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This research pioneered the investigation of the statistically predictive power of academics' research agendas for their organizational commitment--beyond age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline. Three hundred and thirty-two academics from nine research-oriented comprehensive universities in Zhejiang province and Shanghai, mainland China, responded to the "Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory-12 Items" (MDRAI-12) and the "Organizational Commitment Inventory." Three main findings were obtained. First, the MDRAI-12 was confirmed to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the research agendas of academics in mainland China. Second, both academics' research agendas and their organizational commitment varied as a function of demographics. Third and most importantly, when age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline were put under control, three of the four trailblazing research agendas (scientific ambition, collaboration, and discovery) predicted the three adaptive organizational commitments (affective, normative, and ideal), whereas the two cohesive research agendas (convergence and conservative) chiefly contributed to the two maladaptive organizational commitments (economic and choice). These findings have shed new light on the literature concerning research agendas and that on organizational commitment. At the same time, the findings have practical implications for university academics and senior managers in their respective efforts to promote innovative research and adaptive organizational commitment among academics.

For more than a century, whether or not the research-teaching nexus exists has remained an intensely debated issue in the global academy at both the conceptual and empirical levels. Situating teaching styles within the context of teaching, conceptualizing research agendas as a dimension of research, and using academic self-efficacy as a mediator, the present study empirically investigated the research-teaching nexus. Participants were 256 academics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields from all of the eight institutions funded by the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong. In the context of participating in the "Academic Profession in the Knowledge-based Society" (APIKS) international survey between late 2017 and early 2018, the participants responded to a short version of the Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory, a short version of the Research-Teaching Efficacy Inventory, and two scales from the Thinking Styles in Teaching Inventory. Results showed that academics' research agendas statistically predicted their teaching styles -- after age, gender, academic rank, and institutional ranking were considered. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy, especially research efficacy, provided a pathway from research agendas to one of the two teaching styles examined. Limitations and theoretical contributions of the research are discussed; and practical implications of the research findings are proposed for academics in STEM fields and for university senior managers.

This study's principal objective was to explore the statistically predictive power of academics' research agendas for their job dissatisfaction beyond demographics. Five hundred and forty-seven academics from the eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong responded to the Multi-Dimensional Research Agenda Inventory-12 (MDRAI-12) and the Job Dissatisfaction Scale (JDS). Three key findings were obtained. First, good psychometrics for the MDRAI-12 and the JDS were obtained. Second, research agendas varied by age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline, while job dissatisfaction varied by age, academic rank, and institutional ranking. Third and most importantly, when age, gender, academic rank, academic discipline, and institutional ranking were statistically controlled, trailblazing research agendas generally negatively contributed to job dissatisfaction, whereas a cohesive (conservative) research agenda positively predicted job dissatisfaction, as hypothesized. Implications of the findings are discussed for academics and university senior managers.

Objective: A method for the determination of aminophylline residues in edible tissues （muscle, liver and kidney） of pigs by solid-phase extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was established. Methods: After extracted by methanol, the aminophylline was purified by PRiME HLB solid phase extraction column in one step, and then separated by a C18 chromatographic column. 0.1% formic acid solution and acetonitrile were invoked as the aqueous phase and the organic phase for gradient elution, respectively. Electrospray positive voltage ionization and multi reaction monitoring （MRM） mode are used for compound detection, and matrix matching standard was used for quantification. Results: The analysis of aminophylline drugs was completed within 3.5 minutes, and the results showed good linear relationship （R＞0.998 0） on different matrices in the concentration range of 0.05~1.0 μg/mL. The average recoveries ranged from 87.2% to 101.3%, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 0.7% to 6.2% （n=6）. The detection limit was 2 μg/kg and the quantification limit was 5 μg/kg. Conclusion: The method which is simple and efficient, has good repeatability and high sensitivity. It is suitable for qualitative and quantitative analysis of aminophylline drug residues in edible tissues of pigs.

Four hundred and twelve secondary school students in Hong Kong responded to the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale (TSWLS) to examine the relationship between time perspective and subjective well-being. Past-Positive, Present-Hedonistic, and Future time perspectives predicted higher levels of subjective well-being, whereas Past-Negative and Present-Fatalistic time perspectives predicted lower levels of subjective well-being. Of the 412 students, 149 volunteered to take part in an intervention to optimise their time perspectives. After coarsened exact matching was applied, the results showed that the intervention optimised students' time perspective profile with a significant increase in Present-Hedonistic time perspective and reduction in Past-Negative and Present-Fatalistic time perspectives. It also led to a significant increase in positive affect, past and future life satisfaction for the students in the experimental group compared with those in the control group.

This study investigates the changeability of learning approaches via a longitudinal design (Study 1) and explores the factors that potentially influence the use of and change in learning approaches through a qualitative research method (Study 2) in a Chinese cultural context. In Study 1, 439 Chinese university students participated in the pre-test, and 352 of them also participated in the post-test 9 months later. The results of repeated measures MANOVA show that students' deep learning approach did not change, but they increasingly used surface learning approach during their studies. In Study 2, 26 students from Study 1 joined focus group interviews. The results of content analysis indicate that assessment requirements, quality of teachers, students' interests, and perceived peer influence affected learning approaches. These influences could also explain the differences in learning approaches based on academic disciplines and year of study. Theoretical and practical implications in education are discussed.

