Effect of empowering leadership on employees' workplace loneliness: a moderated mediation model.

Background: Workplace loneliness has become a prevalent experience among employees in organizations; however, there is limited empirical research on how leaders can address and mitigate this issue. Drawing upon self-determination theory and empowering leadership theory, this study examines the impact of empowering leadership on workplace loneliness by exploring the mediator of role breadth self-efficacy and the moderator of leader-member conversational quality. Methods: A time-lagged research design was used, collecting data through a two-wave online survey involving 531 employees in Chinese public sectors. The participants consisted of 321 males and 210 females, with an average age of 35 years (SD = 7.36). Results: Our findings indicate that empowering leadership positively influences employees' role breadth self-efficacy, reducing their workplace loneliness. Moreover, leader-member conversational quality strengthens this indirect effect, suggesting that empowering leadership is more effective in reducing workplace loneliness when leader-member conversational quality is high. Conclusion: This study expands and enriches research on the antecedents of workplace loneliness from the leadership approach, providing valuable insights for organizations to implement interventions that effectively alleviate employees' workplace loneliness.

Linking undergraduates' future work self and employability: a moderated mediation model.

BACKGROUND: The career intentions of students play a crucial role in shaping the growth of the hospitality and tourism industry. Previous research underlines the significance of future work self in predicting outcomes related to one's career. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the precise ways, timing, and conditions under which the future work self of undergraduate students can enhance their employability. METHODS: This paper aims to address the existing research gap by employing career construction theory and self-determination theory to propose a moderated mediation model-i.e., career exploration serves as a mediator and job market knowledge functions as a moderator in the relationship between future work self and employability. We conducted two independent studies (i.e., an experimental study and a time-lagged field study) to test the proposed model. Specifically, in Study 1 we employed an experimental research design to recruit 61 students majoring in tourism management to participate. They were randomly assigned to two scenarios (future work self: high vs. low), and we manipulated different levels of future work self by means of scenario descriptions. In Study 2, we used the time-lagged research design to collect data via submitting questionnaires among 253 Chinese undergraduates who majored in hospitality and tourism at a university in the middle area of China. RESULTS: The results indicate a positive correlation between undergraduates' future work self and their employability. Furthermore, this relationship is mediated by a mediator of career exploration. It is important to note that this mediating relationship is also contingent upon the moderator variable of undergraduates' job market knowledge when considering the impact of career exploration on employability. CONCLUSION: The findings contribute to enriching the current understanding of the positive effects of future work self on undergraduates' desirable outcomes in employability.

The Antagonistic Action of Abscisic Acid and Cytokinin Signaling Mediates Drought Stress Response in Arabidopsis.

As sessile organisms, plants encounter a variety of environmental stresses and must optimize their growth for survival. Abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinin antagonistically regulate many developmental processes and environmental stress responses in plants. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this antagonism remains poorly defined. In this study, we demonstrated that Sucrose nonfermenting1-related kinases SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, and SnRK2.6, the key kinases of the ABA signaling pathway, directly interact with and phosphorylate type-A response regulator 5 (ARR5), a negative regulator of cytokinin signaling. The phosphorylation of ARR5 Ser residues by SnRK2s enhanced ARR5 protein stability. Accordingly, plants overexpressing ARR5 showed ABA hypersensitivity and drought tolerance, and these phenotypes could not be recapitulated by overexpressing a non-phosphorylated ARR5 mimic. Moreover, the type-B ARRs, ARR1, ARR11 and ARR12, physically interacted with SnRK2s and repressed the kinase activity of SnRK2.6. The arr1,11,12 triple mutant exhibited hypersensitivity to ABA. Genetic analysis demonstrated that SnRK2s act upstream of ARR5 but downstream of ARR1, ARR11 and ARR12 in mediating ABA response and drought tolerance. Taken together, this study unravels the antagonistic actions of several molecular components of the ABA and cytokinin signaling pathways in mediates drought stress response, providing significant insights into how plants coordinate growth and drought stress response by integrating multiple hormone pathways.

