Effects of Teacher Collaboration on Teaching Practices in China and England: A Structural Equation Model With TALIS 2018 Data

Teacher collaboration has gradually become a common idea in the reform of teacher education all over the world. However, up to now, the current situation of teacher collaboration is still isolated and conservative to a certain extent. How to avoid being mere formality and promote the development of teachers’ cooperative practice effectively has become an urgent problem for educational researchers and practitioners. Based on the data of TALIS 2018, this study focuses on the impact of teacher cooperation on teaching practice in China and the United Kingdom, with teacher self-efficacy playing the mediating role. Above all, SPSS 23.0 was used for data preparation, descriptive statistics, and Pearson product difference correlation analysis. Then, maximum likelihood estimation and robust standard deviation (MLD) were applied to estimate confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model through Mplus 7.4. In addition, bootstrap self-help sampling method was adopted to test the mediating effect. About the direct effects of teacher collaboration on teaching practices, the results indicated that exchange and co-ordination was positively related to clarity of instruction in both China and England while professional collaboration was not significantly related to clarity of instruction in the two countries. In terms of the mediating role of self-efficacy between teacher collaboration and teaching practices, the study revealed the indirect effects of professional collaboration on three sub-scales of teaching practices exist via teacher self-efficacy in both China and England. Theoretical and managerial implications regarding using teacher self-efficacy as a mediating variable to examine the effect of common collaboration forms on specific teaching practices were discussed. Limitations and further research were also offered

Preparation and Drug-Loading Properties of Amphoteric Cassava Starch Nanoparticles

Based on the characteristics of charge reversal around the isoelectric point (pI) of amphoteric starch-containing anionic and cationic groups, amphoteric cassava starch nanoparticles (CA-CANPs) are prepared by a W/O microemulsion crosslinking method using (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride as a cationic reagent and POCl3 as an anionic reagent, and the effects of preparation conditions on the particle size of the CA-CANPs are studied in detail in the present study. CA-CANPs with a smooth surface and an average diameter of 252 nm are successfully prepared at the following optimised conditions: a crosslinking agent amount of 15 wt%, an aqueous starch concentration of 6.0 wt%, an oil–water ratio of 10:1, a total surfactant amount of 0.20 g·mL−1, and a CHPTAC amount of 4.05 wt%. The pH-responsive value of the CA-CANPs can be regulated by adjusting the nitrogen–phosphorus molar ratio in the CA-CANPs. By using CA-CANPs with a pI of 6.89 as drug carriers and the paclitaxel (PTX) as a model drug, the maximum loading rate of 36.14 mg·g−1 is achieved, and the loading process is consistent with the Langmuir isotherm adsorption, with the calculated thermodynamic parameters of ΔH° = −37.91 kJ·mol−1, ΔS° = −10.96 J·mol−1·K−1 and ΔG° < 0. By testing the release rate in vitro, it is noted that the release rates of PTX in a neutral environment (37.6% after 96 h) and a slightly acidic environment (58.65% after 96 h) are quite different, suggesting that the CA-CANPs have the possibility of being a targeted controlled-release carrier with pH responsiveness for antitumor drugs

CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains (CSMD1) Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibilities to Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease in Northern Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Study

Evidence has shown that the CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains (CSMD1) gene is an inhibitor of the complement activation pathway and is also involved in central nervous system inflammation. Previous studies have revealed that the CSMD1 gene is related to familial Parkinson’s disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CSMD1 gene and susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease in population of northern China. A case-control study was performed on 423 Parkinson’s disease patients and 465 healthy controls matched for age and sex. DNA from enrolled subjects were extracted from the peripheral blood, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12681349 (C＞T), rs10503253 (C＞A), and rs1983474 (T＞G) within CSMD1 gene were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Genotype frequency of rs10503253 (CA versus CC : OR = 1.554, 95% CI = 1.169–2.066, p=0.002) and rs1983474 (GG versus TT : OR = 0.599, 95% CI = 0.401–0.895, p=0.012) was significantly different between PD cases and controls, but not for rs12681349. Comprehensive and subgroup analysis indicated that rs10503252 showed significant statistical differences in the dominant model (AA + CA versus CC : OR = 0.677, 95% CI = 0.517–0.886, p=0.004), late-onset cohort (CA versus CC : OR = 1.570, 95% CI = 1.159–2.126, p=0.004), and the female cohort (CA versus CC : OR = 0.687, 95% CI = 0.497–0.952, p=0.023), compared with the matched control group. The difference of recessive model of rs1983474 (GG versus TT + TG : OR = 1.837, 95% CI = 1.287–2.620, p=0.001) was significant in Parkinson’s disease. According to the subgroup analysis, results indicated that late-onset cohort (GG versus TT : OR = 0.643, 95% CI = 0.420–0.985, p=0.042), male cohort (TG versus TT : OR = 2.160, 95% CI = 1.162–4.016, p=0.015), and female group (GG versus TT : OR = 0.418, 95% CI = 0.234–0.746, p=0.003) of rs1983474 were significantly associated with Parkinson’s disease susceptibility. In both genotype and subgroup analysis, we failed to find any relationship between rs12681349 polymorphism and Parkinson’s disease risk. Our results indicate that the rs10503253 and rs1983474 gene polymorphism may be associated with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease susceptibility in Chinese population. Nevertheless, these conclusions need to be further verified by more studies

