Exploring the mediating effect of creativity on the relationship between family capital and academic achievement in geography.

This study examined the relationship between family capital (FC) and academic achievement in geography along with the mediating role of creativity. The main objective was to determine if FC is a positive predictor of creativity and geographic achievement, and whether creativity completely or partially mediates the relationship between FC and geographic achievement. 1268 high school students participated in this study using the Family Capital Questionnaire (FCQ), the Innovative Behavior Scale (IBS), and students' class geography scores. SPSS 26 and Amos software were used to analyze the descriptive statistics and the correlation between the main variables. The mediating role of creativity was tested using PROCESS version 4. The correlation analyses showed that FC positively affected academic achievement in geography (ß = 0.382, SE = 0.019). Creativity also demonstrated a positive effect on geography academic achievement (ß = 0.376, SE = 0.022). The mediation analysis showed that creativity mediated and buffered the relationship between FC and academic achievement in geography. Thus, FC directly affected students' academic achievement in geography and indirectly affected their creativity. This clearly demonstrates that student characteristics and the external environment should be emphasized in geography education, while placing a strong focus on cultivating individual creativity.

Stimulating creativity in the classroom: examining the impact of sense of place on students' creativity and the mediating effect of classmate relationships.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have found a close relationship between sense of place and creativity, few studies have been conducted considering the micro-environment of the classroom. The mediating role of classmate relationships in the association between students' sense of place and creativity remains unclear. METHODS: This study explores classmate relationships as a mediating factor in the relationship between sense of place and creativity. Therefore, we considered a sample of 1555 Chinese high-school students and used a paper-based questionnaire survey. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0, PROCESS 3.2 plugin, and AMOS. RESULTS: Sense of place in the micro-environment of the classroom has a significant positive predictive effect on creativity. Sense of place also has a significant positive predictive effect on peer relationships. The mediation analysis reveals that peer relationships play a mediating role in the relationship between the sense of place and creativity. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the associations between sense of place, classmate relationships, and creativity. Creativity is better expressed in students with a strong sense of place in the classroom. Moreover, a student's sense of place can enhance their creativity by influencing their peer relationships. These findings enrich the research in educational psychology within the classroom, providing new insights for fostering creativity.

The Association Between Group Identity and Post-Traumatic Growth in the Post COVID-19 Era: The Mediating Effect of Social-Emotional Competence.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of human-society relationships on individual post-traumatic growth (PTG) in the post COVID-19 era, this study examined the association between group identity (GI) and PTG, and explored the mediating role of social-emotional competence (SEC). Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 1203 high school students in an eastern region of China using the GI Scale, the SEC Scale, and the PTG Scale. We conducted correlation and mediation analyses using SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS software. Results: The results indicated that GI was a significant positive predictor of PTG (ß=0.219, p<0.001), and that the pathway between GI and PTG was partially mediated by SEC (Effect=0.074, 95% CI= [0.045,0.104]). Conclusion: GI can have both direct and indirect effects on PTG, with the latter mediated by SEC. These findings hold important theoretical and practical implications for promoting PTG and enhancing mental health in the post COVID-19 era.

The mediating effect of geospatial thinking on the relationship between family capital and sense of place.

Few studies have examined how family capital affects the sense of place, and the effect of spatial thinking on the relationship between the two is unclear. This study constructs a mediation model to examine the impact of family capital on sense of place and the mediation effect of geospatial thinking. A total of 1,004 upper-secondary-school students were surveyed using the Family Capital Questionnaire, the Geospatial Thinking Test, and the Sense of Place Scale. The correlation analysis showed that family capital has a positive effect on both sense of place and geospatial thinking. Moreover, there is also a significant positive correlation between geospatial thinking and sense of place. The results of mediation analysis indicated that geospatial thinking plays mediating and buffering roles in the relationship between family capital and sense of place after controlling for gender and residential address. The direct and indirect effects accounted for 73.31 and 26.69% of the total effect, respectively. Specifically, family capital is a significant positive predictor of both sense of place and geospatial thinking, and geospatial thinking partially mediates the relationship between family capital and sense of place. Students from better family backgrounds are more likely to have a better geospatial thinking and sense of place, as well as geospatial thinking promotes the development of a sense of place. Therefore, both family capital and geospatial thinking should be considered when we want to examine and develop individuals' level of sense of place.

The Mediating and Buffering Effect of Creativity on the Relationship Between Sense of Place and Academic Achievement in Geography.

