisia tabaci infests more than 600 plant species and thrives under a wide range of temperature conditions. In addition to the direct damage caused by sucking plant sap, it vectors several plant viruses. Heat-shock proteins play a pivotal role in enabling the insect to extend its geographical location, survival, and reproduction under different stress conditions. B. tabaci harbours several endosymbionts under the genera Portiera, Rickettsia, Hamiltonella, Wolbachia, Arsenophonus, Cardinium, and Fritschea that directly or indirectly affect its fitness. By accelerating cuticle biosynthesis and sclerotisation, symbiotic microbes can reduce or enhance tolerance to extreme temperatures and detoxify heavy metals. Thus, symbionts or microbial communities can expand or constrain the abiotic niche space of their host and affect its ability to adapt to changing conditions. The present study delineates the effect of thermal stress on the expression of heat-shock genes and endosymbionts in B. tabaci. Studies of the expression level of heat-shock proteins with the help of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that heat- and cold-shock treatment fuels the increased expression of heat-shock proteins (Hsp40 and Hsp70). However, Hsp90 was not induced by a heat- and cold-shock treatment. A significant decrease in the relative titre of secondary endosymbionts, such as Rickettsia, Arsenophonus, and Wolbachia, were recorded in B. tabaci upon heat treatment. However, the titre of the primary symbiont, C. Portiera, was relatively unaffected by both cold and heat treatments. These results are indicative of the fact that Hsp genes and endosymbionts in B. tabaci are modulated in response to thermal stress, and this might be responsible for the adaptation of whitefly under changing climatic scenario.
Characteristics of menstrual cycle disorder and saliva metabolomics of young women in a high-temperature environment
Authors: Wei MengFan , An GaiHong , Fan LiJun , Chen XueWei , Li Chao , Chen JiaJun , Ma Qiang , Yang DanFeng , Wang Jing
Published: January 2023

Objective: Menstrual disorders induced by high-temperature environments, can seriously damage women’s reproductive health and workability. The regulation mechanism underlying it is not yet to be elucidated. Saliva is an information-rich biological fluid that can reflect systemic diseases. Here, we investigated the characteristics of menstrual cycle disorders and saliva metabolomics to provide a deeper insight of the regulation mechanism of young women in high-temperature environments.

Methods: Women from high and normal temperature areas of China were selected and divided into two groups—high-temperature (H group) and control (C group). A questionnaire survey was conducted in summer (July) to investigate the incidence rate of menstrual disorders, characteristics of the disorders, and factors influencing the risk of these disorders in different regions. Metabolomics was applied to analyze the characteristics of the salivary metabolites and neurotransmitters in the two groups of women with menstrual disorders.

Results: The incidence rate of menstrual disorders was significantly higher in the H group than that in the C group (p < 0.05). High-temperature environment, stress, and sleep quality were identified as critical factors associated with menstrual disorders. Non-targeted saliva metabolomics identified 64 significantly different metabolites between two groups, which mainly enriched in metabolic pathways such as carbohydrate metabolism, membrane transport, digestive system, and nucleotide metabolism (p < 0.05). N-acetylneuraminic acid, MYO, and tyramine may be candidate markers for early diagnosis of menstrual disorders in high temperature environments. Metabolites may be involving in the acute-phase response during an inflammatory process, to affecting the reproductive system by influencing the HPA axis loop. Regulations about oocyte membrane production and the luteal functions would be exerted in menstrual disorders. Targeted metabolomics of neurotransmitters revealed increased expression of histamine (HA) and glutamine and decreased expression of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Menstrual disorder characteristics induced by high temperature environments were specific. Anxiety, sleep quality and temperature feeling were the key factors to the menstrual disorder. endocrine regulation mechanism and inflammatory reactions might contribute to the development of menstrual disorders through influencing the formation of the follicular cell membrane.
Full-length huntingtin is palmitoylated at multiple sites and post-translationally myristoylated following caspase-cleavage
Authors: Lemarié Fanny L. , Sanders Shaun S. , Nguyen Yen , Martin Dale D. O. , Hayden Michael R.
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Huntingtin is subjected to multiple post-translational modifications which regulate its cellular functions and degradation. We have previously identified a palmitoylation site at cysteine 214 (C214), catalyzed by the enzymes ZDHHC17 and ZDHHC13. Reduced palmitoylation level of mutant huntingtin is linked to toxicity and loss of function. Moreover, we have described N-terminal myristoylation by the N-myristoyltransferases of a short fragment of huntingtin (HTT553-586) at glycine 553 (G553) following proteolysis at aspartate 552 (D552).

