Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 29 in total

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  1. Jiang L, Bin Abd Razak HR, Chong HC, Tan A
    J Arthroplasty, 2014 Feb;29(2):304-7.
    PMID: 23891052 DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2013.06.002
    We aim to compare the patient profile and outcomes after TKA between the different racial groups in Singapore. Prospective data were collected from 364 patients who underwent TKA in Singapore General Hospital from January 2006 to May 2010. Patients were stratified according to ethnicity and we compared their preoperative demographic data, Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Oxford Knee (OKS) as well as Knee Society Scores (KSS). Malays were younger (62.0 ± 5.3) at time of surgery (p=0.05) and the body mass index of Chinese (27.9 ± 4.7) was lower than Malay (30.4 ± 5.0) and Indian (31.5 ± 4.5) patients (P<0.005). Malay (40.3 ± 11.0) and Indian (39.2 ± 9.3) patients had less favourable preoperative OKS than Chinese (35.9 ± 7.8) patients (P<0.05). All 3 ethnic groups achieved statistically significant improvements in outcome measures but did not differ significantly between the ethnicities.
  2. Liu L, Mo Z, Liang Z, Zhang Y, Li R, Ong KC, et al.
    BMC Med, 2015;13:226.
    PMID: 26381232 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-015-0448-7
    To investigate the long-term effects on immunity of an inactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine and its protective efficacy.
  3. Jiang L, Hindmarch CC, Rogers M, Campbell C, Waterfall C, Coghill J, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2016 10 24;6:35671.
    PMID: 27774996 DOI: 10.1038/srep35671
    Glucocorticoids are steroids that reduce inflammation and are used as immunosuppressive drugs for many diseases. They are also the mainstay for the treatment of minimal change nephropathy (MCN), which is characterised by an absence of inflammation. Their mechanisms of action remain elusive. Evidence suggests that immunomodulatory drugs can directly act on glomerular epithelial cells or 'podocytes', the cell type which is the main target of injury in MCN. To understand the nature of glucocorticoid effects on non-immune cell functions, we generated RNA sequencing data from human podocyte cell lines and identified the genes that are significantly regulated in dexamethasone-treated podocytes compared to vehicle-treated cells. The upregulated genes are of functional relevance to cytoskeleton-related processes, whereas the downregulated genes mostly encode pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. We observed a tendency for dexamethasone-upregulated genes to be downregulated in MCN patients. Integrative analysis revealed gene networks composed of critical signaling pathways that are likely targeted by dexamethasone in podocytes.
  4. Pan DS, Huang JH, Lee MH, Yu Y, Chen MI, Goh EH, et al.
    BMC Fam Pract, 2016 11 03;17(1):148.
    PMID: 27809770 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-016-0547-3
    BACKGROUND: Patients' expectations can influence antibiotic prescription by primary healthcare physicians. We assessed knowledge, attitude and practices towards antibiotic use for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), and whether knowledge is associated with increased expectations for antibiotics among patients visiting primary healthcare services in Singapore.

    METHODS: Data was collected through a cross-sectional interviewer-assisted survey of patients aged ≥21 years waiting to see primary healthcare practitioners for one or more symptoms suggestive of URTI (cough, sore throat, runny nose or blocked nose) for 7 days or less, covering the demographics, presenting symptoms, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices of URTI and associated antibiotic use. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess independent factors associated with patients' expectations for antibiotics.

    RESULTS: Nine hundred fourteen out of 987 eligible patients consulting 35 doctors were recruited from 24 private sector primary care clinics in Singapore. A third (307/907) expected antibiotics, of which a substantial proportion would ask the doctor for antibiotics (121/304, 40 %) and/or see another doctor (31/304, 10 %) if antibiotics were not prescribed. The majority agreed "antibiotics are effective against viruses" (715/914, 78 %) and that "antibiotics cure URTI faster" (594/912, 65 %). Inappropriate antibiotic practices include "keeping antibiotics stock at home" (125/913, 12 %), "taking leftover antibiotics" (114/913, 14 %) and giving antibiotics to family members (62/913, 7 %). On multivariate regression, the following factors were independently associated with wanting antibiotics (odds ratio; 95 % confidence interval): Malay ethnicity (1.67; 1.00-2.79), living in private housing (1.69; 1.13-2.51), presence of sore throat (1.50; 1.07-2.10) or fever (1.46; 1.01-2.12), perception that illness is serious (1.70; 1.27-2.27), belief that antibiotics cure URTI faster (5.35; 3.76-7.62) and not knowing URTI resolves on its own (2.18; 1.08-2.06), while post-secondary education (0.67; 0.48-0.94) was inversely associated. Those with lower educational levels were significantly more likely to have multiple misconceptions about antibiotics.