Purpose: This study explored the relationship between sense of place and academic achievement in geography and used a mediation model to verify the mediating role of creativity in this relationship. Methods: A total of 1,037 upper secondary school students were surveyed using the Sense of Place Scale, the Innovative Behavior Scale, and their geography test scores. SPSS (version 26.0) was used for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis. The PROCESS plug-in (version 4.0) was used to test the mediating effect of creativity. Results: (1) The correlation analysis showed that sense of place has a positive effect on academic achievement in geography and is related to creativity. Moreover, creativity exerts a positive effect on academic achievement in geography (2). The results of mediation analysis indicated that creativity plays mediating and buffering roles in the relationship between sense of place and academic achievement in geography after controlling for gender and residential address. The direct and indirect effects accounted for 65.708 and 34.292% of the total effect, respectively. Conclusions: The results indicated that sense of place affected not only academic achievement in geography directly but also creativity indirectly. This conclusion provides certain ideas for the development of geography curriculums. Since academic achievement in geography is related to both sense of place and creativity, it is necessary to pay more attention to integrating sense of place in geography education and to foster creativity in curriculum development and teaching of geography.

Correlation between Acylcarnitine and Peripheral Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), it is unknown whether acylcarnitine changes in the patient's plasma as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) occurs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between acylcarnitines and DPN in Chinese patients with T2DM. METHODS: A total of 508 patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University were included in this study, and all of whom were hospitalized for T2DM from January 2018 to December 2020. The diagnostic criteria for DPN were based on the 2017 Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. The contents of 25 acylcarnitine metabolites in fasting blood were determined by mass spectrometry. The measured acylcarnitines were classified by factor analysis, and the factors were extracted. To determine the correlation between acylcarnitines and DPN, binary logistic regression analysis was applied. RESULTS: Among the 508 T2DM patients, 270 had DPN. Six factors were extracted from 25 acylcarnitines, and the cumulative contribution rate of variance was 61.02%. After the adjustment for other potential confounding factors, such as other carnitines and conventional risk factors, Factor 2 was positively associated with an increased risk of DPN (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.13-1.69). Factor 2 contained acetylcarnitine (C2), propionylcarnitine (C3), butylcarnitine (C4), and isovalerylcarnitine (C5). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma levels of short-chain acylcarnitines (C2, C3, C4, and C5) were positively associated with DPN risk.

Curcumin Conjugated Gold Nanoclusters as Perspective Therapeutics for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Accumulation of lipids in the myocardium contributes to the development of cardiac dysfunctions and various chronic diseases, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Curcumin (Cur) can relieve lipid accumulation problems, but its efficiency is limited by poor water solubility and biocompatibility. Herein, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) were used to improve the efficiency of Cur, and the conjugates Curcumin-AuNCs (AuCur) were developed. In the treatment of high-fat-induced myocardial cell damage, we found that AuCur could effectively reduce intracellular lipid accumulation, the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the increase of mitochondrial division, and the increase of apoptosis compared with Cur. AuCur decreased the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-α subtype (PPARα), and the therapeutic effect of AuCur was canceled when the expression of PPARα was enhanced. For the above reasons, AuCur treated the toxic effect of high lipid on cardiomyocytes by regulating PPARα, providing a new idea and method for the treatment of DCM.

Medium & long-chain acylcarnitine's relation to lipid metabolism as potential predictors for diabetic cardiomyopathy: a metabolomic study.

BACKGROUND: Acylcarnitine is an intermediate product of fatty acid oxidation. It is reported to be closely associated with the occurrence of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the mechanism of acylcarnitine affecting myocardial disorders is yet to be explored. This current research explores the different chain lengths of acylcarnitines as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of DCM and the mechanism of acylcarnitines for the development of DCM in-vitro. METHODS: In a retrospective non-interventional study, 50 simple type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 50 DCM patients were recruited. Plasma samples from both groups were analyzed by high throughput metabolomics and cluster heat map using mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis was used to compare the changes occurring in the studied 25 acylcarnitines. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to analyze the odds ratio of each group for factors and the 95% confidence interval in DCM. Myristoylcarnitine (C14) exogenous intervention was given to H9c2 cells to verify the expression of lipid metabolism-related protein, inflammation-related protein expression, apoptosis-related protein expression, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis-related protein expression. RESULTS: Factor 1 (C14, lauroylcarnitine, tetradecanoyldiacylcarnitine, 3-hydroxyl-tetradecanoylcarnitine, arachidic carnitine, octadecanoylcarnitine, 3-hydroxypalmitoleylcarnitine) and factor 4 (octanoylcarnitine, hexanoylcarnitine, decanoylcarnitine) were positively correlated with the risk of DCM. Exogenous C14 supplementation to cardiomyocytes led to increased lipid deposition in cardiomyocytes along with the obstacles in adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways and affecting fatty acid oxidation. This further caused myocardial lipotoxicity, ultimately leading to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrotic remodeling, and increased apoptosis. However, this effect was mitigated by the AMPK agonist acadesine. CONCLUSIONS: The increased plasma levels in medium and long-chain acylcarnitine extracted from factors 1 and 4 are closely related to the risk of DCM, indicating that these factors can be an important tool for DCM risk assessment. C14 supplementation associated lipid accumulation by inhibiting the AMPK/ACC/CPT1 signaling pathway, aggravated myocardial lipotoxicity, increased apoptosis apart from cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis were alleviated by the acadesine.