Results: Here, we show that huntingtin is palmitoylated at numerous cysteines: C105, C433, C3134 and C3144. In addition, we confirm that full-length huntingtin is cleaved at D552 and post-translationally myristoylated at G553. Importantly, blocking caspase cleavage at the critical and pathogenic aspartate 586 (D586) significantly increases posttranslational myristoylation of huntingtin. In turn, myristoylation of huntingtin promotes the co-interaction between C-terminal and N-terminal huntingtin fragments, which is also protective.

Discussion: This suggests that the protective effect of inhibiting caspase-cleavage at D586 may be mediated through post-translational myristoylation of huntingtin at G553.
Tiller estimation method using deep neural networks
Authors: Kinose Rikuya , Utsumi Yuzuko , Iwamura Masakazu , Kise Koichi
Published: January 2023

This paper describes a method based on a deep neural network (DNN) for estimating the number of tillers on a plant. A tiller is a branch on a grass plant, and the number of tillers is one of the most important determinants of yield. Traditionally, the tiller number is usually counted by hand, and so an automated approach is necessary for high-throughput phenotyping. Conventional methods use heuristic features to estimate the tiller number. Based on the successful application of DNNs in the field of computer vision, the use of DNN-based features instead of heuristic features is expected to improve the estimation accuracy. However, as DNNs generally require large volumes of data for training, it is difficult to apply them to estimation problems for which large training datasets are unavailable. In this paper, we use two strategies to overcome the problem of insufficient training data: the use of a pretrained DNN model and the use of pretext tasks for learning the feature representation. We extract features using the resulting DNNs and estimate the tiller numbers through a regression technique. We conducted experiments using side-view whole plant images taken with plan backgroud. The experimental results show that the proposed methods using a pretrained model and specific pretext tasks achieve better performance than the conventional method.
Physiological and metabolomic analysis reveals maturity stage-dependent nitrogen regulation of vitamin C content in pepper fruit
Authors: Zhang Lu , Zhang Fen , Wang Yuan , Ma Xiao , Shen Yuanpeng , Wang Xiaozhong , Yang Huaiyu , Zhang Wei , Lakshmanan Prakash , Hu Yuncai , Xu Jiuliang , Chen Xinping , Deng Yan
Published: January 2023

Pepper is one of the most vitamin C enriched vegetables worldwide. Although applying nitrogen (N) fertilizer is an important practice for high fruit yield in pepper production, it is still unclear how N application regulates pepper fruit vitamin C anabolism at different maturity stage. To further the understanding, we combined physiological and metabolomic analysis to investigate the fruit vitamin C content (including ascorbic acid (AsA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA)), related enzyme activity and non-targeted metabolites of field-grown chili pepper produced under different N levels at mature green and red stages. The results showed that increasing N application reduced AsA content in pepper fruit at both maturity stages, but highly elevated DHA content only at mature green stage. Regardless of N application level, AsA content displayed an increasing trend while DHA content was reduced as pepper fruit maturity advanced, resulting in a higher content of total vitamin C at the mature green stage. The L-galactose pathway, D-galacturonate pathway, and myo-inositol pathway were identified for AsA biosynthesis. The involved precursor metabolites were mainly negatively regulated by increasing N application, and their accumulation increased when pepper fruit developed from green to red stage. Meanwhile, the activities of key enzymes and metabolites in relation to degradation and recycling processes of AsA and DHA were increased or did not change with increasing N application, and they were differently influenced as fruit maturing. As a result, the recommended N application level (250 kg N ha-1) could maintain relatively high total vitamin C content in pepper fruits without yield loss at both maturity stages. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing N application level to maximize vitamin C content in pepper fruits, and provide a better understanding of the maturity stage-dependent N regulation on vitamin C anabolism.
Aluminum in plant: Benefits, toxicity and tolerance mechanisms
Authors: Ofoe Raphael , Thomas Raymond H. , Asiedu Samuel K. , Wang-Pruski Gefu , Fofana Bourlaye , Abbey Lord
Published: January 2023

