The Impact of Servant Leadership on Proactive Service Behavior: a Moderated Mediation Model.

As the implementers of government policies, junior civil servants bear the responsibility of providing services to the public. Whether they can put themselves in the people's shoes and show more active service consciousness directly reflects the government's management ability and the realization of service-oriented government goals. Although proactive service behavior has been studied, it has not been brought into the field of government administration. Hence, from the perspective of servant leadership, this study attempts to introduce proactive service behavior (PSB) into the field of government administration, and discusses the promotion strategies of junior civil servants' PSB in China. Through the statistical analysis of 416 junior civil servants collected in the two stages, this study verifies that servant leadership has a significant positive impact on public service motivation and PSB of junior civil servants. Public service motivation (PSM) can partially mediate the promotion effect of servant leadership on junior civil servants' PSB. Role identity can positively moderate the relationship between servant leadership and junior civil servants' PSM, and then affect their PSB. Therefore, this study suggests that leading cadres should integrate servant leadership into daily life, take the lead in providing quality services to their subordinates, and then inspire more proactive service to the masses.

The positive significance of government-organized nationwide sports events in the post-epidemic era: The impact on citizens' psychological well-being, mindfulness level, and social avoidance distress / La importancia positiva de los eventos deportivos nacionales organizados por el gobierno en la era post-epidemia: el impacto en el bienestar psicológico, el nivel de atención plena y la angustia por evitación social de los ciudadanos

Based on the nationwide sports event "Health Walk" held in Ji'an City, we divided the subjects into sports participation group and non-sports participation group to investigate the differences between the two groups in social avoidance and distress, psychological well-being, and mindfulness level. We also examined the mediating role of mindfulness and social avoidance and distress in whether to participate in sports activities and psychological well-being. In addition, we investigated citizens' approval of the government and their city, and collected basic information about the subjects. We used a 2 (sports participation, non-sports participation) * 2 (high social avoidance and distress, low social avoidance and distress) * 2 (high mindfulness level, low mindfulness level) mixed design. We measured the subjects using Watson's Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, the short version of Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire, the Chinese Short Version of the Five-Dimensional Mindfulness Scale, and general survey questionnaires. SPSS 27.0 and the PROCESS plug-in were used to process and analyze the data through descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, correlation analysis and mediation effect tests. The results showed that there were significant differences in social avoidance, distress, and mindfulness levels in whether to participate in sports activities (ps <0.001). Whether to participate in sports activities and psychological well-being were significantly correlated with mindfulness (t = 0.368, p <0.001; t = 0.250, p <0.01), and were significantly correlated with social avoidance and distress (t = -0.307, p <0.001; t = -0.443, p <0.001). Mindfulness and social avoidance fully mediated the influence of sports participation on psychological well-being (ps <0.001).(AU)

A Moderated Mediation Model of Academic Supervisor Developmental Feedback and Postgraduate Student Creativity: Evidence from China.

Academic supervisors plays a significant role in the cultivation of postgraduate students, but little is known about how academic supervisor feedback affects their creativity. This study hypothesizes and tests a moderated mediation model to explore how and when academic supervisor developmental feedback (ASDF) affects postgraduate student creativity (PSC), including the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation and the moderating effect of creative self-efficacy. After collecting three-wave time-lagged data from 374 postgraduate students and their academic supervisors, SPSS and Amos software were used to test the research hypotheses and the whole model. The results show that ASDF is positively related to intrinsic motivation and PSC. Intrinsic motivation not only has a positive effect on PSC, but it also plays a mediating role in the relationship between ASDF and PSC. Creative self-efficacy plays a moderating role in the relationships between ASDF, intrinsic motivation, and PSC, that is, ASDF can cause postgraduate students with high creative self-efficacy to develop higher levels of intrinsic motivation than those with low creative self-efficacy, which ultimately leads to more PSC. These findings not only enrich the literature on feedback, motivation, and creativity research in the field of education, but also provide some suggestions for promoting PSC from the perspective of universities, academic supervisors, and postgraduate students.

Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of eight sika deer subspecies in northeast Asia.

Sika deer (Cervus nippon) are large ruminants distributed throughout northeastern Asia. The phylogenetic relationship of the sika deer subspecies remains unclear. The complete mitochondrial genomes of 287 sika deer from eight subspecies (C. n. hortulorum, C. n. sichuanicus, C. n. kopschi, C. n. taiouanus, C. n. yesoensis, C. n. centralis, C. n. nippon and C. n. yakushimae) were obtained. Haplotype network and development of a phylogenetic tree revealed China clusters and Japan clusters that were well separated based on the mitochondrial whole-genome level. Our studies indicate that China sika deer are genetically distinguishable from Japanese samples. Our findings increase the understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of sika deer and could provide useful information for sika deer conservation projects as well as for sika deer genomics, emergence and geographical distribution.

TisB Protein Protects Escherichia coli Cells Suffering Massive DNA Damage from Environmental Toxic Compounds.

