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Objectives: The therapeutic efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in modulating gut microbiota for diabetes treatment has garnered increasing scholarly attention. This study aims to meticulously examine current research trajectories and focal areas from 2004 to 2024, providing a foundational framework for future inquiries. Methods: A comprehensive search of documents published between 2004 and 2024 was conducted using the Web of Science database. The resulting data were analyzed and visualized using R software, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. Results: The study included a total of 751 documents. From 2004 to 2022, the number of annual publications showed a continuous upward trend (2004: n = 1 to 2022: n = 159), and the number of publications in 2023 (n = 141) decreased slightly from the previous year. China emerged as the leading country in terms of article publications (n = 430). Additionally, the United States played a prominent role in international research collaborations. Frontiers in Pharmacology (n = 31) was the most frequently published journal, while Nature (n = 1,147) achieved the highest citation count. Key identified keywords included obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Conclusion: Three key research focuses in this domain include: the therapeutic effects of active constituents in TCM on diabetes via gut microbiota modulation, the underlying mechanisms through which TCM influences gut microbiota in diabetes management, and the targeted regulation of specific gut bacterial populations by TCM in the treatment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the context of the in‐country mobility of Hong Kong students studying at Chinese Mainland universities, this paper proposes the notion of 'transborder habitus' to understand Hong Kong students' experiences and perceptions. Through qualitative research with in‐depth interviews with 51 Hong Kong students studying in major cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen, how these students move across the socio‐cultural and academic fields at specific times is dissected. The process of how they perceive and adapt to their new life and identities on the mainland campuses is scrutinised. Students exhibited three types of adjustment styles: the Adjusters with pre‐adapted habitus, the Strangers with cleft habitus and the Outsiders with mis‐matched habitus. Their coping strategies are discussed and the salient factors shaping the students' transborder habitus are analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

99mTc-HFAPI can visualize fibroblast activation in hypertensive hearts. Myocardial work (MW) reflects the cardiac mechanical properties after accounting for the afterload in hypertensive patients. We investigated whether MW was associated with increased uptake of 99mTc-HFAPI. A total of 97 hypertensive patients and 41 healthy volunteers were prospectively recruited. Global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE) were analyzed. According to whether myocardial uptake of FAPI was higher than the adjacent blood pool, hypertensive patients were divided into two groups, namely: FAPI + and FAPI- group, respectively. GWI, GCW and GWE of the FAPI + group were lower than the FAPI- group. The value of GWW in the FAPI + group was higher than in the FAPI- group. Multiple regression analyses revealed GWI, GWW and GWE were independently associated with early myocardial fibrosis. According to receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, the best cutoff points for FAPI + of GWI, GWW and GWE were 1968.50 mmHg% (AUC: 0.687, 95% CI: 0.581–0.793, P = 0.002), 133.00 mmHg% (AUC: 0.778, 95% CI: 0.688–0.869, P < 0.001) and 95.07% (AUC: 0.813, 95% CI: 0.730–0.896, P < 0.001), respectively. GWI, GWW and GWE were impaired in hypertensive patients with cardiac 99mTc-HFAPI uptake and were associated with fibroblast activation in hypertensive hearts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, for enhancing the resistance of probiotics to environmental factors, we designed a microgel beads delivery system loaded with synbiotics. Multiple droplets of W1/O/W2 emulsions stabilized with zein–apple pectin hybrid nanoparticles (ZAHPs) acted as the inner "egg," whereas a three-dimensional network of poly-L-lysine (PLL)-alginate-CaCl2 (Ca) crosslinked gel layers served as the outermost "box." ZAHPs with a mass ratio of 2:1 zein-to-apple pectin showed excellent wettability (three-phase contact angle = 89.88°). The results of the ζ-potentials and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrate that electrostatic interaction forces and hydrogen bonding were the main forces involved in the formation of ZAHPs. On this basis, we prepared W1/O/W2 emulsions with other preparation parameters and observed their microstructures by optical microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscope. The multi-chambered structures of W1/O/W2 emulsions were successfully visualized. Finally, the W1/O/W2 emulsions were coated with PLL-alginate-Ca using the solution extrusion method. The results of the in vitro colonic digestion stage reveal that the survival rate of probiotics in the microgel beads was about 75.11%, which was significantly higher than that of the free. Moreover, probiotics encapsulated in microgel beads also showed positive storage stability. Apple pectin would serve as both an emulsifier and a prebiotic. Thus, the results indicate that the "egg-box" shaped microgel beads, designed on the basis of pH-sensitive and enzyme-triggered mechanisms, can enhance the efficiency of probiotics translocation in the digestive tract and mediate spatiotemporal controlled release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the abnormal myocardial function in HFpEF patients with renal dysfunction (RD) and investigate the relationship between renal function and myocardial mechanical characteristics in patients with HFpEF. Methods: 134 patients with HFpEF and 32 control subjects were enrolled in our study. Clinical and echocardiography data were collected for offline analysis. Global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global waste work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE) were measured after noninvasive pressure-strain loop analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the