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This study aims to examine the relationship among motivation for joining an educational leadership training programme (MOT), perceived skills (PS), and perceived changes in transformational leadership (PCTFL) in educational leadership training. The study drew on survey data from 761 participants who were associated with a leadership development programme under an EU-China cooperation project. The conceptual model was tested by structural equation modelling (SEM) by the Mplus programme. MOT and PCTFL were measured, respectively, by second-order factor structure assessments due to their multi-dimensional nature. The findings of the study suggest that motivation positively influences perceived changes in transformational leadership, and this relationship is positively mediated by perceived skills as learning gains in educational leadership training. The study provides novel empirical evidence on motivation that leads to transformational leadership changes in leadership training programmes. Policymakers and other key stakeholders can use these findings to gain a deeper understanding of the success of projects and encourage academic members to participate in leadership training programmes to improve transformational leadership.

Purpose: The challenges faced by universities in China have presented opportunities to enhance the leadership of educational leaders in universities. Little has been written about the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders in Chinese higher education (HE). The objective of this study is to provide an authentic understanding of 1) the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders as experienced by academic members, 2) experienced contextual factors related to the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders. Design: Qualitative research was conducted, and the perceptions of 13 academic members from nine universities in China were explored. Findings: This study revealed authoritarian leadership style was the most reported leadership style of the mid-level educational leaders, followed by transformational and transactional leadership styles. Participants suggested to minimise the adoption of authoritarian leadership style and to encourage the application of transformational leadership style. Regarding the factors that shape leadership style of mid-level educational leaders, this research supports the following factors: culture, organizational policies & administration, discipline, and incentive mechanism. Originality: We gained a deep understanding of the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders and the contextual factors that shape the leadership styles in this study. The results can be conducive to future leadership training and to the mid-level educational leaders to create environments that facilitate the application of educational leadership practices.

Digital media literacy education has become shared responsibility of all educators, school-based initiatives are considered to be a crucial component of digital media literacy education. This 10-week intervention study explores the effects of digital media literacy (DML) course on students' digital media literacy. The participants were 58 fifth graders (M = 11.5 years) from two classes in Beijing. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to examine the effects of the DML course on the digital media literacy of primary school students. The results provided evidence that the DML course positively impacts students' citizenship participation, but has no significant influence on students' technical skills, critical understanding, or creation and communication. The findings also explained a positive relationship between teacher's scaffolding support and students' digital media literacy.

This study illuminates the motivation and learning experience of Chinese and European academic members who attended an educational leadership training programme. Data were collected through participants' registration forms and learning reflection reports. A qualitative content analysis research method by MAXQDA2022 is adopted in this research. The findings revealed European and Chinese participants' motivation for joining the leadership training programme and their perceived effectiveness of the training programme. Drawing from the study's findings, this research examines the components of a culturally appropriate methodology for a cross-cultural professional leadership training programme and provides insights into the interplay of factors that impact the perceived effectiveness of such a leadership training programme. Additionally, recommendations for future program design are offered.

P2X receptors (P2X1–7) are non-selective cation channels involved in many physiological activities such as synaptic transmission, immunological modulation, and cardiovascular function. These receptors share a conserved mechanism to sense extracellular ATP. TNP-ATP is an ATP derivative acting as a nonselective competitive P2X antagonist. Understanding how it occupies the orthosteric site in the absence of agonism may help reveal the key allostery during P2X gating. However, TNP-ATP/P2X complexes (TNP-ATP/human P2X3 (hP2X3) and TNP-ATP/chicken P2X7 (ckP2X7)) with distinct conformations and different mechanisms of action have been proposed. Whether these represent species and subtype variations or experimental differences remains unclear. Here, we show that a common mechanism of TNP-ATP recognition exists for the P2X family members by combining enhanced conformation sampling, engineered disulfide bond analysis, and covalent occupancy. In this model, the polar triphosphate moiety of TNP-ATP interacts with the orthosteric site, while its TNP-moiety is deeply embedded in the head and dorsal fin (DF) interface, creating a restrictive allostery in these two domains that results in a partly enlarged yet ion-impermeable pore. Similar results were obtained from multiple P2X subtypes of different species, including ckP2X7, hP2X3, rat P2X2 (rP2X2), and human P2X1 (hP2X1). Thus, TNP-ATP uses a common mechanism for P2X recognition and modulation by restricting the movements of the head and DF domains which are essential for P2X activation. This knowledge is applicable to the development of new P2X inhibitors.

