To achieve satisfying effects of plastic ban policies, it is important to promote people’s intention to use green bags. Many studies have examined the antecedents of reducing plastic bag usage, but research regarding the influential factors of reusable bag usage is limited. Based on a survey of 532 respondents in China, a multiple linear regression model is constructed in this study to examine the determinants of individuals’ intention to carry reusable bags for shopping. Results show that plastic ban awareness, social (...) responsibility, environmental motivation, and economic motivation significantly and positively affect consumers’ intention to use reusable bags for shopping. Of the two motivation factors, environmental motivation has a greater impact. More importantly, economic motivation positively moderates the relationship between environmental motivation and the intention to use reusable bags. This finding suggests a motivation “crowding-in” effect in predicting consumers’ intention to carry reusable bags for shopping. Results of this study also indicate that female, older, and richer people are more inclined to carry reusable bags for shopping. Implications for plastic crisis management are discussed. (shrink)

Peer feedback is essential in writing English as a Second/Foreign Language. Traditionally, offline PF was more widely favored but nowadays online peer feedback has become frequent in ESL/EFL learners’ daily writing. This study is undertaken to probe into the gains of using OPF in ESL/EFL writing on the basis of 37 research articles published in core journals from 2012 till 2022. In order to accurately cover the previous researches, we capitalize on three methods to evaluate and analyze the data, i.e., (...) database search, citation search and manual search. Results show that from the perspective of the ESL/EFL learners’ gains, the OPF is basically divided into two categories, involving eight aspects in all: face-based strategies, revision-based comments, writing performance, learning environment, reflection/critical thinking/responsibility, writing emotion, motivation, and attitudes; and OPF can be well supported by a set of theories like Process-oriented Writing Theory, Collaborative Learning Theory, Interactionist Theory of L2 Acquisition and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. By comparison, the gains from OPF outperform those from offline PF in many dimensions, despite some overlaps that were revealed in several investigations. Based on the past studies, we propose some pedagogical implications on OPF from ESL/EFL writing, including accenting the “student-centered” teaching strategy, providing students with OPF on the basis of incremental knowledge, adopting OPF regularly in ESL/EFL writing activities to shape personalities and outlooks and putting OPF into its full play with recourse to abundant internet-based vehicles. This review is desired to provide a guideline for both the peer feedback practice and the upcoming scholarly researches with respect to EFL/ESL writing. (shrink)

The lack of a standardized reliable and valid instrument makes it difficult to measure attitudes toward lesbian women and gay men consistently and thus poses a challenge to compare and contrast intervention measures. This study aimed to validate Herek’s ATLG scale among undergraduates in mainland China and identify factors associated with negative attitudes toward LG. A total of 6,036 eligible undergraduates conveniently drawn from 30 provinces across mainland China were randomly split in half. Item analysis was first used to select (...) unrelated or redundant items for deletion. Exploratory factor analysis were then conducted on the first half of the sample, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis in the second half. Logistic regression analyses were finally carried out to identify their determinants. Six items were removed from the item analysis. EFA supported the existence of two factors. CFA results indicated that the two-factor model fit the data better than the one-factor model. Logistic regression analyses indicated that being female, majoring in non-health-related disciplines, attributing homosexuality to uncontrollable causes, non-adherence to traditional gender norms and exposure to homosexual content were significantly associated with less negative attitudes toward both L and G. Urban students were marginally less likely to express negative attitudes toward L but not G, while non-heterosexuals and those who had prior personal contact with homosexuals exhibited less negative attitudes toward G but not L. However, grade showed no significant associations with either ATL or ATG. The retained 14-item version of Herek’s ATLG scale has been proven to be a reliable and valid tool. Furthermore, ATL and ATG were determined by different factors and thus would be treated separately. In order to reduce negative attitudes toward LG among undergraduates in mainland China, a comprehensive intervention plan such as conducting comprehensive sex education and pushing the process of legalizing same-sex marriage should be designed, implemented and evaluated. (shrink)