The principal objective of this research was to examine the relationships between thinking styles and time perspectives. Four hundred and fifty-one secondary school students from Hong Kong responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised II (TSI-R2) and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). Results showed that when gender, school year level, and age were taken into account, thinking styles significantly predicted time perspectives. Students possessing successful thinking styles (i.e. using a wide range of thinking styles, especially creativity-generating styles) tended to have the more desirable time perspectives. The optimal profile of a balanced time perspective was predicted positively by the hierarchical and external styles. Implications of the findings for secondary school students and educators are discussed.

This study explored factors that influence academics to collaborate in research with their doctoral students. It focused on Hong Kong academics, using data from the Academic Profession in Knowledge Society survey conducted in 2017-2018. The study found that academics' research collaboration with doctoral students is influenced by several factors, including research and teaching styles and institutional conditions. Specifically, those academics whose research agendas were characterised by "discovery" and "collaboration" were more likely to report working with their doctoral students, whereas those whose research agendas focused more on "convergence" were less likely to do so. The more "legislative" the academics' teaching style was, the less they collaborated with their doctoral students. Independence in research and institutional expectations of external funding increased the propensity to collaborate with doctoral students. Academics in the humanities were found to collaborate less with their doctoral students than those in other disciplines. The study suggests that the scholarly preference and styles of the academics, as well as their disciplinary and institutional backgrounds, need to be considered to improve research collaboration between academics and their doctoral students.

Introduction: The present research pioneered the effort in assessing adolescents' coping with visual impairment through adapting the Brief COPE in an eastern context. The first study preliminarily explored the applicability of the Brief COPE to Chinese adolescent students with visual impairments. Based on the results, the Brief COPE was modified and renamed, COPE-Revised. The second study tested the internal psychometric properties and the criterion-related validity of the COPE-Revised. Criterion-related validity was obtained through investigating the correlation between coping and self-esteem. Method: The first study involved 176 adolescent students with visual impairments, comprising a survey using the Brief COPE and follow-up interviews. In the second study, another cohort of 170 adolescent students with visual impairments responded to the COPE-Revised together with an inventory assessing self-esteem. Results: The COPE-Revised showed adequate psychometric properties. Three higher-order factors, namely self-directed, other-directed, and relinquished-control coping, were identified. The way in which self-esteem was correlated with these three dimensions of coping provided evidence for the criterion-related validity of the COPE-Revised. Discussion: The findings indicate that the COPE-Revised has sound psychometric properties among adolescents with visual impairments. Limitations regarding the sample-selection bias and the means of questionnaire survey among visually impaired adolescents are noted. Implications for practitioners: This research tailored a coping inventory for educators, counselors, and researchers who are interested in investigating adolescents' ability to cope with visual impairments. The relationship between coping with visual impairment and self-esteem found in this research has reference significance for educational and counseling services for visually impaired adolescents.