    CONCLUSION: Majority of patients seeking primary health care in Singapore are misinformed about the role of antibiotics in URTI. Agreeing with the statement that antibiotics cure URTI faster was most strongly associated with wanting antibiotics. Those with higher educational levels were less likely to want antibiotics, while those with lower educational levels more likely to have incorrect knowledge.
  5. EAS Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration, Vallejo-Vaz AJ, Akram A, Kondapally Seshasai SR, Cole D, Watts GF, et al.
    Atheroscler Suppl, 2016 Dec;22:1-32.
    PMID: 27939304 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosissup.2016.10.001
    The potential for global collaborations to better inform public health policy regarding major non-communicable diseases has been successfully demonstrated by several large-scale international consortia. However, the true public health impact of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a common genetic disorder associated with premature cardiovascular disease, is yet to be reliably ascertained using similar approaches. The European Atherosclerosis Society FH Studies Collaboration (EAS FHSC) is a new initiative of international stakeholders which will help establish a global FH registry to generate large-scale, robust data on the burden of FH worldwide.
  6. Klionsky DJ, Abdelmohsen K, Abe A, Abedin MJ, Abeliovich H, Acevedo Arozena A, et al.
    Autophagy, 2016;12(1):1-222.
    PMID: 26799652 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356
  7. Han H, Hu S, Syed-Hassan SSA, Xiao Y, Wang Y, Xu J, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2017 Jul;236:138-145.
    PMID: 28399417 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.112
    Sewage sludge is an important class of bioresources whose energy content could be exploited using pyrolysis technology. However, some harmful trace elements in sewage sludge can escape easily to the gas phase during pyrolysis, increasing the potential of carcinogenic material emissions to the atmosphere. This study investigates emission characteristics of arsenic, cadmium and lead under different pyrolysis conditions for three different sewage sludge samples. The increased temperature (within 723-1123K) significantly promoted the cadmium and lead emissions, but its influence on arsenic emission was not pronounced. The releasing rate order of the three trace elements is volatile arsenic compounds>cadmium>lead in the beginning of pyrolysis. Fast heating rates promoted the emission of trace elements for the sludge containing the highest amount of ash, but exhibited an opposite effect for other studied samples. Overall, the high ash sludge released the least trace elements almost under all reaction conditions.
  8. Chen YJ, Liu WJ, Chen DN, Chieng SH, Jiang L
    Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi, 2017 Dec;42(23):4593-4597.
    PMID: 29376257 DOI: 10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20171030.018
    To provide theoretical basis for the traceability and quality evaluation of edible bird's nests (EBNs), the Cytb sequence was applied to identify the origin of EBNs. A total of 39 experiment samples were collected from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Genomic DNA was extracted for the PCR reaction. The amplified products were sequenced. 36 sequences were downloaded from Gen Bank including edible nest swiftlet, black nest swiftlet, mascarene swiftlet, pacific swiftlet and germain's swiftlet. MEGA 7.0 was used to analyze the distinction of sequences by the method of calculating the distances in intraspecific and interspecific divergences and constructing NJ and UPMGA phylogenetic tree based on Kimera-2-parameter model. The results showed that 39 samples were from three kinds of EBNs. Interspecific divergences were significantly greater than the intraspecific one. Samples could be successfully distinguished by NJ and UPMGA phylogenetic tree. In conclusion, Cytb sequence could be used to distinguish the origin of EBNs and it is efficient for tracing the origin species of EBNs.
  9. EAS Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration, Vallejo-Vaz AJ, De Marco M, Stevens CAT, Akram A, Freiberger T, et al.
    Atherosclerosis, 2018 10;277:234-255.
    PMID: 30270054 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2018.08.051
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Management of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) may vary across different settings due to factors related to population characteristics, practice, resources and/or policies. We conducted a survey among the worldwide network of EAS FHSC Lead Investigators to provide an overview of FH status in different countries.