Characterization of Modified Mechanically Activated Cassava Starch Magnetic Porous Microspheres and Its Adsorption for Cd(II) Ions

The magnetic polymer microsphere is a promising adsorbent due to its high adsorption efficiency and good regeneration ability from wastewater. Cassava starch magnetic porous microspheres (AAM-MSMPMs) were synthesized by graft copolymerization in inverse emulsion. Mechanically activated cassava starch (MS) was used to graft skeletons, vinyl monomers [acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM)] as copolymerized unsaturated monomers, methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the dispersing agent, and polyethylene glycol/methanol (PEG2000/MeOH) as the porogen. It was found that the AAM-MSMPM adsorbent is superparamagnetic, the saturation magnetization is 14.9 emu·g–1, and it can be rapidly and directionally separated from Cd(II) ions in aqueous solution. The FTIR indicated that the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups were grafted into MS. The AAM-MSMPM had good speroidization and a uniform size. After the porogen was added, the particle size of the AAM-MSMPM decreased from 19.00 to 7.00 nm, and the specific surface area increased from 7.00 to 35.00 m2·g–1. The pore volume increased from 0.03 to 0.13 cm3·g–1. The AAM-MSMPM exhibited a large specific surface area and provided more adsorption active sites for Cd(II) ions. The maximum adsorption capacity of the AAM-MSMPM for Cd(II) ions was 210.68 mg·g–1, i.e., 81.02% higher than that without porogen. Additionally, the Cd(II) ion adsorption process on the AAM-MSMPM can be described by Langmuir isothermal and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. A chemical reaction dominated the Cd(II) ion adsorption process on the AAM-MSMPM, and chemisorption was the rate-controlling step during the Cd(II) ion adsorption process. The AAM-MSMPM still had excellent stability after five consecutive reuses

Zr-Modified ZnO for the Selective Oxidation of Cinnamaldehyde to Benzaldehyde

ZnO and Zr-modified ZnO were prepared using a precipitation method and used for the selective oxidation of cinnamaldehyde to benzaldehyde in the present study. The results showed that physicochemical properties of ZnO were significantly affected by the calcination temperature, and calcination of ZnO at 400 &deg;C demonstrated the optimum catalytic activity for the selective oxidation of cinnamaldehyde to benzaldehyde. With 0.01 g ZnO calcined at 400 &deg;C for 2 h as a catalyst, 8.0 g ethanol and 2.0 g cinnamaldehyde reacted at an oxygen pressure of 1.0 MPa and 70 &deg;C for 60 min, resulting in benzaldehyde selectivity of 69.2% and cinnamaldehyde conversion of 16.1%. Zr was the optimal modifier for ZnO: when Zr-modified ZnO was used as the catalyst, benzaldehyde selectivity reached 86.2%, and cinnamaldehyde conversion was 17.6%. The X-ray diffractometer and N2 adsorption&ndash;desorption characterization indicated that doping with Zr could reduce the crystallite size of ZnO (101) and increase the specific surface area of the catalyst, which provided more active sites for the reaction. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer results showed that Zr-doping could exchange the electrons with ZnO and reduce the electron density in the outer layer of Zn, which would further affect benzaldehyde selectivity. The results of CO2 temperature-programmed desorption showed that Zr-modification enhanced the alkalinity of the catalyst surface, which caused the Zr&ndash;ZnO catalyst to exhibit higher catalytic activity

The role of sodium selenite in protection of primary hepatocytes and liver against carbon tetrachloride toxicity in grass carp

The effect of different concentrations of carbon tetrachloride (CCl-4) was studied in the primary culture of grass carp hepatocytes. As the concentration of 10 mu-l/3 times 10-6 cells CCl-4, the increase of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as well as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released all from the hepatocytes was observed, and so was the increase of the percentage of damaged cells. The adding of sodium selenite (0.2 mu-g/ml) to RPMI-1640 liquid medium and cultured hepatocytes reduced the release of ALT, AST, LDH and the extent of the cell damage. In another experiment evaluating the effect of sodium selenite and CCl-4, grass carp fingerlings were injected intraperitoneally with Na-2SeO-3 0.1mg/kg.bw each day for three consecutive days, and then with 1ml/kg.Bw CCl-4. Twenty-four hours later, the relative activity of hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found to rise 91.5% higher in these fingerlings than those injected with CCl-4 only. Seven days later it was still 54.5% higher. The level of serum ALT decreased gradually. The activity level of hepatic lipid peroxide decreased significantly (P lt 0.05) and that of P-450 increased significantly (P lt 0.01) and so did the contained hepatic microsomal protein (P lt 0.05) in those fingerlings injected with selenium and then CCl-4. Light microscopic observations revealed a decrease of hepatic damage and an increase of nuclear numbers, suggesting that cell divisions might have taken place. It is indicated that sodium selenite may elevate the capacity of hepatic SOD in scavenging free radicals, and hepatic counteractions on CCl-4 toxicity