Abstract Synthesis of valuable chemicals from CO2 electroreduction in acidic media is highly desirable to overcome carbonation. However, suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction in such proton-rich environments remains a considerable challenge. The current study demonstrates the use of a hollow fiber silver penetration electrode with hierarchical micro/nanostructures to enable CO2 reduction to CO in strong acids via balanced coordination of CO2 and K+/H+ supplies. Correspondingly, a CO faradaic efficiency of 95% is achieved at a partial current density as high as 4.3 A/cm2 in a pH = 1 solution of H2SO4 and KCl, sustaining 200 h of continuous electrolysis at a current density of 2 A/cm2 with over 85% single-pass conversion of CO2. The experimental results and density functional theory calculations suggest that the controllable CO2 feeding induced by the hollow fiber penetration configuration primarily coordinate the CO2/H+ balance on Ag active sites in strong acids, favoring CO2 activation and key intermediate *COOH formation, resulting in enhanced CO formation.

BackgroundDry eye disease (DED) is highly prevalent worldwide, leading to increased medical costs, economic burdens on families and society, and a diminished quality of life for patients. The utilization of autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs) for the treatment of DED is progressively rising.ObjectiveTo further evaluate the efficacy and safety of ASEDs in the treatment of DED.MethodsA thorough search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted across eight databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, SinoMed, and VIP. This search encompassed the inception of each database up to April 1, 2024, with a specific focus on identifying RCTs evaluating the efficacy and safety of ASEDs for the treatment of DED. Data analysis was conducted utilizing Stata 15.0 software and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was utilized to appraise the literature’s quality.ResultsThe study encompassed 12 RCTs. In comparison to the use of artificial tears (AT), patients diagnosed with DED who utilized ASEDs displayed elevated the Schirmer test (ST) scores [WMD = 2.35, 95% CI (1.45, 3.24), p

Due to the increasing heterogeneity of students within learning groups at school, teachers are urged to appropriately address students’ learning needs by means of differentiated instruction. Given that the successful and effective implementation of differentiated instruction relies mostly on teachers, research has extensively explored teacher-related variables, such as attitudes, that have a strong impact on their use of differentiated instruction. However, empirical research exploring teachers’ attitudes, specifically towards the practice of DI, is still quite limited. In addition, up to now, there is only one available instrument that assesses teachers’ attitudes towards DI, the Teachers’ Attitudes towards Differentiated Instructional Scale (TAT-DIS). In this context, the purpose of the present study is to report on the instrument’s adaptation and implementation within the mainland Chinese context. The sample consisted of 650 primary and 702 secondary school teachers from western and central areas of China. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the original two-factor structure: the value of DI and perceived insufficient resources. Regarding the internal consistencies of the subscales, the reliabilities of both subscales were good. Additionally, differences across the sociodemographic variables such as gender and school educational level were found. Limitations are discussed and future lines of research are recommended.