Many young and middle-aged maintenance hemodialysis patients suffer a poor prognosis, experience a series of problems during long-term treatment and are thus prone to stigma. This study was designed to analyze stigma in young and middle-aged maintenance hemodialysis patients and explore its influencing factors. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional descriptive study with a convenience sampling method and included 97 patients from Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital between November 2020 and February 2021. The Social Impact Scale, (...) a demographic questionnaire, and hemodialysis indicators were used in the investigation. Patient biochemical indexes from hemodialysis were compared. Young and middle-aged maintenance hemodialysis patients had a medium level of stigma. Patients who had low income, were younger, were male, had long-term hemodialysis and were unemployed had significantly higher stigma scores than other patients. Age, gender, occupational status, annual household income and the duration of hemodialysis were found to be the main factors related to stigma in young and middle-aged maintenance hemodialysis patients by multiple regression analysis. Perceptions of hemodialysis-related stigma were common in our sample. Patients who had low income, were younger, were male, had long-term hemodialysis and were employed had a higher level of stigma, which deserves attention from clinical medical workers. Replication studies are needed to confirm these findings. (shrink)

Prior research on employee–organization relationships has exclusively focused on the positive consequences of high-inducement EORs. Drawing from social exchange theory, we develop a model theorizing employee unethical pro-organizational behavior as one potential negative outcome of high-inducement EORs, as mediated by high-quality social exchange relationship between the employee and the employer. Empirical findings from two field studies provided convergent support to the mediation relationship between mutual-investment EORs and employee UPB via perceived social exchange. Moreover, the results in Study 2 further revealed (...) that the relationship was less significant among employees with higher levels of moral identity, because the positive relationship between perceived social exchange and employee UPB was weakened by high moral identity. The theoretical and managerial implications were discussed. (shrink)

Traffic congestion is a common problem in many countries, especially in big cities. At present, China’s urban road traffic accidents occur frequently, the occurrence frequency is high, the accident causes traffic congestion, and accidents cause traffic congestion and vice versa. The occurrence of traffic accidents usually leads to the reduction of road traffic capacity and the formation of traffic bottlenecks, causing the traffic congestion. In this paper, the formation and propagation of traffic congestion are simulated by using the improved medium (...) traffic model, and the control strategy of congestion dissipation is studied. From the point of view of quantitative traffic congestion, the paper provides the fact that the simulation platform of urban traffic integration is constructed, and a feasible data analysis, learning, and parameter calibration method based on RBF neural network is proposed, which is used to determine the corresponding decision support system. The simulation results prove that the control strategy proposed in this paper is effective and feasible. According to the temporal and spatial evolution of the paper, we can see that the network has been improved on the whole. (shrink)

The aim of this article is to explore some of the challenges of measuring Christian spiritual development across distinct traditions of Christian spirituality. This presses into questions of what might be universal and what might be particular when it comes to Christian spirituality in how it is understood and practiced. We address the feasibility of a general, ecumenical measure by hearing from representative voices of five traditions of Christian spirituality: African American spirituality, Anglican spirituality, Benedictine spirituality, Pentecostal spirituality, and Reformed (...) spirituality. After noting some of the distinctives of these traditions, we conclude with four strategies for navigating the unity and diversity of Christian spirituality in conceptualizing and measuring Christian formation. (shrink)

To obtain effective fusion results of multi source evidences with different importance, an evidence fusion method with importance discounting factors based on neutrosopic probability analysis in DSmT framework is proposed. First, the reasonable evidence sources are selected out based on the statistical analysis of the pignistic probability functions of single focal elements. Secondly, the neutrosophic probability analysis is conducted based on the similarities of the pignistic probability functions from the prior evidence knowledge of the reasonable evidence sources. Thirdly, the importance (...) discounting factors of the reasonable evidence sources are obtained based on the neutrosophic probability analysis and the reliability discounting factors of the real-time evidences are calculated based on probabilistic-based distances. Fourthly, the real-time evidences are discounted by the importance discounting factors and then the evidences with the mass assignments of neutrosophic empty sets are discounted by the reliability discounting factors. Finally, DSmT+PCR5 of importance discounted evidences is applied. Experimental examples show that the decision results based on the proposed fusion method are different from the results based on the existed fusion methods. Simulation experiments of recognition fusion are performed and the superiority of proposed method is testified well by the simulation results. (shrink)