Aluminum (Al) is the third most ubiquitous metal in the earth’s crust. A decrease in soil pH below 5 increases its solubility and availability. However, its impact on plants depends largely on concentration, exposure time, plant species, developmental age, and growing conditions. Although Al can be beneficial to plants by stimulating growth and mitigating biotic and abiotic stresses, it remains unknown how Al mediates these effects since its biological significance in cellular systems is still unidentified. Al is considered a major limiting factor restricting plant growth and productivity in acidic soils. It instigates a series of phytotoxic symptoms in several Al-sensitive crops with inhibition of root growth and restriction of water and nutrient uptake as the obvious symptoms. This review explores advances in Al benefits, toxicity and tolerance mechanisms employed by plants on acidic soils. These insights will provide directions and future prospects for potential crop improvement.
Recognition of soybean pods and yield prediction based on improved deep learning model
Authors: He Haotian , Ma Xiaodan , Guan Haiou , Wang Feiyi , Shen Panpan
Published: January 2023

As a leaf homologous organ, soybean pods are an essential factor in determining yield and quality of the grain. In this study, a recognition method of soybean pods and estimation of pods weight per plant were proposed based on improved YOLOv5 model. First, the YOLOv5 model was improved by using the coordinate attention (CA) module and the regression loss function of boundary box to detect and accurately count the pod targets on the living plants. Then, the prediction model was established to reliably estimate the yield of the whole soybean plant based on back propagation (BP) neural network with the topological structure of 5-120-1. Finally, compared with the traditional YOLOv5 model, the calculation and parameters of the proposed model were reduced by 17% and 7.6%, respectively. The results showed that the average precision (AP) value of the improved YOLOv5 model reached 91.7% with detection rate of 24.39 frames per millisecond. The mean square error (MSE) of the estimation for single pod weight was 0.00865, and the average coefficients of determination R2 between predicted and actual weight of a single pod was 0.945. The mean relative error (MRE) of the total weight estimation for all potted soybean plant was 0.122. The proposed method can provide technical support for not only the research and development of the pod’s real-time detection system, but also the intelligent breeding and yield estimation.
A conceptual review of the effectiveness of flipped learning in vocational learners’ cognitive skills and emotional states
Authors: Zhou Xiuqin
Published: January 2023

An inverted method of teaching is an instructional model where traditional classroom activities take place before class while class time is devoted to discussion, problem-solving, and interaction among students. Flipped learning is a learner-centered and technology-driven approach that benefits from the inverted method of teaching. Recently, instructors have begun to employ innovative pedagogies like flipped learning approach, to change the conventional practices in vocational education as flipped learning gives them a chance for professional development. In order to find out the reasons of the improvement of vocational education through the use of flipped learning approach, this review examined the effect of the flipped learning approach on vocational learners’ cognitive skills and emotional states in earlier studies. The earlier investigations showed the significant effect flipped learning approach on vocational learners’ emotions, such as engagement, motivation, self-efficacy, and their cognitive skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, learning skill, learning strategies, and communicative competence. However, this review implicated that flipped learning, as a type of blended learning, may be beneficial for learners, instructors, and students’ parents to be aware of this valuable learner-centered approach in vocational education.
How does mathematical modeling competency affect the creativity of middle school students? The roles of curiosity and guided inquiry teaching
Authors: Wang Tian , Zhang Libin , Xie Zhiyong , Liu Jian
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Mathematical modeling has become a crucial competence in mathematics education in many countries and regions due to the increasingly complex real-world problems that students face in the 21st century. Previous research has shown that mathematical modeling contributes to the development of students’ creativity, particularly with respect to stimulating and protecting the curiosity of children. However, previous studies have not explored or examined the relationships among middle school students’ mathematical modeling competency, curiosity, and creativity based on data drawn from large-scale assessments and have not investigated the influence of teachers’ teaching methods in this context.

Methods

This study used convenience sampling to select 4,531 seventh-grade students from eastern and western, urban and rural areas in China. Online tests and questionnaires were used to measure their mathematical modeling competency, curiosity, creativity and guided inquiry teaching, and a moderated mediation model was used to analyze the effect of mathematical modeling competency on creativity.

Results

The results showed the following. (1) There are statistically significant differences between boys and girls in terms of their mathematical modeling competency, curiosity, and creativity. Specifically, boys score significantly higher than girls on these variables. (2) Creativity exhibits a statistically significant positive correlation with mathematical modeling competency, curiosity, and guided inquiry teaching. (3) Curiosity mediates the relationship between mathematical modeling competency and creativity, and guided inquiry teaching moderates the influence of curiosity. In high-level guided inquiry teaching classes, curiosity has a stronger influence on creativity, and it mediates the relationship between mathematical modeling competency and creativity more strongly.