BackgroundThe intraocular injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) demonstrates significant efficacy in inhibiting the formation of ocular neovascularization in neovascular glaucoma (NVG). Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation (AGVI) is extensively employed for the management of diverse glaucoma types.ObjectiveTo further evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-VEGF combined with AGVI in the treatment of neovascular glaucoma.MethodsA thorough search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted across eight databases: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, SinoMed, and VIP. The search period was set from the inception of each database until March 2, 2024, to identify RCTs investigating the effectiveness and safety of combining AGVI with anti-VEGF therapy for NVG. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool to evaluate the quality of the literature and performed statistical analysis using Stata 15.0 software.ResultsFourteen RCTs were included in this study. Compared with AGVI alone, the combination of anti-VEGF drugs and AGVI can reduce postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) at 1 week [WMD = −4.03, 95% CI (−5.73, −2.34), p

In order to eventually reach the net-zero carbon target, the low carbon transition demands substantial growth in the penetration of renewable generation in energy systems. It is essential to have enough flexible resources to prevent the curtailment of energy systems with high intermittent renewable output to run consistently. Therefore, this study focuses on the multi-objective optimal dispatching model of combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) microgrid with power-to-gas (P2G). The structure of the CCHP microgrid and the working principle of P2G are studied and analyzed. First, briefly described the multi-objective optimal dispatch model of the CCHP microgrid with P2G established with the goal of operational and environmental cost. Second, a hybrid gravitational search algorithm and random forest regression (GSA-RFR) are introduced to find out the optimal values. The proposed model verifies that P2G improves the wind abandonment capacity of the CCHP microgrid operation system. Furthermore, it reduces environmental costs and transforms environmental values into economic benefits during system operation. Noting that, the GSA-RFR improves the system economy by 7.13% comparatively.

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore how students experienced the MOOC-based flipped learning and how should different scaffolding be emphasized in different stages in such educational contexts through the lens of the revised community of inquiry (CoI) framework. In total, 22 first-year undergraduate students were invited for one-on-one in-depth interviews. The results indicated that MOOC-based flipped learning allowed students to experience all four types of presences outlined in the revised CoI framework. In terms of each presence, students highlighted that the MOOC-based flipped course provided more learning presence in the form of monitoring and strategy, greater cognitive presence through integration, more social presence through affective expression and open communication, and increased teaching presence through enhancement of direct instruction and assessment during both online and in-class sessions. And the challenges of implementing MOOC-based flipped learning in university courses were also mentioned ranging from the need for group cohesion in in-class learning designs, the necessity of helping students improve planning, triggering events, to the enhancement of design, and organization between MOOCs and the existing formal curricula. The findings have implications for practitioners who hope to build an integrated learning experience around MOOCs.

While demands on academic leadership in higher education have been increasing, there has been a lack of empirical studies exploring the effectiveness and impacts of leadership development interventions. In addition, recent studies suggest a model of leadership development based on an international approach. Unfortunately, the evaluation of those programs is limited in the available literature. This study thus presents the results of the impacts of a higher education (HE) academic leadership development program at the international level which consist of 12 universities in China and Europe. The project was implemented over a 4-year period, delivered through workshops, training programs, and exchanges. Following 2 years of project implementation, the mid-term impact was assessed through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Among the participants who had joined the program for more than 12 months, 51 Chinese participants and 41 European participants voluntarily took part in the online survey; of those, 21 participants were involved in the semi-structured interviews. Ultimately, the findings indicated that the program has had positive impacts on a variety of aspects, including cross-institutional networking, collaboration, partnership, and HE-related policy development and practices. Furthermore, this study has provided empirical evidence on how an academic leadership development program contributes to assisting academic institutions in broadening their connections, networking, and partnerships in order to achieve their institutional goals of development and innovation. As such, the research findings are useful for policymakers, university administrators, and related stakeholders. Lastly, the approaches taken by the academic leadership development program utilized in the current study can be applied widely in different contexts.