Introduction: Few studies are available on the prevalence and sleep-related factors of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in Chinese older adults, aiming to explore the associations between sleep characteristics and DLB.Methods: A cross-sectional study with 7,528 individuals aged ≥65 years in 106 communities in Northern China was conducted from April 2019 to January 2020. Questionaries (including demographic characteristics, comorbidities, lifestyles, and sleep characteristics) were administered, and neuropsychological assessments and physical examination were conducted in phase I; screening for probable DLB was (...) done in phase II. Logistic regressions were used to assess associations.Results: A total of 919 (12.2%, 919/7,528) participants had dementia, and 101 (1.3%, 101/7,528) participants were diagnosed with DLB. The prevalence of dementia and DLB were slightly higher or equal in women, increased with age, and roughly decreased with nighttime sleep duration. Of the 101 participants, all of them (100.0%) had cognitive impairment, 46 (44.54%) displayed fluctuating cognition, 72 (71.29%) of them showed visual hallucination, 22 (21.78%) individuals reported RBD, and 27.71% showed Parkinsonism. Sleeping for 8 h had combined diagnostic value for DLB (AUC = 0.783, 95%CI: 0.734–0.831, p < 0.001).Conclusions: The current prevalence of DLB is 1.3% in Northern China. Short or long nighttime sleep duration is independently associated with the occurrence of dementia and DLB. (shrink)

Face recognition is one of the core and challenging issues in computer vision field. Compared to computer vision, human visual system can identify a target from complex backgrounds quickly and accurately. This paper proposes a new network model deriving from Where-What Networks (WWNs), which can approximately simulate the information processing pathways (i.e., dorsal pathway and ventral pathway) of human visual cortex and recognize different types of faces with different locations and sizes in complex background. To enhance the recognition performance, synapse (...) maintenance mechanism and neuron regenesis mechanism are both introduced. Synapse maintenance is used to reduce the background interference while neuron regenesis mechanism is introduced to regulate the neuron resource dynamically to improve the network usage efficiency. Experiments have been conducted on human face images of 5 types, 11 sizes, and 225 locations in complex backgrounds. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed WWN model can basically learn three concepts (type, location and size) simultaneously. The experiment results also show the advantages of the enhanced WWN-7 model for face recognition in comparison with several existing methods. (shrink)

Gender plays an important role in various aspects of second language acquisition, including lexicon learning. Many studies have suggested that compared to males, females are less likely to experience boredom, one of the frequently experienced deactivating negative emotions that may impair language learning. However, the contribution of boredom to gender-related differences in lexicon learning remains unclear. To address this question, here we conducted two experiments with a large sample of over 1,000 college students to explore the relationships between gender differences (...) in boredom and lexicon learning. In Experiment 1, a cohort of 527 participants completed the trait and state boredom scales as well as a novel lexicon learning task without awareness of the testing process. In Experiment 2, an independent cohort of 506 participants completed the same novel lexicon learning task with prior knowledge of the testing procedure. Results from both experiments consistently showed significant differences between female and male participants in the rate of forgetting words and the state boredom scores, with female participants performing better than male participants. Furthermore, differences in state boredom scores partially explained differences in the rate of forgetting words between female and male participants. These findings demonstrate a novel contribution of state boredom to gender differences in lexicon learning, which provides new insights into better language-learning ability in females. (shrink)

We say that a computably enumerable (c. e.) degree a is plus-cupping, if for every c.e. degree x with $0 < x \leq a$ , there is a c. e. degree $y \not= 0'$ such that $x \vee y = 0/\'$ . We say that a is n-plus-cupping. if for every c. e. degree x, if $0 < x \leq a$ , then there is a $low_n$ c. e. degree 1 such that $x \vee l = 0'$ . Let PC (...) and $PC_n$ be the set of all plus-cupping, and n-plus-cupping c. e. degrees respectively. Then $PC_{1} \subseteq PC_{2} \subseteq PC_3 = PC$ . In this paper we show that $PC_{1} \subset PC_2$ , so giving a nontrivial hierarchy for the plus cupping degrees. The theorem also extends the result of Li, Wu and Zhang [14] showing that $LC_{1} \subset LC_2$ , as well as extending the Harrington plus-cupping theorem [8]. (shrink)

