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Although it is common that employees can experience multiple psychological contract (PC) breaches with their employer over time, it is unclear how a past PC breach serves as a temporal context factor in shaping the impact of a present PC breach on employee outcomes. Integrating contrast effect theory and conservation of resources theory (COR), this research develops and tests hypotheses concerning how a past PC breach alters employees’ reaction intensity to a present PC breach. Three studies were conducted to investigate the hypotheses. In Study 1, findings from 168 employee-supervisor dyads of a building supply company supported the contrast effect of past and present PC breaches. Specifically, when a past PC breach was low, a present PC breach had a stronger negative influence on employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Results of Study 2, comprised of 412 full-time working adults, found that burnout mediated the contrast effect of past and present PC breaches on OCB. Specifically, the negative indirect effects of a present PC breach on OCB through burnout were stronger when a past PC breach was low. In Study 3, 154 subjects participated in a scenario-based experiment in which past and present PC breaches were manipulated. Results supported the contrast effect of past and present PC breaches on anticipated future breach. Implications of these results for future PC breach research and management practice are discussed.

Background The study aimed to compare efficacy and safety of various immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods We searched Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Clinical Trials.gov and several international conference databases from January 1, 2000 to December 19, 2021. We conducted Bayesian network meta-analysis to assess the relative effects among treatments. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate and adverse events. Results Ten eligible trials with 5250 patients were included. Toripalimab and Camrelizumab plus chemotherapy were preferred to rank first on OS (probability, 61%) and PFS (probability, 37%) in the first-line setting, respectively. In refractory patients, Sintilimab and Camrlizumab were most likely to be ranked first on OS (probability, 37%) and PFS (probability, 94%). The toxicity related to immunotherapy was manageable in clinical trials. Camrelizumab and Nivolumab had the less adverse events of grade 3 or higher in the first and refractory setting, respectively. Conclusions This study found that Toripalimab and Camrelizumab plus chemotherapy were likely to be the best option in terms of OS and PFS in the first-line setting for patients with advanced or metastatic ESCC respectively. Sintilimab and Camrelizumab were the preferred options for OS and PFS in refractory patients respectively. The toxicity of immunotherapy was different from conventional chemotherapy, but manageable in patients with ESCC. Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: (CRD 42021261554).

In order to alleviate bus bunching and improve the balance and punctuality rate of bus operation, a single-line real-time control strategy based on Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) was proposed. The strategy took three measures: controlling the cruising speed, dwell time, and the bus load rate to improve the stability of bus operations and to ensure its running speed. At the same time, the proposed strategy was compared with the literature on the traditional single-point control strategy based on timetable (S1 for short) and the multi-point control strategy based on time headway (S2 for short). Finally, the No. 245 bus line in Nanchang City, China, was selected as a case. It was modeled and simulated by Python programming software, and the control effects of the three control strategies were analyzed. Compared with the uncontrolled bus operations, the simulation results show that: under the control of S1, the bus operation stability is improved, but the bus operation efficiency is reduced; under the control of S2, the problem of S1 operation efficiency reduction can be solved, and the operation stability can be improved at the same time to achieve the effect of preventing bunching. For the real-time control strategy (S3 for short), the average bus travel time is the smallest, the distance between the buses is maintained the best, and the running stability is also the best, which avoids the bus bunching to the greatest extent. Among them, the average travel time is reduced by about 34% compared with the second strategy. This study provides a theoretical basis and strategy reference for bus operators to ensure balanced bus operation.

The digital economy is an essential driving force supporting high-quality green development. Based on the panel data of cities in China’s Yangtze River from 2011 to 2020, this paper builds the digital economy evaluation index system from the five driving forces of market demand, information application, innovative development, industrial foundation, and the policy system. The Kernel density function, Moran index, and spatial econometric model are used to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of the digital economy, as well as its driving effect and spatial effect on urban green innovation development. The results show that: (1) In China’s Yangtze River economic belt, the gap and the urban spatial dependence of the urban digital economy development are increasing; (2) The digital economy directly drives urban green innovation development, and also indirectly drives it by stimulating intra-city industrial structure upgrading and inter-city knowledge spillover, both of which have significant structural and regional differences; (3) Through the spatial spillover effect, it affects the urban green innovation development in its’ own city and in the surrounding ones, varying according to urban administrative levels and urban development types. The results provide a theoretical and practical reference for future policy formation to support high-quality green innovation development and fully utilize the driving force of the digital economy.

Baicalein is one of the chief flavones extracted from Scutellariabaicalensis georgi which was earlier reported for its neuroprotective efficacy against Parkinson's disease (PD). In the present study, a simple and efficient synthetic procedure for the preparation of CeO2NPs using Ce(NO3)3 as a primary precursor and baicalein as a stabilizing agent was proposed. Further, the neuroprotective response of baicalein stabilized CeO2 NPs against rotenone-stimulated parkinsonian diseased mice has been explored both in-vitro and in-vivo. From the experimental findings, it was also evident that baicalein exposure has enhanced the motor impairments, and hindered the pro-inflammatory cytokine release and blocked the NF-κB along with MAPK signaling pathway in rotenone-stimulated PD rat models.

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