This research presents an innovative genetic transformation protocol for marigolds (Tagetes erecta L.), a species of great significance in floriculture, impacting both yield and quality. The study introduces seed priming technology as a novel approach and evaluates its effect on the germination rate. The results indicate that the germination rates of pigmented marigold seeds were not significantly affected by Agrobacterium immersion under optimal conditions, although variations were observed in genotypes and treatment parameters. Optimal germination was observed at an optical density (OD600 nm) of 1.3 with a vacuum infiltration time of 10 min. The transgenic plants were confirmed through Basta herbicide resistance, Green florescent protein (GFP) fluorescence screening, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of the GFP gene. After the treatment, the morphological assessments showed genotype-dependent variations in plant height and fresh weight, while the biochemical analysis revealed significant variations in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and root activities. Additionally, the study examined the efficacy of various scarification techniques on seed survival rate, and seed coat removal was found to be the most effective method for marigold transformation. These findings provide a robust foundation for optimizing genetic transformation methods to enhance marigold crop resilience and quality within the floricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenesis of endometriosis (EN) is still unknown, but growing evidence suggests that immune regulation may be important, and the pattern of peripheral immune changes in reproductive women with EN has yet to be fully explored. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive and systematic analysis of immune cell subsets within T cells, B cells, NK cells, and γδ T cells in peripheral blood (PB) samples from women with EN, women with uterine fibroids (UF) but without EN (UF-alone), and healthy controls using multi-parameter flow cytometry. Our findings revealed that UF, a common comorbidity of EN, exhibited similar peripheral immune features to EN, particularly in T cell and B cell immunity. Compared to healthy controls, we constructed the peripheral immune profile of EN. This profile highlighted that the immunopathogenic factors in EN predominantly relate to the immune disorder of B cells and their subsets, as well as the functional abnormalities within immune cell subsets of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and γδ T cells. Moreover, using the random forest (RF) machine-learning method, we developed a diagnostic model that can effectively identify the patients with EN from healthy controls. The immune factors identified within this model could be pivotal for unraveling the immune pathogenic mechanisms of EN. Our study is the first to present a comprehensive depiction of the circulating immune features in EN, although the detailed roles and underlying mechanisms of these immune factors in the context of EN require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani is an significant soil-borne disease in peanut production, which can seriously threaten the safety of peanut production and quality, and is the main obstacle factor in the sustainable and healthy development of peanut industry. In this study, the isolated Trichoderma harzianum strain T-102 with excellent control efficiency was cultured by submerged fermentation technology. Under the optimal conditions of 150 r/min, 20°C and the initial inoculation concentration of 7.5%, the water suspension of T. harzianum T-102 with 105 cfu/mL was obtained. In Linyi city, Shandong province and Tangshan city, Hebei province, the water suspension of T. harzianum T-102 exhibited the great effect for controlling peanut sheath blight in the field. After spraying the water suspension of T. harzianum T-102, the disease index of peanut sheath blight was significantly reduced. Moreover, the yield of peanut could be increased by 41.2% and 31.7% in Linyi city and Tangshan city, respectively. In addition, the water suspension treatment could change the structure and composition of microbial communities of peanut rhizosphere, and reduce the abundance of harmful microorganisms. Based on the above characteristics, the water suspension of T. harzianum T-102 is expected to carry out further commercial development and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the job demands–resources theory, this study pioneered the investigation of the influence of academic psychological capital (including self‐efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism) on PhD students' creativity (including novelty and usefulness). It further explored the mediating role of academic engagement (including vigour, dedication, and absorption) in this relationship. A sample of 376 PhD students at two comprehensive universities in Jiangsu province, mainland China, responded to an online survey. Results showed that: (1) PhD students' self‐efficacy, resilience, and optimism positively predicted novelty, and all four dimensions of academic psychological capital positively predicted the usefulness dimension of creativity; and (2) dedication mediated the effects of hope and optimism on both novelty and usefulness; however, vigour and absorption did not mediate the association between academic psychological capital and creativity. The findings highlight the significance of academic psychological capital and academic engagement, especially dedication, in optimising PhD students' creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether or not styles are malleable is one of the major controversial issues in the field of intellectual styles. Taking thinking styles (one of the intellectual style constructs) as the theoretical basis, the present study aimed at clarifying the issue by examining the change of thinking styles over one year from multiple perspectives. Seven hundred and forty-three university students completed the same questionnaire assessing demographic factors and thinking styles twice with a one-year interval. Results revealed different levels of change and stability in thinking styles in terms of mean-level change, rank-order consistency, individual stability, and ipsative consistency. Research findings indicated that thinking styles are stable state, but still changeable. Implications of the research findings are discussed.

Much research has been conducted to investigate the impact of work environment on academics' job satisfaction. However, little is known about what contributes to academics' job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are two distinct entities because a lack of job satisfaction cannot be simply equated with job dissatisfaction. This research investigated the mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived work environment and job dissatisfaction. Participants were 547 academics from the 8 University Grants Committee-funded higher educational institutions in Hong Kong. Results show that academics' perceptions of their work environment (including their perceptions of institutional expectations regarding research, university governance and management, and working conditions) statistically predicted job dissatisfaction both directly and indirectly through academic self-efficacy in research and teaching, irrespective of age, gender, academic rank, institutional ranking, and primary academic discipline. The findings enrich the literature concerning perceived work environment, academic self-efficacy, and job dissatisfaction. At the same time, they establish a meaningful link among the fields of psychology, higher education, and career development and have practical implications for academics and university senior managers and, most likely, for senior leaders in other occupations.

Objective To investigate the role of Ofactory Test of Parkinson's Disease (KinPamor) in the evaluation of olfactory function in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods From October 2018 to March 2021, 66 patients with PD diagnosed in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University and The University of Hong Kong ⁃ Shenzhen Hospital were selected. Olfactory function was evaluated by Argentine Hyposmia Rating Scale and KinPamor, positive rate was compared between these two tests. The error rate of each odor in KinPamor was analyzed. Multifactor linear stepwise regression was used to analyze the linear quantitative relationship between KinPamor score and clinical data. Results The incidence of olfactory dysfunction in 66 PD patients was 92.42% (61/66) using KinPamor, higher than 25.76% (17/66) using Argentine Hyposmia Rating Scale (χ2= 40.333, P = 0.000). The difference in error rate of 12 odors of KinPamor was statistically significant (χ2= 52.049, P = 0.000). Error rate of garlic odor was lower than the other 9 odors, banana (P = 0.000), apple (P = 0.049), aniseed (P = 0.049), rose (P = 0.000), lemon (P = 0.000), mint (P = 0.049), resin (P = 0.000), camphor (P = 0.000) and wood (P = 0.000). Multifactor linear stepwise regression showed KinPamor score decreased by 0.077 points for every increasing year of age (P = 0.031). There was no linear regression relationship between male, disease course, smoking, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Ⅲ (UPDRS Ⅲ) score and KinPamor score. Conclusions KinPamor is a simple and convenient tool to screening olfactory dysfunction in PD patients, which can be used as an auxiliary test for early diagnosis of PD. Except for easily recognition of garlic odor, selective hyposmia was not found by KinPamor in PD patients.