    METHODS: Lead Investigators from countries formally involved in the EAS FHSC by mid-May 2018 were invited to provide a brief report on FH status in their countries, including available information, programmes, initiatives, and management.

    RESULTS: 63 countries provided reports. Data on FH prevalence are lacking in most countries. Where available, data tend to align with recent estimates, suggesting a higher frequency than that traditionally considered. Low rates of FH detection are reported across all regions. National registries and education programmes to improve FH awareness/knowledge are a recognised priority, but funding is often lacking. In most countries, diagnosis primarily relies on the Dutch Lipid Clinics Network criteria. Although available in many countries, genetic testing is not widely implemented (frequent cost issues). There are only a few national official government programmes for FH. Under-treatment is an issue. FH therapy is not universally reimbursed. PCSK9-inhibitors are available in ∼2/3 countries. Lipoprotein-apheresis is offered in ∼60% countries, although access is limited.

    CONCLUSIONS: FH is a recognised public health concern. Management varies widely across countries, with overall suboptimal identification and under-treatment. Efforts and initiatives to improve FH knowledge and management are underway, including development of national registries, but support, particularly from health authorities, and better funding are greatly needed.

  10. Brown AAM, Hooper TJN, Veldhuis SA, Chin XY, Bruno A, Vashishtha P, et al.
    Nanoscale, 2019 Jul 07;11(25):12370-12380.
    PMID: 31215940 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr02566a
    We report the self-assembly of an extensive inter-ligand hydrogen-bonding network of octylphosphonates on the surface of cesium lead bromide nanocrystals (CsPbBr3 NCs). The post-synthetic addition of octylphosphonic acid to oleic acid/oleylamine-capped CsPbBr3 NCs promoted the attachment of octylphosphonate to the NC surface, while the remaining oleylammonium ligands maintained the high dispersability of the NCs in non-polar solvent. Through powerful 2D solid-state 31P-1H NMR, we demonstrated that an ethyl acetate/acetonitrile purification regime was crucial for initiating the self-assembly of extensive octylphosphonate chains. Octylphosphonate ligands were found to preferentially bind in a monodentate mode through P-O-, leaving polar P[double bond, length as m-dash]O and P-OH groups free to form inter-ligand hydrogen bonds. The octylphosphonate ligand network strongly passivated the nanocrystal surface, yielding a fully-purified CsPbBr3 NC ink with PLQY of 62%, over 3 times higher than untreated NCs. We translated this to LED devices, achieving maximum external quantum efficiency and luminance of 7.74% and 1022 cd m-2 with OPA treatment, as opposed to 3.59% and 229 cd m-2 for untreated CsPbBr3 NCs. This represents one of the highest efficiency LEDs obtained for all-inorganic CsPbBr3 NCs, accomplished through simple, effective passivation and purification processes. The robust binding of octylphosphonates to the perovskite lattice, and specifically their ability to interlink through hydrogen bonding, offers a promising passivation approach which could potentially be beneficial across a breadth of halide perovskite optoelectronic applications.
  11. Foo JN, Chew EGY, Chung SJ, Peng R, Blauwendraat C, Nalls MA, et al.
    JAMA Neurol, 2020 06 01;77(6):746-754.
    PMID: 32310270 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.0428
    Importance: Large-scale genome-wide association studies in the European population have identified 90 risk variants associated with Parkinson disease (PD); however, there are limited studies in the largest population worldwide (ie, Asian).

    Objectives: To identify novel genome-wide significant loci for PD in Asian individuals and to compare genetic risk between Asian and European cohorts.

    Design Setting, and Participants: Genome-wide association data generated from PD cases and controls in an Asian population (ie, Singapore/Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, and South Korea) were collected from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018, as part of an ongoing study. Results were combined with inverse variance meta-analysis, and replication of top loci in European and Japanese samples was performed. Discovery samples of 31 575 individuals passing quality control of 35 994 recruited were used, with a greater than 90% participation rate. A replication cohort of 1 926 361 European-ancestry and 3509 Japanese samples was analyzed. Parkinson disease was diagnosed using UK Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Criteria.

    Main Outcomes and Measures: Genotypes of common variants, association with disease status, and polygenic risk scores.

