Examining emotional labor in covid-19 through the lens of self-efficacy

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a significant blow to the restaurant industry, with many restaurants suspending operations or closing altogether. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of emotional labor on employees’ well-being and the mediating role of self-efficacy in the context of chain restaurants. Data were collected in 2020 through an online survey in China, and results revealed that emotional labor had a significant impact on well-being that was measured in life and job satisfaction. Self-efficacy not only had a significant positive impact on employees’ job-and life-related well-being but also played a fully mediating role between deep acting and life satisfaction, with a partial mediating role between deep acting and job satisfaction. Job-related well-being also played a fully mediating role between deep acting and life satisfaction, with a partial mediating role between deep acting and job satisfaction. It is important for restaurant employees to develop deep acting skills and improve self-efficacy and job satisfaction Restaurant managers must establish a healthy working environment by providing better job support and creating a more relaxed working atmosphere

A study of the interaction between inverted cucurbit[7]uril and symmetric viologens

The interaction between inverted cucuribit[7]uril (iQ[7]) and a series of symmetric viologen derivatives bearing aliphatic substituents of variable length, namely dicationic dialkyl-4,4′-bipyridinium guests where the alkyl is CH₃(CH₂)n with n = 0 to 6, has been studied in aqueous solution by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, electronic absorption spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry and mass spectrometry. In the case of both n = 5 (HV ²⁺) and 6 (SV²⁺), single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed the composition to be [(iQ[7])₂(HV)₂][CdCl₃Br][H₃O+]₂[H₂O]₁₂.₅ and (iQ[7])₂(C7-SV)₁.₅[CdCl₄]₄(H₃O⁺)₅(H₂O)₈, respectively, with both adopting an external B-type structure (the alkyl chains of the viologen reside within the iQ[7])

Recover From Failure: Examining the Impact of Service Recovery Stages on Relationship Marketing Strategies

Purpose: Given the digital transformation of service businesses by providing online food services and the influence of online reviews on consumers’ purchasing decisions, this study examines how service recovery attributes in different stages influence relationship marketing strategies, i.e., relationship quality and customer loyalty after service failure. This study is built upon a revised service recovery cycle model by accounting for three stages and their corresponding attributes; whereon a conceptual stage model of service recovery is proposed. This conceptual stage model incorporates stages of service recovery, their respective attributes, and how they influence relationship marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach: An online marketing company was employed for data collection in 2019, which resulted in 301 valid responses. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was conducted with all the data to test the relationships between the constructs. The individual measurement model was tested using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A structural model was estimated using AMOS to test all the hypotheses. Findings: The findings demonstrate that the attributes (i.e., response speed, compensation) paired with the first two stages of service recovery can significantly influence consumer loyalty in a positive state. The findings also manifest the intermediary role that relationship quality has played in the association of service recovery and consumer loyalty, which implies that the food delivery businesses could attain a more comprehended relationship quality with consumers through active and timely compensatory service recovery consumer loyalty to the food businesses. Originality/value: This study examines how these different stages of the service recovery cycle influence the decision-making of relationship marketing strategies (i.e., relationship quality, customer loyalty) on the prerequisite of service failure. This study aspires to expand the service recovery research by objectifying a conceptual stage model of service recovery, incorporating stages’ recovery attributes and how these recovery attributes reciprocally influence relationship quality and customer loyalty

Mechanism-based target therapy in primary biliary cholangitis: opportunities before liver cirrhosis?