BackgroundThe DTaP-Hib and DTaP-IPV/Hib combination vaccine can be used as a substitute for the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis combined vaccine (DTaP). We aimed to evaluate the safety of multi-component vaccines containing DTaP by analyzing the reporting rates and characteristics of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) in Linping District during the years 2019 to 2022.MethodsWe obtained data of AEFI and vaccination from the National AEFI Surveillance System of China and Zhejiang Municipal Immunization Information Management System, respectively, during 2019–2022 for a descriptive, epidemiological analysis.ResultsThe total number of AEFI reported following vaccinations with DTaP-containing combination vaccines was 802 in Linping District from 2019 to 2022. The overall reporting rates of AEFIs following DTaP, DTaP-Hib, and DTaP-IPV/Hib vaccinations were 445.72 (537 cases), 536.29 (45 cases), and 306.13 (220 cases) per 100,000 doses in Linping District from 2019 to 2022, respectively. Only one case of a serious AEFI following DTaP vaccination, with a reporting rate of 0.83 per 100,000 doses. The composition ratio of vaccine product-related reactions for DTaP, DTaP-Hib, and DTaP-IPV/Hib were 99.81, 97.78, and 100.00%, respectively. The composition ratio of coincidental events for DTaP and DTaP-Hib were 0.19 and 2.22%, respectively. The reporting rates of total AEFIs for DTaP-IPV/Hib were lower than for DTaP. The reporting rate of local induration for DTaP-Hib was lower than for DTaP, and the reporting rates of local redness & swelling and local induration for DTaP-IPV/Hib were both lower than for DTaP. DTaP-IPV/Hib had a higher proportion of AEFIs in first quarter compared to DTaP. The reporting rate after the second dose of DTaP-Hib was higher than that of DTaP, and the reporting rates of AEFIs after the first dose and third dose of DTaP-IPV/Hib were lower than DTaP.ConclusionThe reported AEFIs to multi-component vaccines containing DTaP components during 2019–2022 in Linping District were mainly mild vaccine reactions. DTaP-containing combination vaccines demonstrated a good safety profile.

The induction of ferroptosis is suggested to be a potential therapeutic strategy for cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are reported to play an important role in cell death processes. This study aims to construct and validate a risk model based on ferroptosis-related miRNAs (FR_miRNAs) to predict prognosis and identify novel therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma. Data from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments database are used as the training cohort. A prognostic signature based on two FR_miRNAs (miR-635 and miR-593) is developed using univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The area under the curve values of the prognostic signature to predict the 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates in patients with osteosarcoma are 0.782, 0.781, 0.722, and 0.777, respectively, indicating a good predictive ability. Based on the risk score, patients are divided into low-risk and high-risk groups. Patients with high-risk scores are associated with poor survival. The risk level is determined to be an independent prognostic factor. A nomogram is established for predicting prognosis. The expression levels of PRNP (miR-635-related ferroptosis-related gene (FRG); P=0.024) and HILPDA (miR-593-related FRG; P=0.025) are significantly different between the low-risk and high-risk groups. All results are validated in an external cohort (GSE39040). The results of the functional assay reveal that miR-635 mimics inhibit osteosarcoma (OS) cell proliferation and migration, whereas miR-593 overexpression exerts the opposite effect. In conclusion, miR-635 and miR-593 exert contrasting regulatory effects on OS cell proliferation and migration.

Abstract P2X receptors are cation channels that sense extracellular ATP. Many therapeutic candidates targeting P2X receptors have begun clinical trials or acquired approval for the treatment of refractory chronic cough (RCC) and other disorders. However, the present negative allosteric modulation of P2X receptors is primarily limited to the central pocket or the site below the left flipper domain. Here, we uncover a mechanism of allosteric regulation of P2X3 in the inner pocket of the head domain (IP-HD), and show that the antitussive effects of quercetin and PSFL2915 (our nM-affinity P2X3 inhibitor optimized based on quercetin) on male mice and guinea pigs were achieved by preventing allosteric changes of IP-HD in P2X3. While being therapeutically comparable to the newly licensed P2X3 RCC drug gefapixant, quercetin and PSFL2915 do not have an adverse effect on taste as gefapixant does. Thus, allosteric modulation of P2X3 via IP-HD may be a druggable strategy to alleviate RCC.