    Results: Of 31 575 samples identified, 6724 PD cases (mean [SD] age, 64.3 [10] years; age at onset, 58.8 [10.6] years; 3472 [53.2%] men) and 24 851 controls (age, 59.4 [11.4] years; 11 030 [45.0%] men) were analyzed in the discovery study. Eleven genome-wide significant loci were identified; 2 of these loci were novel (SV2C and WBSCR17) and 9 were previously found in Europeans. Replication in European-ancestry and Japanese samples showed robust association for SV2C (rs246814; odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11-1.21; P = 1.17 × 10-10 in meta-analysis of discovery and replication samples) but showed potential genetic heterogeneity at WBSCR17 (rs9638616; I2=67.1%; P = 3.40 × 10-3 for hetereogeneity). Polygenic risk score models including variants at these 11 loci were associated with a significant improvement in area under the curve over the model based on 78 European loci alone (63.1% vs 60.2%; P = 6.81 × 10-12).

    Conclusions and Relevance: This study identified 2 apparently novel gene loci and found 9 previously identified European loci to be associated with PD in this large, meta-genome-wide association study in a worldwide population of Asian individuals and reports similarities and differences in genetic risk factors between Asian and European individuals in the risk for PD. These findings may lead to improved stratification of Asian patients and controls based on polygenic risk scores. Our findings have potential academic and clinical importance for risk stratification and precision medicine in Asia.

  12. Tang H, Jiang L, Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, Arslan AA, Beane Freeman LE, Bracci PM, et al.
    Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2020 Sep;29(9):1784-1791.
    PMID: 32546605 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-0275
    BACKGROUND: Obesity and diabetes are major modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Interactions between genetic variants and diabetes/obesity have not previously been comprehensively investigated in pancreatic cancer at the genome-wide level.

    METHODS: We conducted a gene-environment interaction (GxE) analysis including 8,255 cases and 11,900 controls from four pancreatic cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets (Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium I-III and Pancreatic Cancer Case Control Consortium). Obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) and diabetes (duration ≥3 years) were the environmental variables of interest. Approximately 870,000 SNPs (minor allele frequency ≥0.005, genotyped in at least one dataset) were analyzed. Case-control (CC), case-only (CO), and joint-effect test methods were used for SNP-level GxE analysis. As a complementary approach, gene-based GxE analysis was also performed. Age, sex, study site, and principal components accounting for population substructure were included as covariates. Meta-analysis was applied to combine individual GWAS summary statistics.

    RESULTS: No genome-wide significant interactions (departures from a log-additive odds model) with diabetes or obesity were detected at the SNP level by the CC or CO approaches. The joint-effect test detected numerous genome-wide significant GxE signals in the GWAS main effects top hit regions, but the significance diminished after adjusting for the GWAS top hits. In the gene-based analysis, a significant interaction of diabetes with variants in the FAM63A (family with sequence similarity 63 member A) gene (significance threshold P < 1.25 × 10-6) was observed in the meta-analysis (P GxE = 1.2 ×10-6, P Joint = 4.2 ×10-7).

    CONCLUSIONS: This analysis did not find significant GxE interactions at the SNP level but found one significant interaction with diabetes at the gene level. A larger sample size might unveil additional genetic factors via GxE scans.

    IMPACT: This study may contribute to discovering the mechanism of diabetes-associated pancreatic cancer.