Drawing on Yan’s novella Serve the People (2005), the author examines the metamorphosis of the titular master signifier that has served as a central moral mandate in the Chinese Communist Party’s ideological discourse. Relying on a Lacanian framework via Žižek’s and others’ writings, this paper attempts to show that totalitarian ideological transformation hinges on the organization of jouissance (enjoyment) that has undergone three ideological modes — proto-, post-, and neo-totalitarianism. In the first mode, the subject procures enjoyment from the symbolic (...) order through a gesture of sacrifice. Due to the collapse of the imaginary of the Socialist New Man that sustains the totalitarian gaze, the post-totalitarian subject’s cynical distance from the “official” ideology functions as the very support for the effectiveness of the ideological apparatuses. Finally neo-totalitarianism is characterized as the inverse of proto-totalitarianism: the obscene underside that supports the totalitarian order is brought to the front stage as the new symbolic mandate to enjoy. The manifestations of such metamorphosis in literary and filmic works follow the path that starts from the sublime and ends at the obscene. (shrink)

With the rapid development of Internet of Things technology, RFID technology has been widely used in various fields. In order to optimize the RFID system hardware deployment strategy and improve the deployment efficiency, the prediction of the RFID system identification rate has become a new challenge. In this paper, a neighborhood rough set and random forest combination model is proposed to predict the identification rate of an RFID system. Firstly, the initial influencing factors of the RFID system identification rate are (...) reduced using neighborhood rough set theory combined with the principle of heuristic attribute reduction of neighborhood weighted dependency, thus obtaining a kernel factor subset. Secondly, a random forest prediction model is established based on the kernel factor subset, and a confusion matrix is established using out-of-bag data to evaluate the prediction results. The test is conducted under the constructed RFID experimental environment, whose results showed that the model can predict the identification rate of the RFID system in a fast and efficient way, and the classification accuracy can reach 90.5%. It can effectively guide the hardware deployment and communication parameter protocol setting of the system and improve the system performance. Compared with BP neural network and other prediction models, NRS-RF has shorter prediction time and faster calculation speed. Finally, the validity of the proposed model was verified by the RFID intelligent archives management platform. (shrink)

To identify the common and specific structural basis of bipolar depression and unipolar depression is crucial for clinical diagnosis. In this study, a total of 85 participants, including 22 BD patients, 36 UD patients, and 27 healthy controls, were enrolled. A voxel-based morphology method was used to identify the common and specific changes of the gray matter volume to determine the structural basis. Significant differences in GMV were found among the three groups. Compared with healthy controls, UD patients showed decreased (...) GMV in the orbital part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, whereas BD patients showed decreased GMV in the orbital part of the left middle frontal gyrus. Compared with BD, UD patients have increased GMV in the left supramarginal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. Our results revealed different structural changes in UD and BD patients suggesting BD and UD have different neurophysiological underpinnings. Our study contributes toward the biological determination of morphometric changes, which could help to discriminate between UD and BD. (shrink)

This commentary provides a critique of Žižek’s 2021 article on the catastrophe of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan with a focus on Zizek’s nostalgic moment of the fully engaged subject. The commentary deploys the actual and possible scenarios of the form of subjectivity in association with the cynical subject and the sadistic superego; and suggests the possibility of an alternative ethical subjectivity.

The ongoing pandemic has transformed communication modes globally. Especially in the case of higher education, where countermeasures against coronavirus disease 2019 have affected students’ learning experience. This study emphasized the case of business simulation games, where critical factors were underlined to define learners’ intention to use an online learning environment through the lens of task technology fit as a theoretical stance. This study considered the statistical analysis of 523 students who attended the business simulation module online at the tertiary level (...) of education. Findings conclude that flow experience is the most critical factor to define learners’ perceived TTF in the case of an online learning experience. However, the learners’ self-efficacy is significant enough to map learners’ intentions to use an online environment for learning. The study discussed several theoretical and practical implications for learners’ educators and policymakers. (shrink)