In recent years, lower limb exoskeletons have achieved satisfactory clinical curative effects in rehabilitating stroke patients. Furthermore, generating individualized trajectories for each patient and avoiding secondary injury in rehabilitation training are important issues. This paper explores the utilization of series elastic actuator (SEA) to deliver compliant force and enhance impact resistance in human-robot interaction, and we present the design of novel knee exoskeleton driven by SEA. Subsequently, the novel gait trajectory prediction method and compliant control method are proposed. The attention-based CNN-LSTM model is established to generate personalized gait trajectories for affected limbs, in which the spatial-temporal attention mechanism is adopted to improve the prediction accuracy. The compliant control strategy is proposed to nonlinearly and adaptively tune impedance parameters based on artificial potential field (APF) method, and active rehabilitation training is carried out in the coordination space to guarantee patient safety. The experimental results based on four healthy subjects demonstrated that synergetic gait prediction model could satisfactorily characterize the coordination movement with higher accuracy. The compliant control could limit the patient’s movement in the safe coordination tunnel while considering personalization and flexibility.

To investigate the differences in the bacterial communities of biofilms in the appurtenant facilities of rural sewage collection systems, a pilot research setup was constructed. A study was conducted using real sewage collected in a rural area, and the bacterial communities of biofilms in different appurtenant facilities were characterized using Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that there were significant differences in biofilm bacterial communities among the different annexes. The biofilms from all four ancillary facilities (drop manhole, turning inspection well, mud trap, and direct inspection well) contained some amounts of denitrifying bacteria (relative abundance >6 %), but lacked ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (relative abundance

Microlearning has shifted professional training and development and its acceptance depends on perceived user benefits. This study examines the influence of user-perceived benefits on librarians’ acceptance of the microlearning approach in selected universities in Tanzania. Using a questionnaire informed by the variables of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model to collect data from a sample of 64 librarians, the results indicated that the perceived ease of use was found to play a more significant role in the acceptance of microlearning than perceived usefulness. However, the lack of in-person/physical interaction with peers during the training deterred the use of microlearning by the librarians. The positive influence of perceived usefulness and ease of use on the acceptance of microlearning strengthens the relevance of adopting microlearning as a didactic technology for librarians’ training. The findings imply that proper implementation of microlearning as a training avenue is key due to the plenteous benefits it affords over the challenges.

In a previous study, we investigated the effects of high-temperature requirement factor A4 (HtrA4) deficiency on trophoblasts using the BeWo KO cell line. However, the effects of this deficiency on angiogenesis remain unclear. To explore the role of HtrA4 in angiogenesis, HUVECs were co-cultured with wild-type BeWo cells (BeWo WT), BeWo KO, and HtrA4-rescued BeWo KO (BeWo KO-HtrA4 rescue) cells. Dil staining and dextran analysis revealed that HUVECs co-cultured with BeWo KO formed tubes, but they were often disjointed compared to those co-cultured with BeWo WT, BeWo KO-HtrA4 rescue, and HUVECs controls. RT-PCR, ELISA, and western blot analysis were performed to assess angiogenesis-related factors at the mRNA and protein levels. HtrA4 deficiency inhibited IL-6 expression in trophoblasts, and the reduced secretion of IL-6 decreases VEGFA expression in HUVECs by modulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to prevent tube formation. Moreover, rescuing HtrA4 expression restored the HUVEC tube formation ability. Interestingly, IL-6 expression was lower in supernatants with only cultured HUVECs than in co-cultured HUVECs with BeWo WT cells, but the HUVEC tube formation ability was similar. These findings suggest that the promoting angiogenesis-related signaling pathway differs between only HUVECs and co-cultured HUVECs, and that the deficiency of HtrA4 weakens the activation of the IL-6/JAK/STAT3/VEGFA signaling pathway, reducing the ability of tube formation in HUVECs. HtrA4 deficiency in trophoblasts hinders angiogenesis and may contribute to placental dysfunction.