correlation between renal function and myocardial function in patients with HFpEF. Results: In comparison to control subjects, patients with HFpEF tend to have higher GWW (78 [50–115] vs. 108 [65–160] mm Hg%, p < 0.05) and lower GWE (96 [95–97] vs. 95 [92–96] %, p < 0.05), while left ventricular ejection fraction (65.5 ± 3.3 vs. 64.3 ± 4.6%, p < 0.05) was comparable between them. Besides, increased GWW (86 [58–152] vs. 125 [94–187] mm Hg%, p < 0.05) and decreased GWE (96 [93–97] vs. 94 [92–96] %, p < 0.05) were detected in patients with RD compared to those with normal renal function. An independent correlation was found between estimated glomerular filtration rate and GWW after multivariate analysis. Discussion/Conclusion: More severely impaired myocardial function was detected in HFpEF patients with RD compared to those with normal renal function. Estimated glomerular filtration rate was independently correlated to GWW in patients with HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to investigate how the field of cross-border Chinese higher education has developed from 1990 to 2015. Ninety-five articles in international journals and 470 articles in national journals were collected and analyzed in terms of authorship pattern, thematic clusters, and research methods. Results show that cross-border Chinese higher education has become an important topic in both the international and national academic community. In general, researchers from Mainland China and Hong Kong have dominated the field. Articles covering overviews, trends, and policy issues constituted the largest proportion of the total literature. However, students' experiences as a research focus is underrepresented in the current literature. The methods of document analysis and case study are used widely by the researchers. To see growth in the field, more collaboration between national researchers and international scholars is needed; so too are more empirical studies at the microlevel, particularly the experiences of students and teachers; and finally, more diversified and intensive research methods, for example longitudinal or ethnographic study, are suggested.

Recent policy changes to the regulation of international schooling for Chinese nationals in China have seen restrictions on curriculum, admissions and ownership. While there is evidence of the impact of these changes at the institutional level, it is not clear how recent regulation has impacted the actors at the phenomenological level. In order to address this gap, we situate recent regulation within the concept of cosmopolitan nationalism, which highlights the interplay of local and global forces and places lived experience at the forefront of analysis. We also draw on qualitative survey and in‐depth interview data with teachers from an international school in China that explored their understandings of international schooling. By analysing the teachers' understandings of international schooling, we were able to gain an insight into the impact of regulation at the level of lived experience. Overall, we found little evidence that regulation had impacted the teachers' beliefs about international schooling, suggesting either the normalisation of regulation or a lag between its implementation and internalisation. Our findings also suggested two main configurations of cosmopolitan nationalism held by the teachers. The first, which we refer to as 'cosmopolitanism with national characteristics', positions international schools as a more diverse and care‐free alternative to domestic schooling. The second configuration of cosmopolitan nationalism, which we refer to as 'nationalism with cosmopolitan characteristics', positions the nation as the foundation and cosmopolitan‐related aspects as peripheral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the relationship between leader and follower psychological capital (PC) congruence, intrinsic safety motivation (ISM), and safety behavior (SB). The construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries, and most safety accidents are determined by human behavior. Exploring the factors influencing construction workers' SB is important for improving construction safety. This study collected 242 paired questionnaires from frontline construction workers and crew leaders in China. The SPSS 22.0 software and PROCESS program were used for analysis, the empirical study was conducted using polynomial regression and response surface analysis, and the block variable method was used to test for mediating effects. The findings show that (a) the level of follower SB is determined by the degree of leader–follower PC congruence; (b) when leader–follower PC was congruent, the impact of both high PCs on follower SB was enhanced compared to each low PC; (c) when leader–follower PC was incongruent, the impact of follower PC (FPC) above leader PC (LPC) was better on follower SB compared to FPC below LPC; (d) the relationship between leader–follower PC congruence and follower SB was mediated by ISM. The promotion of SB should focus on the fit between leaders and followers in addition to the PC of the followers themselves. This study contributes to workgroup safety in the construction industry by improving the fit between workgroup leaders and members, promoting ISM, and thus improving their safety performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the portrayal of Chinese international campuses in Europe as covered by European and Chinese media. By conducting a comparative analysis of 104 news reports, the research seeks to understand the role of media in shaping Europe-China higher education cooperation. The findings reveal that the Fudan University in Budapest Hungary was primarily portrayed as a political endeavor, characterized by a conflict frame; the Peking University HSBC Business School UK Campus was predominantly depicted as a business effort, encapsulated by an economic frame; and the Tongji University in Florence Italy was largely delineated as an educational and cultural endeavor, featured by a human-interest frame. The study highlights the diverse ways in which Chinese international campuses are portrayed in media, offering insights for researchers and practitioners to better understand cross-cultural issues, public opinions, and the role of media in international program and provider mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]