The associations among gratitude, job crafting, teacher-student relationships, and teacher psychological well-being

IntroductionThis study explores the complex dynamics among gratitude, job crafting, teacher psychological well-being, and teacher-student relationships within the context of Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers.MethodsA sample of 456 Chinese EFL teachers participated in this study. Valid scales were administered to collect data on gratitude, job crafting, teacher psychological well-being, and teacher-student relationships. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to investigate these relationships.ResultsThe findings reveal significant connections between gratitude, job crafting, teacher psychological well-being, and teacher-student relationships. SEM analysis demonstrates that gratitude and job crafting have direct effects on teacher psychological well-being. Furthermore, teacher-student relationships were identified as a mediator in these relationships.DiscussionThis study underscores the importance of gratitude and job crafting in enhancing the psychological well-being of EFL teachers. It highlights the mediating role of positive teacher-student relationships in the associations between gratitude, job crafting, and teacher psychological well-being. These results have implications for the development of interventions and practices aimed at promoting gratitude, job crafting, and positive teacher-student relationships in the EFL teaching context

Phosphorylation of silk fibroins improves the cytocompatibility of silk fibroin derived materials: a platform for the production of tuneable material

Silk fibroin demonstrates great biocompatibility and is suitable for many biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Current research focuses on manipulating the physico-chemical properties of fibroin, and examining the effect of this manipulation on firobin's biocompatibility. Regenerated silk fibroin was modified by in vitro enzymatic phosphorylation and cast into films. Films were produced by blending, at several ratios, the phosphorylated and un-phosphorylated fibroin solutions. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy was used to determine the specific P–OH vibration peak, confirming the phosphorylation of the regenerated silk fibroin solution. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that phosphorylation altered the intra- and inter-molecular interactions. Further experiments demonstrated that phosphorylation can be used to tailor the hydrophylicity/hydrophobicity ratio as well as the crystalinity of silk fibroin films. Release profiling of a model drug was highly dependent on silk modification level. Cytotoxicity assays showed that exposure to lixiviates of phosphorylated films only slightly affected cellular metabolism and proliferation, although direct contact resulted in a strong direct correlation between phosphorylation level and cell proliferation. This new method for tuning silk biomaterials to obtain specific structural and biochemical features can be adapted for a wide range of applications. Phosphorylation of silk fibroins may be applied to improve the cytocompatibility of any silk-based device that is considered to be in contact with live animals or human tissues.The authors would like to acknowledge the support granted to the authors by European NOVO Project, contract no. FP7-HEALTH 2011-two-stage 278402

The university-industry cooperation: The role of employers in quality assurance of Education

The purpose of the study is to discuss the role of employers’ engagement in the educational process of universities in assuring the quality of educational services and preparing quality graduates. Realization of the principle of integrating education, science and industry in modern conditions ensures a balance between the content of educational programmes, results of R&D and industry. Thus, the paper discusses the current launched mechanisms of Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan aimed at promoting an establishment of mutual trust between the university and the employer community to ensure the quality of provided educational services. The results of the paper could serve as a guide to the most necessary aspects of cooperation practices between universities and employers for potential academy managers and practitioners in quality management processes