Dose-dependent inhibition of gastric injury by hydrogen in alkaline electrolyzed drinking water.

BACKGROUND: Hydrogen has been reported to relieve damage in many disease models, and is a potential additive in drinking water to provide protective effects for patients as several clinical studies revealed. However, the absence of a dose-response relationship in the application of hydrogen is puzzling. We attempted to identify the dose-response relationship of hydrogen in alkaline electrolyzed drinking water through the aspirin induced gastric injury model. METHODS: In this study, hydrogen-rich alkaline water was obtained by adding H2 to electrolyzed water at one atmosphere pressure. After 2 weeks of drinking, we detected the gastric mucosal damage together with MPO, MDA and 8-OHdG in rat aspirin induced gastric injury model. RESULTS: Hydrogen-dose dependent inhibition was observed in stomach mucosal. Under pH 8.5, 0.07, 0.22 and 0.84 ppm hydrogen exhibited a high correlation with inhibitory effects showed by erosion area, MPO activity and MDA content in the stomach. Gastric histology also demonstrated the inhibition of damage by hydrogen-rich alkaline water. However, 8-OHdG level in serum did not have significant hydrogen-dose dependent effect. pH 9.5 showed higher but not significant inhibitory response compared with pH 8.5. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrogen is effective in relieving the gastric injury induced by aspirin-HCl, and the inhibitory effect is dose-dependent. The reason behind this may be that hydrogen-rich water directly interacted with the target tissue, while the hydrogen concentration in blood was buffered by liver glycogen, evoking a suppressed dose-response effect. Drinking hydrogen-rich water may protect healthy individuals from gastric damage caused by oxidative stress.

Ethylene signaling negatively regulates freezing tolerance by repressing expression of CBF and type-A ARR genes in Arabidopsis.

The phytohormone ethylene regulates multiple aspects of plant growth and development and responses to environmental stress. However, the exact role of ethylene in freezing stress remains unclear. Here, we report that ethylene negatively regulates plant responses to freezing stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Freezing tolerance was decreased in ethylene overproducer1 and by the application of the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid but increased by the addition of the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinyl glycine or the perception antagonist Ag+. Furthermore, ethylene-insensitive mutants, including etr1-1, ein4-1, ein2-5, ein3-1, and ein3 eil1, displayed enhanced freezing tolerance. By contrast, the constitutive ethylene response mutant ctr1-1 and EIN3-overexpressing plants exhibited reduced freezing tolerance. Genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that EIN3 negatively regulates the expression of CBFs and type-A Arabidopsis response regulator5 (ARR5), ARR7, and ARR15 by binding to specific elements in their promoters. Overexpression of these ARR genes enhanced the freezing tolerance of plants. Thus, our study demonstrates that ethylene negatively regulates cold signaling at least partially through the direct transcriptional control of cold-regulated CBFs and type-A ARR genes by EIN3. Our study also provides evidence that type-A ARRs function as key nodes to integrate ethylene and cytokinin signaling in regulation of plant responses to environmental stress.

Cadmium uptake, translocation, and tolerance in AHA1OX Arabidopsis thaliana.

Information on cadmium (Cd) uptake and transport is essential to understand better the physiology of Cd tolerance in plants. In this study, Cd uptake, translocation, and tolerance were investigated in AHA1 (Arabidopsis plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase gene) overexpressed plants. Exposed to 10 µM CdCl(2), AHA1OX showed a higher root elongation, accumulated more Cd, and maintained better integrity of nucleus membrane of root tips in comparison to the control plant (WT), suggesting that AHA1OX was more Cd tolerant than WT. To investigate Cd tolerance mechanism of AHA1OX plants, we measured the activity of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase and the secretion of citrate. Results indicated that treatment with 10 µM of Cd stimulated the activity of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase and the secretion of citrate, while 30 µM of Cd inhibited them. AHA1OX had higher activity of H(+)-ATPase and secretion of citrate than WT. Addition of citrate enhanced root-to-shoot translocation of Cd significantly. A higher root-to-shoot Cd translocation was observed in AHA1OX than in WT plants. Treatment with low temperature or metabolic inhibitor (carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone) inhibited Cd uptake and translocation. The study of Cd forms using sequential extraction indicated that Cd was mainly present as a protein-bound form, and AHA1OX had more water-soluble Cd than WT. Taken together, our results suggested that the Cd tolerance of AHA1OX was associated with its root-to-shoot Cd translocation and secretion of citrate, which converts Cd(2+) into less toxic and more easily transportable forms in plant cells.