Discussion

This study empirically verified the influence of mathematical modeling competency on creativity and provided a possible way to cultivate children’s creativity. Future research should use longitudinal analysis to verify the causal relationship between mathematical modeling competency and creativity and to systematically explore the possible path by which mathematical modeling competency affects creativity.
Promotion mechanism of high-involvement human resource management practices to employees’ bootlegging: A moderated mediation model
Authors: Jia Jianfeng , Liu Zhi , Liu Weipeng , Hu Jieli
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Bootlegging is a frontier topic in micro-innovation literature. Existing research on the external environment-antecedents of employees’ bootlegging focuses mainly on organizational innovation management practices and leadership. The relationship between human resource management and employees’ bootlegging is still unclear. Thus, we follow the stimuli-organism-response model and use psychological ownership theory to examine a moderated mediation model with psychological ownership as a mediator and Chinese traditionality as a moderator to interpret how and when high-involvement human resource management practices influence employees’ bootlegging.

Methods

We administered three-wave time-lagged surveys to 251 employees and used SEM analysis to test the hypotheses.

Results

The results show that high-involvement human resource management practices is positively related to employees’ psychological ownership. Whereas psychological ownership, in turn, positively related to bootlegging. Meanwhile, employees’ psychological ownership plays a significant mediating role between high-involvement human resource management practices and employees’ bootlegging. The results further showed that employees’ Chinese traditionality weakens the influence of psychological ownership on bootlegging and the mediating effect of employees’ psychological ownership between high-involvement human resource management practices and employees’ bootlegging.

Discussion

This study makes several contributions to the bootlegging antecedent mechanism research. Specifically, it expands the understanding of the antecedents of bootlegging from a new perspective of human resource management, enriches the bootlegging-promotive cognition path from the perspective of psychological ownership, and enriches the proximal boundary in bootlegging antecedent mechanism from the perspective of individual personality. This study also inspires enterprises in innovation and talent management.
Psychological birth trauma: A concept analysis
Authors: Sun Xiaoqing , Fan Xuemei , Cong Shengnan , Wang Rui , Sha Lijuan , Xie Hongyan , Han Jingjing , Zhu Zhu , Zhang Aixia
Published: January 2023

Aim

To define and analyze the concept of psychological birth trauma.

Design

The concept analysis method of Walker and Avant was used.

Method

Eight databases (PubMed, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Information Chinese Journal Service Platform, and Chinese BioMedicine Literature Database) were searched from inception to July 2022 for studies focused on psychological birth trauma.

Results

Of the 5,372 studies identified, 44 ultimately met the inclusion criteria. The attributes identified were (1) women’s subjective feelings, (2) intertwined painful emotional experiences, (3) originating in the birth process, and (4) lasting until postpartum. Antecedents were divided into two groups: pre-existing antecedents and birth-related antecedents. Consequences were identified as negative and positive.

Conclusion

Psychological birth trauma is a more complex and comprehensive concept than previously thought, and should be regarded as a separate postpartum mental health problem. This study deepens the understanding of psychological birth trauma through a comprehensive concept analysis and also puts forward some suggestions for the prevention, identification, and intervention of psychological birth trauma, which provides a basis for assisting in the identification of psychological birth trauma and provides a reference for the development of rigorous assessment tools and the design of appropriate interventions in the future. Further research is needed to update and refine this concept.
Understanding the influencing mechanism of users’ participation in live streaming shopping: A socio-technical perspective
Authors: Dong Xueyan , Liu Xu , Xiao Xuan
Published: January 2023

Introduction

In live streaming shopping, exploring the influencing mechanism of consumers’ participation is an important prerequi site for understanding consumer behavior in social commerce activities. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship betw een technological and social factors (visibility, media richness, guidance shopping and real-time interactivity) in live streaming shop ping and consumers’ purchase intention. The mediating roles of attraction and cognitive assimilation were also examined.

Methods

This study collected 425 pieces of data through questionnaire survey. The structural equation model is established based on S-O-R frame. The hypothesis is tested by structural equation model.

Results

Our study found that that real-time interactive and media richness positively affect attraction; visibility, guidance shopping and media richness positive affect cognitive assimilation; cognitive assimilation and attraction positive affect consumers’ purchase intention; cognitive assimilation and attraction play a partial mediating role in the influence of technology and social factors on cons umers’ purchase intention of live streaming shopping.