Until now the genus Amana (Liliaceae), known as ‘East Asian tulips’, has contained just seven species. In this study, a phylogenomic and integrative taxonomic approach was used to reveal two new species, Amana nanyueensis from Central China and A. tianmuensis from East China. A. nanyueensis resembles Amana edulis in possessing a densely villous-woolly bulb tunic and two opposite bracts, but differs in its leaves and anthers. Amana tianmuensis resembles Amana erythronioides in possessing three verticillate bracts and yellow anthers, but differs in aspects of its leaves and bulbs. These four species are clearly separated from each other in principal components analysis based on morphology. Phylogenomic analyses based on plastid CDS further support the species delimitation of A. nanyueensis and A. tianmuensis and suggests they are closely related to A. edulis. Cytological analysis shows that A. nanyueensis and A. tianmuensis are both diploid (2n = 2x = 24), different from A. edulis, which is either diploid (northern populations) or tetraploid (southern populations, 2n = 4x = 48). The pollen morphology of A. nanyueensis is similar to other Amana species (single-groove germination aperture), but A. tianmuensis is quite different because of the presence of a sulcus membrane, which creates the illusion of double grooves. Ecological niche modelling also revealed a niche differentiation between A. edulis, A. nanyueensis and A. tianmuensis.

Pain is a common clinical condition. However, the mechanisms underlying pain are not yet fully understood. It is known that the neuroimmune system plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of pain. Recent studies indicated that the cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway can activate the innate immune system by sensing both extrinsic and intrinsic double-stranded DNA in the cytoplasm, which is involved in pain processing. In this review, we summarise (1) the roles of the cGAS-STING pathway in different pain models, (2) the effect of the cGAS-STING pathway in different cells during pain regulation, and (3) the downstream molecular mechanisms of the cGAS-STING pathway in pain regulation. This review provides evidence that the cGAS-STING pathway has pro- and anti-nociceptive effects in pain models. It has different functions in neuron, microglia, macrophage, and T cells. Its downstream molecules include IFN-I, NF-κB, NLRP3, and eIF2α. The bidirectional roles of the cGAS-STING pathway in pain processing are mediated by regulating nociceptive neuronal sensitivity and neuroinflammatory responses. However, their effects in special brain regions, activation of astrocytes, and the different phases of pain require further exploration.

An activated silver hollow fiber electrode enables enhanced triphasic interface reactions and oriented mass transfers synergistically, facilitating efficient CO2 conversion (> 50%) to boost CO production with a current density of 1.26 A · cm−2.

Carbon dioxide electroreduction driven by renewable electricity into high‐value chemicals enables energy storage while contributing to climate change mitigation. Herein, a CuPd bimetallic catalyst is developed by electrodeposition for efficient CO2 electroreduction, achieving a C2+ Faradaic efficiency as high as 75.6% with a current density of −200 mA cm−2 at −1.15 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Upon incorporation of Pd, the average d‐band center of the CuPd bimetallic catalyst downward shifts relative to the Fermi level, making the adsorbed CO intermediates active for further C–C coupling. Theoretical calculations confirm that CO generated on the Pd domain can spill over to the CuPd interface for C–C coupling with a lower energy barrier, further promoting the formation of C2+ compounds. This study provides insights into the rational design of Cu‐based bimetallic catalysts for highly efficient CO2 electroreduction to multicarbon products.

In this research we examine the Community of Inquiry model and further develop the model by integrating a complementary institutional presence. For this purpose, a questionnaire including five presences and 73 questions was designed. In total, a response of 762 questionnaires from five universities were collected. Correspondingly, statistical analysis like factor analysis and structural equation model were conducted. The present paper is, duly, a quantitative investigation of the correlations between institutional presence and other presences in the new model as well. Finally, a further developed Community of Inquiry model that integrates institutional presence is generated. With a relatively large sample, the results meet the applicable requirements, indicating that the generated model is acceptable and fits well with the data.