Bagasse Cellulose Composite Superabsorbent Material with Double-Crosslinking Network Using Chemical Modified Nano-CaCO3 Reinforcing Strategy

To improve the salt resistance of superabsorbent materials and the gel strength of superabsorbent materials after water absorption, a bagasse cellulose-based network structure composite superabsorbent (CAAMC) was prepared via graft copolymerization of acrylamide/acrylic acid (AM/AA) onto bagasse cellulose using silane coupling agent modified nano-CaCO3 (MNC) and N,N&prime;-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as a double crosslinker. The acrylamide/acrylic acid was chemically crosslinked with modified nano-CaCO3 by C-N, and a stable double crosslinked (DC) network CAAMC was formed under the joint crosslinking of N,N&prime;-methylene bisacrylamide and modified nano-CaCO3. Modified nano-CaCO3 plays a dual role of crosslinking agent and the filler, and the gel strength of composite superabsorbent is two times higher than that of N,N&prime;-methylene bisacrylamide single crosslinking. The maximum absorbency of CAAMC reached 712 g/g for deionized water and 72 g/g for 0.9 wt% NaCl solution. The adsorption process of CAAMC was simulated by materials studio, and the maximum adsorption energy of amino and carboxyl groups for water molecules is &minus;2.413 kJ/mol and &minus;2.240 kJ/mol, respectively. According to the results of CAAMC soil water retention, a small amount of CAAMC can greatly improve the soil water retention effect

Enhanced Water Absorbency and Water Retention Rate for Superabsorbent Polymer via Porous Calcium Carbonate Crosslinking

To improve the water absorbency and water-retention rate of superabsorbent materials, a porous calcium carbonate composite superabsorbent polymer (PCC/PAA) was prepared by copolymerization of acrylic acid and porous calcium carbonate prepared from ground calcium carbonate. The results showed that the binding energies of C–O and C=O in the O 1s profile of PCC/PAA had 0.2 eV and 0.1–0.7 eV redshifts, respectively, and the bonding of –COO− groups on the surface of the porous calcium carbonate led to an increase in the binding energy of O 1s. Furthermore, the porous calcium carbonate chelates with the –COO− group in acrylic acid through the surface Ca2+ site to form multidirectional crosslinking points, which would increase the flexibility of the crosslinking network and promote the formation of pores inside the PCC/PAA to improve the water storage space. The water absorbency of PCC/PAA with 2 wt% porous calcium carbonate in deionized water and 0.9 wt% NaCl water solution increased from 540 g/g and 60 g/g to 935 g/g and 80 g/g, respectively. In addition, since the chemical crosslinker N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide is used in the polymerization process of PCC/PAA, N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide and porous calcium carbonate enhance the stability of the PCC/PAA crosslinking network by double-crosslinking with a polyacrylic acid chain, resulting in the crosslinking network of PCC/PAA not being destroyed after water absorption saturation. Therefore, PCC/PAA with 2 wt% porous calcium carbonate improved the water-retention rate by 244% after 5 h at 60 °C, and the compressive strength was approximately five-times that of the superabsorbent without porous calcium carbonate

DataSheet_1_Perceived parental warmth attenuates the link between perceived parental rejection and rumination in Chinese early adolescents: two conditional moderation models.xls

BackgroundPrior studies have explored the association between perceived parental rejection-warmth and adolescents’ rumination, but it is unclear whether the interaction between perceived parental rejection and warmth can predict adolescents’ rumination in a Chinese context and whether this interaction varies by children’s gender during the post-COVID-19 era.ObjectiveThis study aimed to address these issues in Chinese early adolescents from a family system perspective.MethodsA total of 910 adolescents (Mage = 13.63, 48.50% female) from two middle schools in Chongqing and Changsha, China participated in the survey, answering measures for demographics, perceived parental rejection-warmth, and rumination.ResultsThe results show that adolescents’ rumination was positively related to perceived paternal rejection (r = 0.326, p ConclusionsPerceived Parental rejection and parental warmth co-exist in the Chinese family system, and they exert an interactive effect on adolescents’ rumination depending on their gender. It implies that both parents should be more accepting, caring, considerate, and warm toward their daughters, and it is also in line with the tradition and status quo of parenting in Chinese families. These findings have implications for Chinese parental co-parenting practices in families with adolescents and adolescence mental health counseling work.</p