Toxin-antitoxin systems are genetic elements that are widespread in prokaryotes. Although molecular mode of action of many of these toxins has been identified, their biological functions are mostly unknown. We investigated the functional integration of the TisB/IstR toxin-antitoxin system in the Escherichia coli SOS genotoxic stress response network. We showed that the tisB gene is induced in cells exposed to high doses of the genotoxic antibiotic trimethoprim. However, we also found that TisB contributes to trimethoprim-induced lethality. This is a consequence of the TisB-induced drop in the proton motive force (PMF), which results in blocking the thymine import and therefore the functioning of the pyrimidine salvage pathway. Conversely, a TisB-induced PMF drop protects cells by preventing the import of some other toxic compounds, like the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin and colicin M, in the SOS-induced cells. Colicins are cytotoxic molecules produced by Enterobacterales when they are exposed to strong genotoxic stresses in order to compete with other microbiota members. We indeed found that TisB contributes to E. coli's fitness during mouse gut colonization. Based on the results obtained here, we propose that the primary biological role of the TisB toxin is to increase the probability of survival and maintenance in the mammalian gut of their bacterial hosts when they have to simultaneously deal with massive DNA damages and a fierce chemical warfare with other microbiota members. IMPORTANCE The contribution of toxin-antitoxin systems to the persistence of bacteria to antibiotics has been intensively studied. This is also the case with the E. coli TisB/IstR toxin-antitoxin system, but the contribution of TisB to the persistence to antibiotics turned out to be not as straightforward as anticipated. In this study, we show that TisB can decrease, but also increase, cytotoxicity of different antibiotics. This inconsistency has a common origin, i.e., TisB-induced collapse of the PMF, which impacts the import and the action of different antibiotics. By taking into account the natural habitat of TisB bacterial hosts, the facts that this toxin-antitoxin system is integrated into the genotoxic stress response regulon SOS and that both SOS regulon and TisB are required for E. coli to colonize the host intestine, and the phenotypic consequences of the collapse of the PMF, we propose that TisB protects its hosts from cytotoxic molecules produced by competing intestinal bacteria.

Mechanical/Electrical Characterization of ZnO Nanomaterial Based on AFM/Nanomanipulator Embedded in SEM.

ZnO nanomaterials have been widely used in micro/nano devices and structure due to special mechanical/electrical properties, and its characterization is still deficient and challenging. In this paper, ZnO nanomaterials, including nanorod and nanowire are characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM) and nanomanipulator embedded in scanning electron microscope (SEM) respectively, which can manipulate and observe simultaneously, and is efficient and cost effective. Surface morphology and mechanical properties were observed by AFM. Results showed that the average Young's modulus of ZnO nanorods is 1.40 MPa and the average spring rate is 0.08 N/m. Electrical properties were characterized with nanomanipulator, which showed that the ZnO nanomaterial have cut-off characteristics and good schottky contact with the tungsten probes. A two-probe strategy was proposed for piezoelectric property measurement, which is easy to operate and adaptable to multiple nanomaterials. Experiments showed maximum voltage of a single ZnO nanowire is around 0.74 mV. Experiment criteria for ZnO manipulation and characterization were also studied, such as acceleration voltage, operation duration, sample preparation. Our work provides useful references for nanomaterial characterization and also theoretical basis for nanomaterials application.

Different Effects of Supervisor Positive and Negative Feedback on Subordinate In-Role and Extra-Role Performance: The Moderating Role of Regulatory Focus.

As an important tool for supervisors to intervene subordinates' work and influence their performance, supervisor feedback has gradually become a new academic research hotspot. In this study, we build and verify a theoretical model to explore the different effects of supervisor positive and negative feedback on subordinate in-role and extra-role performance, and the moderating role of regulatory focus in these relationships. With data from pairing samples of 403 Chinese employees and their direct supervisors, the results indicate that supervisor positive feedback is positively related to subordinate in-role and extra-role performance. Supervisor negative feedback is positively related to subordinate in-role performance and negatively related to subordinate extra-role performance. Regulatory focus of subordinate can moderate the influence of supervisor positive feedback on subordinate in-role and extra-role performance, but it cannot moderate the influence of supervisor negative feedback on subordinate in-role and extra-role performance. That means when subordinates have promotion focus, the influence of supervisor positive feedback on their in-role performance and extra-role performance was stronger than those with prevention focus. These results further enrich the research on the relationship between supervisor feedback and subordinate performance, especially the different effects of positive and negative feedback from supervisor on subordinate with different regulatory focus. All conclusions from the analyses above not only further verify and develop some previous points on supervisor feedback and subordinate performance, but also derive certain management implications for promoting subordinate in-role and extra-role performance from the perspective of supervisor positive and negative feedback.

Linking Leader Humor to Employee Innovative Behavior: The Roles of Work Engagement and Supervisor's Organizational Embodiment.