  13. Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, et al.
    Autophagy, 2021 Jan;17(1):1-382.
    PMID: 33634751 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280
    In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.
  14. Jiang L, Huang P, Ren B, Song Z, Zhu G, He W, et al.
    Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2021 Jun;105(12):4975-4986.
    PMID: 34146138 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11226-w
    Marine microbes provide an important resource to discover new chemical compounds with biological activities beneficial to drug discovery. In our study, two new polyene macrolides, pyranpolyenolides A (1) and B (2), and one new natural cyclic peptide (9), together with two known polyenes (7 and 8) and three known cyclic peptides (10-12), were isolated from a culture of the marine Streptomyces sp. MS110128. In addition, four new polyene macrolides, pyranpolyenolides C-F (3-6), were identified as olefin geometric isomers that were most likely produced by photochemical conversion during the cultivation or isolation procedures. The pyranpolyenolides are 32-membered macrolides endowed with a conjugated tetraene and several pairs of 1,3-dihydroxyl groups. Pyranpolyenolides that contain a hydropyran group have not been previously reported. Four cyclic peptides (9-12) showed significant activities against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus with supporting MIC values ranging from 0.025 to 1.25 μg/mL. These cyclic peptides containing piperazic moieties showed moderate activities with MIC values of 12.5 μg/mL against Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG), an attenuated form of the bovine. Additionally, cyclic peptide 12 showed moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an MIC value of 12.5 μg/mL. KEY POINTS: • Discovery of new polyenes and cyclic peptides from a marine-derived Actinomycete. • Cyclic peptides containing piperazic moieties exhibited good antibacterial activity.
  15. Xiang Y, Jiang L, Zhou Y, Luo Z, Zhi D, Yang J, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2022 Jan 15;422:126843.
    PMID: 34419846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126843
    Nowadays, a growing number of microplastics are released into the environment due to the extensive use and inappropriate management of plastic products. With the increasing body of evidence about the pollution and hazards of microplastics, microplastics have drawn major attention from governments and the scientific community. As a kind of emerging and persistent environmental pollutants, microplastics have recently been detected on a variety of substrates in the world. Therefore, this paper reviews the recent progress in identifying the sources of microplastics in soil, water, and atmosphere and describing the transport and fate of microplastics in the terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric ecosystems for revealing the circulation of microplastics in the ecosystem. In addition, considering the persistence of microplastics, this study elucidates the interactions of microplastics with other pollutants in the environment (i.e., organic pollutants, heavy metals) with emphasis on toxicity and accumulation, providing a novel insight into the ecological risks of microplastics in the environment. The negative impacts of microplastics on organisms and environmental health are also reviewed to reveal the environmental hazards of microplastics. The knowledge gaps and key research priorities of microplastics are identified to better understand and mitigate the environmental risks of microplastics.
  16. Jiang L, Wang L
    J Environ Public Health, 2022;2022:4095446.
    PMID: 36046084 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4095446
    China can effectively promote urban-rural integration and economic and social modernization through new urbanization, which also serves as a strong driver and supporter of the growth of rural tourism. This paper examines the new urbanization and the growth of the rural tourism industry based on the rural revitalization strategy. It does so by using the techniques of literature research, field investigation, information technology retrieval, and excavation. We list the accomplishments of the rural tourism sector at its current stage of development and identify the issues and factors that will affect the sector's future growth. In addition, a coordinated development evaluation index system is built based on a theoretical analysis of rural revitalization strategies and new urbanization, and the corresponding comprehensive score is obtained using the entropy method for research. The index weight of the subsystem for rural revitalization in province A is computed using the entropy weight method. According to the findings, the wealth of life has the smallest weight (0.1117), followed by the prosperity of industry (0.2618), which is the largest on a criterion level. The effective weight of governance is the largest, at 0.2801. This study can serve as a useful resource for fostering rural tourism and advancing rural business.
  17. Jiang L, Al-Shaibani GKS, Yang F, Cheng M, Huang M
    Front Psychol, 2022;13:957485.
    PMID: 35936335 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957485
    The translation of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) terms is an important practical aspect of cross-lingual expressions related to ICH knowledge. Chinese ICH terms are heavily loaded with specific historical and cultural knowledge and regional characteristics. Based on cognitive psychology, this paper analyzes the metonymic mechanism of traditional translation techniques such as substitution in the English translation of Chinese ICH terms. The English translation of Chinese ICH nominal terms can be realized based on the metonymic mechanism of replacing either a superordinate with a subordinate of the linguistic structure or a subordinate of the linguistic structure with a subordinate of the linguistic structure in the pair language, English-Chinese. The English translation of Chinese ICH verbal terms can regard the whole verbal action as an event process and can highlight one aspect of the process through a metonymic mechanism as well. This paper holds that metonymy is an important psychological motivation and cognitive mechanism for translation skills such as substitution as it brings the relationship between the corresponding items of the target language and the source language into a unified interpretation framework. Hence, this may add some significance to the research of translation theory and translation practice. This also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 17 which seeks global parternship for sustainable development.