Discussion

From the perspective of socio-technical, this study explores the influence mechanism of different influencing factors on consumers’ purchase intention in live streaming shopping. This study expands the application of IT affordance theory in the context of live streaming shopping, and reveals the mediating role of attraction and cognitive assimilation between social, technological factors and consumers’ purchase intention.
How to achieve sustainable buyer–seller relationship in social commerce? The effect of network closure on ties evolution
Authors: Zhang Hao , Han Xiao , Zheng Shiyong , Gu Mohan
Published: January 2023

The fact that most buyer–seller ties in the social commerce community are easy to form but hard to keep has brought the “social bubble” into social commerce. Following the literature streams of network closure and social commerce and based on the longitudinal dataset of an online social commerce community over a year, this article explores the buyer–seller ties evolution in the social commerce community through two stages, that is, ties emergence versus ties persistence. In this study, the authors build a hazard model and estimate with a semiparametric partial likelihood method. Our results show an asymmetric effect of network closure mechanisms across different stages of buyer–seller ties evolution. In the early stage of buyer–seller ties, due to the information asymmetry, buyers usually rely on informative signals that either reflect the “popular others” (i.e., the popularity and content sharing) or the “ideal self” (i.e., the value homophily and status homophily) to form ties with sellers, which makes the community more “transactional.” As very few ties can survive through the periods of 3 months or more, the normative social influence, which relies heavily on the structure of extant relationships among community members, becomes the dominant driver of ties persistence, which makes the community more “social.” This study contributes to the ongoing research of network analysis and social commerce. It provides valuable tactics to sellers who want to develop long-term relationships with buyers in the social commerce community.
P300 event-related potentials in patients with different subtypes of depressive disorders
Authors: Wang Yun , Li Canxin , Liu Xiaohua , Peng Daihui , Wu Yan , Fang Yiru
Published: January 2023

Objective

To explore the differences in event-related potentials (ERPs) of the subclinical types of major depressive disorders (MDD): melancholic (MEL), atypical (ATY), and anxious (ANX).

Methods

Patients with MDD treated in the Clinical Department of Shanghai Mental Health Center between September 2017 and December 2020 were prospectively included. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Shanghai Mental Health Center. They were evaluated using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17), 30-item Self-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-30SR), 16-item Quick Inventory of Negative Symptom Scale (QIDS-16SR), and auditory and visual P300 ERPs.

Results

Finally, 27, 14, and 20 patients with MEL, ATY, and ANX MDD were included in this study, respectively. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics and HAMD-17, IDS-30SR, and QIDS-16SR total scores among the three groups (all P > 0.05). On the C3 lead, the latency for patients with MEL MDD was the longest, and the latency for patients with ATY MDD was the shortest (MEL vs. ATY vs. ANX: 373.89 ± 6.60 vs. 344.79 ± 9.78 vs. 359.33 ± 7.62, P = 0.039). On the Pz lead, the latency for patients with MEL MDD was the longest, and the latency for patients with ATY MDD was the shortest (MEL vs. ATY vs. ANX: 376.14 ± 6.51 vs. 347.21 ± 9.42 vs. 362.22 ± 8.63, P = 0.047). There were no differences in visual P300 ERPs among the three groups.

Conclusion

There are significant differences in auditory C3 and Pz latency among MEL, ATY, and ANX MDD. These differences could help diagnose the subtype of MDD.
Determinants and prediction of Chlamydia trachomatis re-testing and re-infection within 1 year among heterosexuals with chlamydia attending a sexual health clinic
Authors: Xu Xianglong , Chow Eric P. F. , Fairley Christopher K. , Chen Marcus , Aguirre Ivette , Goller Jane , Hocking Jane , Carvalho Natalie , Zhang Lei , Ong Jason J.
Published: January 2023

Background

Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) globally, and re-infections are common. Current Australian guidelines recommend re-testing for chlamydia 3 months after treatment to identify possible re-infection. Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) has been proposed to control chlamydia re-infection among heterosexuals. We aimed to identify determinants and the prediction of chlamydia re-testing and re-infection within 1 year among heterosexuals with chlamydia to identify potential PDPT candidates.

Methods

Our baseline data included 5,806 heterosexuals with chlamydia aged ≥18 years and 2,070 re-tested for chlamydia within 1 year of their chlamydia diagnosis at the Melbourne Sexual Health Center from January 2, 2015, to May 15, 2020. We used routinely collected electronic health record (EHR) variables and machine-learning models to predict chlamydia re-testing and re-infection events. We also used logistic regression to investigate factors associated with chlamydia re-testing and re-infection.