Factory workers make up a large proportion of China’s internal migrants and may be highly susceptible to job and adaptation stress, negative affective states, and Internet gaming disorder. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between job stress, psychological adaptation, negative affective states and IGD among 1,805 factory workers recruited by stratified multi-stage sampling between October and December 2019. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test the proposed mediation model. Among the participants, 67.3% were male and 71.7% were aged 35 years (...) old or below. The prevalence of probable depression, probable anxiety, and IGD was 39.3, 28.7, and 7.5%. Being male, younger age, and shorter duration of living in Shenzhen were associated with higher IGD scores. Job stress was significantly associated with IGD but not with negative affective states. Psychological adaptation was significantly associated with negative affective states. Negative affective states were positively associated with IGD. The indirect effect of psychological adaptation but not job stress on IGD through negative affective states was statistically significant. The observed psychological correlates and mechanisms are modifiable, and can inform the design of evidence-based prevention programs for depression, anxiety, and IGD in this population. (shrink)

Transgender women experience serious psychiatric problems and high suicide rates. According to the interpersonal theory of suicide, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness play major roles in suicidality and can be measured by the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire. However, no study has validated the use of the INQ in TGW. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the INQ among TGW. We recruited 198 TGW from Shenyang, China, using snowball sampling. The construct validity of the INQ was assessed through factor (...) analysis, and convergent and divergent validity were examined through a structural equation model with other psychosocial factors. The construct validation analysis supported a three-factor model with satisfactory fit indices: χ2/df = 1.54, RMSEA = 0.052, CFI = 0.931, TLI = 0.916, SRMR = 0.053. The thwarted belongingness was significantly associated with self-esteem and social support, and the social exclusion was significantly associated with loneliness, depression, entrapment, and defeat, suggesting satisfactory convergent and divergent validity for the three-factor model. The present findings indicate that for TGW, high social exclusion is important in assessing perceived interpersonal needs, while the notable deviation from previous two-factor model warrants further study. (shrink)

juan 1. Shaoqu Feng xian sheng -- juan 2. Zhongfu Wang xian sheng -- juan 3-4. Erqu Li xian sheng.

BackgroundTemporal lobe epilepsy is the most prevalent refractory focal epilepsy and is more likely accompanied by cognitive impairment. The fully understanding of the neuronal activity underlying TLE is of great significance.ObjectiveThis study aimed to comprehensively explore the potential brain activity abnormalities affected by TLE and detect whether the changes were associated with cognition.MethodsSix static intrinsic brain activity indicators [amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, fractional ALFF, regional homogeneity, degree centrality, global signal correlation, and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity ] and their corresponding dynamic indicators, (...) such as dynamic ALFF, dynamic fALFF, dynamic ReHo, dynamic DC, dynamic VMHC, and dynamic GSCorr, in 57 patients with unilateral TLE and 42 healthy volunteers were compared. Correlation analyses were also performed between these indicators in areas displaying group differences and cognitive function, epilepsy duration, and severity.ResultsMarked overlap was present among the abnormal brain regions detected using various static and dynamic indicators, primarily including increased ALFF/dALFF/fALFF in the bilateral medial temporal lobe and thalamus, decreased ALFF/dALFF/fALFF in the frontal lobe contralateral to the epileptogenic side, decreased fALFF, ReHo, dReHo, DC, dDC, GSCorr, dGSCorr, and VMHC in the temporal neocortex ipsilateral to the epileptogenic foci, decreased dReHo, dDC, dGSCorr, and dVMHC in the occipital lobe, and increased ALFF, fALFF, dfALFF, ReHo, and DC in the supplementary motor area ipsilateral to the epileptogenic foci. Furthermore, most IBA indicators in the abnormal brain region significantly correlated with the duration of epilepsy and several cognitive scale scores.ConclusionThe combined application of static and dynamic IBA indicators could comprehensively reveal more real abnormal neuronal activity and the impairment and compensatory mechanisms of cognitive function in TLE. Moreover, it might help in the lateralization of epileptogenic foci and exploration of the transmission and inhibition pathways of epileptic activity. (shrink)