  18. Ren H, Hart CH, Cheah CSL, Porter CL, Nelson DA, Yavuz-Müren HM, et al.
    Dev Sci, 2023 Mar 17.
    PMID: 36929667 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13388
    This study compared parenting across four non-Western cultures to test cross-cultural commonality and specificity principles in three aspects: measurement properties, parenting normativeness, and their associations with child outcomes. Both mothers and fathers (N = 1509 dyads) with preschool-aged children (M = 5.00 years; 48% girls) from urban areas of four countries (Malaysia, N = 372; China, N = 441; Turkey, N = 402; and Japan, N = 294) reported on four parenting constructs (authoritative, authoritarian, group harmony socialization, and intrusive control) and their sub-dimensions using modified culturally relevant measures. Teachers reported on children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. The commonality principle was supported by two sets of findings: (1) full measurement invariance was established for most parenting constructs and sub-dimensions, except that intrusive control only reached partial scalar invariance, and (2) no variations were found in associations between parenting and any child outcomes across cultures or parent gender at the construct level for all four parenting constructs and at the sub-dimensional level for authoritarian and intrusive control sub-dimensions. The specificity principle was supported by the other two sets of findings: (1) cross-cultural differences in parenting normativeness did not follow the pattern of economic development but yielded culture-specific patterns, and (2) at the sub-dimensional level, the authoritative parenting and group harmony socialization sub-dimensions were differently associated with child outcomes across cultures and/or parent gender. The findings suggested that examining specific dimensions rather than broad parenting constructs is necessary to reflect cultural specificities and nuances. Our study provided a culturally-invariant instrument and a three-step guide for future parenting research to examine cross-cultural commonalities/specificities. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This is the first study to use an instrument with measurement invariance across multiple non-Western cultures to examine the commonality and specificity principles in parenting. Measurement invariance was achieved across cultures for authoritative and authoritarian parenting, group harmony socialization, intrusive control, and their sub-dimensions, supporting the commonality principle. Cross-cultural differences in parenting normativeness did not follow the pattern of economic development but yielded culture-specific patterns, supporting the specificity principle. Both commonalities and specificities were manifested in associations between parenting and child outcomes across cultures.
  19. Jiang L, Liang X
    PMID: 37361808 DOI: 10.1007/s10639-023-11734-4
    The online and offline blended learning mode based on SPOC has gradually become a popular teaching mode in higher institutions due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in SPOC-based blended learning environments continue facing problems of low participation and persistent intention. In order to explore the influencing factors of EFL students' continuance intentions to learn under the SPOC blended learning environment, this study recruits 48 EFL students from three higher vocational colleges based on the grounded theory. Through the triple coding method of open, axis, and selective coding based on the grounded theory and the used of software Nvivo to conduct a triple coding analysis of the text data obtained from the in-depth interviews and focus group interviews, a theoretical model of the influencing factors of EFL students' continuous learning intention (pre-influencing factors, external situational factors, and continuance intention) is proposed. Besides, a systematic framework based on stakeholders response to improve EFL students' continuance learning intentions in SPOC-based blended learning environments is constructed accordingly. This study can provide reference for basic theory and variable selection for subsequent research on the influencing factors of EFL students' continuance learning intentions in China and elsewhere.
  20. Jiang L, Lv M, Wen Y, Zhang P, Huang Q
    J Psycholinguist Res, 2023 Dec;52(6):2239-2256.
    PMID: 37526889 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-023-09989-6
    Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) terms are unique expressions of cultural knowledge and practices that are deeply rooted in a particular region or community. Accurately translating ICH terms is crucial for sharing this knowledge and promoting cross-cultural understanding. However, the complex nature of ICH terms, including their regional and cultural specificity, means that mistranslations can easily occur during the translation process. In addition to linguistic and cultural barriers, psychological factors can also impact the accuracy of translations. Translation psychology, a new discipline that examines the psychological process of bilingual conversion and its cognitive mechanisms, can provide insights into the translation of ICH terms. This paper proposes an information processing model of translating ICH terms based on translation psychology, which examines the psychological processes of translators during the translation of Chinese ICH terms into English. Through questionnaires and translation exercises, the study compares and analyzes the psychological activity process of the translators, verifies the expression of translation psychology in the translation of ICH terms, and identifies the characteristics of students' translations. The study's subjects were non-English major sophomores with diverse academic backgrounds, randomly sampled from a representative polytechnic university in Guangdong. The findings of this study are significant for improving the quality of translations and promoting cross-cultural understanding of ICH terms. By understanding the psychological factors involved in the translation of ICH terms, we can overcome language and cultural barriers and accurately convey the rich cultural heritage embodied in these terms.
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