Development of a gold nanoparticles based chemiluminescence imaging assay and its application.

In this paper, a novel gold nanoparticles based protein immobilization method was designed. Biocomposites of gold nanoparticles and proteins were successfully coated on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) plates and polystyrene microtiter plates. The proteins could be immobilized on solid materials with high density and better bioactivity. Based on above design, chemiluminescence (CL) imaging assay for determination of H(2)O(2) and recombinant human interleukin-6 (rHu IL-6) was developed. The linear range and the loading capability were greatly improved when compared with imaging assay performed with direct proteins immobilization. Under the selected experimental conditions, a linear relationship was obtained between the CL intensity and the concentration of H(2)O(2) in the range of 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-4) mol L(-1), and rHu IL-6 in the range of 2.0-312.0 pg mL(-1). The detection limits were 2 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) (3sigma) for H(2)O(2) and 0.5 pg mL(-1) for rHu IL-6 with relative standard deviation of 3.8% for 3.0 x 10(-5) mol L(-1) H(2)O(2), and 4.4% for 39.0 pg mL(-1) rHu IL-6. This method has been applied to the determination of rHu IL-6 in human serum with satisfactory results.

Chemiluminescent imaging analysis of interferon alpha in serum samples.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed fluorescent reaction, and oxalate chemiluminescence imaging analysis have been combined to develop a sensitive, simple, and rapid method for analysis of interferon alpha (alpha-IFN) in human serum samples. A typical "sandwich type" immunoassay was used. Reaction of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), catalyzed by HRP, produced 2,3-diaminophenazine (PDA), which was detected by chemiluminescence imaging analysis with the bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO)-H(2)O(2)-glyoxaline-PDA chemiluminescent system. The TCPO chemiluminescent imaging system is more sensitive and the chemiluminescence quantum yield is at least five times higher than for the luminol-H(2)O(2)-HRP-PIP (p-iodophenol) chemiluminescent imaging system. The results showed there was a very good linear correlation between response and amount of alpha-IFN in the range 1.3-156.0 pg mL(-1) (R = 0.9991) and the detection limit was 0.8 pg mL(-1) (S/N=3). The relative standard deviation (n = 9) was 4.7%. The proposed method has been used for successful analysis of the amount of alpha-IFN in human serum. The results obtained compared well with those obtained by conventional colorimetric ELISA and luminol chemiluminescent ELISA.

The study of a chemiluminescence immunoassay using the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescent reaction and its application.

The paper presented a novel chemiluminescence (CL) immunoassay method, which combines the advantages of traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and bis (2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO)-hydrogen peroxide CL detection system. A fluorescent product 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAPN) was produced by reaction between o-phenylenediamine (OPDA, 1,2-diaminobenzene) and H(2)O(2) catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). DAPN was excited by the reactive intermediate of TCPO-H(2)O(2) chemiluminescent reaction, and led to CL. The dependence of the CL intensity on the concentrations of antigen was studied. As analytical application, the proposed method was used for determination of recombinant human interleukin 6 (rHu IL-6) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG). Under the selected experimental conditions, a linear relationship was obtained between the CL intensity and the concentration of rHu IL-6 in the range of 4.0-625.0pg/ml, and beta-HCG in the range of 12.5-400.0mIU/ml. The detection limits were 0.5pg/ml for rHu IL-6 and 3mIU/ml for beta-HCG with relative standard deviation of 2.3 for 78.0pg/ml rHu IL-6, and 3.9 for 50.0mIU/ml beta-HCG. This method has been applied to the determination of rHu IL-6 in human serum and beta-HCG in urine with satisfactory results.