Results

About 2,070 (36%) of 5,806 heterosexuals with chlamydia were re-tested for chlamydia within 1 year. Among those retested, 307 (15%) were re-infected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that older age (≥35 years old), female, living with HIV, being a current sex worker, patient-delivered partner therapy users, and higher numbers of sex partners were associated with an increased chlamydia re-testing within 1 year. Multivariable logistic regression analysis also showed that younger age (18–24 years), male gender, and living with HIV were associated with an increased chlamydia re-infection within 1 year. The XGBoost model was the best model for predicting chlamydia re-testing and re-infection within 1 year among heterosexuals with chlamydia; however, machine learning approaches and these self-reported answers from clients did not provide a good predictive value (AUC < 60.0%).

Conclusion

The low rate of chlamydia re-testing and high rate of chlamydia re-infection among heterosexuals with chlamydia highlights the need for further interventions. Better targeting of individuals more likely to be re-infected is needed to optimize the provision of PDPT and encourage the test of re-infection at 3 months.
Short-term efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for global population with elevated blood pressure: A network meta-analysis
Authors: Shao Taihang , Liang Leyi , Zhou Chengchao , Tang Yaqian , Gao Wenqing , Tu Yusi , Yin Yue , Malone Daniel C. , Tang Wenxi
Published: January 2023

Background

This study aims to compare the potential short-term effects of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) on prehypertensive people, and provide evidence for intervention models with potential in future community-based management.

Methods

In this Bayesian network meta-analysis, Pubmed, Embase, and Web of science were screened up to 16 October 2021. Prehypertensive patients (systolic blood pressure, SBP 120–139 mmHg/diastolic blood pressure, DBP 80–89 mmHg) with a follow-up period longer than 4 weeks were targeted. Sixteen NPIs were identified during the scope review and categorized into five groups. Reduction in SBP and DBP was selected as outcome variables and the effect sizes were compared using consistency models among interventions and intervention groups. Grade approach was used to assess the certainty of evidence.

Results

Thirty-nine studies with 8,279 participants were included. For SBP, strengthen exercises were the most advantageous intervention group when compared with usual care (mean difference = −6.02 mmHg, 95% CI −8.16 to −3.87), and combination exercise, isometric exercise, and aerobic exercise were the three most effective specific interventions. For DBP, relaxation was the most advantageous intervention group when compared with usual care (mean difference = −4.99 mmHg, 95% CI −7.03 to −2.96), and acupuncture, meditation, and combination exercise were the three most effective specific interventions. No inconsistency was found between indirect and direct evidence. However, heterogeneity was detected in some studies.

Conclusion

NPIs can bring short-term BP reduction benefits for prehypertensive patients, especially exercise and relaxation. NPIs could potentially be included in community-based disease management for prehypertensive population once long-term real-world effectiveness and cost-effectiveness are proven.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=151518, identifier: CRD42020151518.
Socio-demographic and geographic disparities of population-level food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
Authors: Phulkerd Sirinya , Thongcharoenchupong Natjera , Chamratrithirong Aphichat , Gray Rossarin Soottipong , Pattaravanich Umaporn , Ungchusak Chantana , Saonuam Pairoj
Published: January 2023

Introduction

This study investigated the prevalence of food insecurity, and the association between socio-demographic and geographic factors and food insecurity in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The study extracted data on 5,066 persons age 15 years or older from a nationally-representative sample survey of Thai households, conducted during June-December 2021. The respondents were asked about food insecurity, socio-demographic characteristics, debt, and role of the primary household food provider. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the variables and food insecurity.

Results

Of the total sample, 28.6% had food insecurity. The highest probability of having food insecurity (p < 0.001) was observed in persons age 15–29 years, with no formal education, and in the lowest quartile of income. The highest probability of having food insecurity was found among respondents residing in the northeast, which is the poorest and with the least development status among geographic regions in Thailand. Respondents who reported having onerous personal debt and being the main household food provider were 1.4 and 2.3 times as likely to have food insecurity as those with no debt and not being the main food provider, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This suggests that government attention is required in developing policies and strategies to improve food security through addressing the socio-economic determinants, and buffer the negative impact of a national crisis on diets. Investment to improve household income and raise the educational profile of the population is needed. Addressing the regional disparities in food security requires area-specific measures which target the most vulnerable population groups.