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an immune-mediated liver disease characterized by cholestasis, biliary injuries, liver fibrosis, and chronic non-suppurative cholangitis. The pathogenesis of PBC is multifactorial and involves immune dysregulation, abnormal bile metabolism, and progressive fibrosis, ultimately leading to cirrhosis and liver failure. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and obeticholic acid (OCA) are currently used as first- and second-line treatments, respectively. However, many patients do not respond adequately to UDCA, and the long-term effects of these drugs are limited. Recent research has advanced our understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis in PBC and greatly facilitated development of novel drugs to target mechanistic checkpoints. Animal studies and clinical trials of pipeline drugs have yielded promising results in slowing disease progression. Targeting immune mediated pathogenesis and anti-inflammatory therapies are focused on the early stage, while anti-cholestatic and anti-fibrotic therapies are emphasized in the late stage of disease, which is characterized by fibrosis and cirrhosis development. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that currently, there exists a dearth of therapeutic options that can effectively impede the progression of the disease to its terminal stages. Hence, there is an urgent need for further research aimed at investigating the underlying pathophysiology mechanisms with potential therapeutic effects. This review highlights our current knowledge of the underlying immunological and cellular mechanisms of pathogenesis in PBC. Further, we also address current mechanism-based target therapies for PBC and potential therapeutic strategies to improve the efficacy of existing treatments

Composition and distribution of diatom assemblages in the surface sediments of the Bering Sea

Diatoms collected from the top 1 cm of the surface sediment layer at seven Bering Sea stations during the Fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (4th CHINARE-Arctic) in 2010 were studied. In total, 101 taxa belonging to 38 genera were found. The species were divided into four groups: eurythermal species, boreal-temperate species, polar species, and sea-ice species. The diatom assemblages at the stations in the southwestern basin area were primarily composed of boreal-temperate species, such as Neodenticula seminae, Thalassiosira trifulta, Rhizosolenia hebetata f. hiemalis, and Actinocyclus curvatulus. The northeastern shelf stations were dominated by polar species, including Fragilariopsis oceanica, Thalassiosira antarctica spora, Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii, and Thalassiosira hyalina. The overall abundance was highest at the basin stations with 3.7 ×106 cells∙g-1 of wet sediment, whereas the eastern shelf stations had the lowest abundance of 0.7×106 cells∙g-1 of wet sediment (excluding the resting spores of Chaetoceros spp.). The relationship between the distribution of the surface sediment diatom assemblages and the environment is discussed

Integrated microbiome and metabolomics analysis reveal the relationship between plant-specialized metabolites and microbial community in Phellodendron amurense

Phellodendron amurense is the essential source of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), making it a highly valued raw material in traditional Chinese medicine. The plant’s root secondary metabolism is intricately linked to the microbial communities that surround it. However, the root-associated microbiomes of P. amurense, as well as the potential correlation between its bioactive compounds and these microbiomes, remain poorly understood. Here, the metabolic profiles of root, rhizosphere, and bulk soils of P. amurense revealed the dramatic differences in the relative content of plant-specialized metabolites. A total of 31, 21, and 0 specialized metabolites in P. amurense were identified in the root, rhizosphere soil, and bulk soil, respectively, with higher content of the seven major BIAs observed in the rhizosphere compared with that in the bulk soils. The composition of the bulk and rhizosphere microbiomes was noticeably distinct from that of the endospheric microbiome. The phylum Cyanobacteria accounted for over 60% of the root endosphere communities, and the α-diversity in root was the lowest. Targeted seven BIAs, namely, berberine, palmatine, magnocurarine, phellodendrine, jatrorrhizine, tetrahydropalmatine, and magnoflorine, were significantly positively correlated with Nectriaceae and Sphingobacteriaceae. This study has illuminated the intricate interaction networks between P. amurense root-associated microorganisms and their key chemical compounds, providing the theoretical foundation for discovering biological fertilizers and laying the groundwork for cultivating high-quality medicinal plants

Monocular vision ranging and camera focal length calibration

The camera calibration in monocular vision represents the relationship between the pixels’ units which is obtained from a camera and the object in the real world. As an essential procedure, camera calibration calculates the three-dimensional geometric information from the captured two-dimensional images. Therefore, a modified camera calibration method based on polynomial regression is proposed to simplify. In this method, a parameter vector is obtained by pixel coordinates of obstacles and corresponding distance values using polynomial regression. The set of parameter’s vectors can measure the distance between the camera and the ground object in the field of vision under the camera’s posture and position. The experimental results show that the lowest accuracy of this focal length calibration method for measurement is 97.09%, and the average accuracy was 99.02%