The influence of leader humor on employee innovative behavior has been attracting increasingly more attention from various scholars and enterprises. Based on previous relevant literatures in the fields of humor, leadership, and innovation, this study proposes and verifies a model to examine the internal mechanism and boundary condition of the relationship between leader humor, work engagement, supervisor's organizational embodiment, and employee innovative behavior. Specifically, this study introduces work engagement as a mediator in the relationship between leader humor and employee innovative behavior, and supervisor's organizational embodiment as a moderator in the relationship between leader humor and work engagement. Then, this study conducts two separate questionnaire surveys on Chinese employees and their direct supervisors at two different times to collect the sample data. In total, 383 supervisor-subordinate dyads were collected. The results suggest that leader humor can promote employee innovative behavior. Work engagement can partly mediate the influence of leader humor on employee innovative behavior. Supervisor's organizational embodiment of employee can positively moderate the influence of leader humor on work engagement, which in turn ultimately should account for positive increases of employee innovative behavior. The conclusions from the analyses above not only further verify and develop some previous points on leader humor and employee innovation but also derive certain management implications for promoting employee innovative behavior from the perspective of leader humor.

Interactive Manipulation of Nonconductive Microparticles in Scanning Electron Microscope by a Virtual Nano-hand Strategy.

Micro/nano-manipulation is the fabrication of particular constructs on devices at the micro/nano-scale. Precise manipulation of microparticles is one of the key technological difficulties in manufacturing micro/nano-scale components. Based on scanning electron microscopy and nanomanipulator, this paper adopts a direct push method to operate randomly distributed microparticles into ordered structures. A two-probe interaction strategy is proposed to enable microparticle movements in all directions efficiently and avoid scratching the substrate surface. To overcome the uncertainties in micromanipulation, a virtual nano-hand strategy was also implemented: long-range advance of each microparticle is realized by multiple single-step pushes, whose trajectory is theoretically analyzed. The pushes are well programmed to imitate effects of a more powerful and determined hand. Experimental results show that the theoretical single-step motion trajectory is in line with actual operation, and the proposed strategy can ensure precise operation of the microparticles in all directions and improve reliability and effectiveness of operation.

The Influence of Supervisor Developmental Feedback on Employee Innovative Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Previous scholars have recognized the critical role of supervisors in stimulating employee innovative behavior, although it is still unclear whether and how supervisor developmental feedback impacts employee innovative behavior. To resolve this issue, the present study develops and verifies a moderated mediation model to explore the positive influence of supervisor developmental feedback on employee innovative behavior via creative self-efficacy, as well as the moderating role of a supervisor's organizational embodiment in this process. Analyses of the multi-time data from 375 employees indicate that supervisor developmental feedback is positively associated with employee innovative behavior via his/her creative self-efficacy. Moreover, a supervisor's organizational embodiment moderates the influence of supervisor developmental feedback on employee creative self-efficacy and the mediating role of creative self-efficacy. From these analyses, the present study not only further develops several views of pervious research in the field of supervisor feedback and employee innovation, but also provides a potential managerial way to promote employee innovative behavior from the perspective of supervisor feedback.

Genome-wide study on genetic diversity and phylogeny of five species in the genus Cervus.

BACKGROUND: Previous investigations of phylogeny in Cervus recovered many clades without whole genomic support. METHODS: In this study, the genetic diversity and phylogeny of 5 species (21 subspecies/populations from C. unicolor, C. albirostris, C. nippon, C. elaphus and C. eldii) in the genus Cervus were analyzed using reduced-representation genome sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 197,543 SNPs were identified with an average sequencing depth of 16 x. A total of 21 SNP matrices for each subspecies/population and 1 matrix for individual analysis were constructed, respectively. Nucleotide diversity and heterozygosity analysis showed that all 21 subspecies/populations had different degrees of genetic diversity. C. eldii, C. unicolor and C. albirostris showed relatively high expected and observed heterozygosity, while observed heterozygosity in C. nippon was the lowest, indicating there was a certain degree of inbreeding rate in these subspecies/populations. Phylogenetic ML tree of all Cervus based on the 21 SNP matrices showed 5 robustly supported clades that clearly separate C. eldii, C. unicolor, C. albirostris, C. elaphus and C. nippon. Within C. elaphus clade, 4 subclades were well differentiated and statistically highly supported: C. elaphus (New Zealand), C. e. yarkandensis, C. c. canadensis and the other grouping the rest of C. canadensis from China. In the C. nippon clade, 2 well-distinct subclades corresponding to C. n. aplodontus and other C. nippon populations were separated. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the first evolutionary event of the genus Cervus occurred approximately 7.4 millions of years ago. The split between C. elaphus and C. nippon could be estimated at around 3.6 millions of years ago. Phylogenetic ML tree of all samples based on individual SNP matrices, together with geographic distribution, have shown that there were 3 major subclades of C. elaphus and C. canadensis in China, namely C. e. yarkandensis (distributed in Tarim Basin), C. c. macneilli/C. c. kansuensis/C. c. alashanicus (distributed in middle west of China), and C. c. songaricus/C. c. sibiricus (distributed in northwest of China). Among them, C. e. yarkandensis was molecularly the most primitive subclade, with a differentiation dating back to 0.8-2.2 Myr ago. D statistical analysis showed that there was high probability of interspecific gene exchange between C. albirostris and C. eldii, C. albirostris and C. unicolor, C. nippon and C. unicolor, and there might be 2 migration events among 5 species in the genus Cervus. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provided new insight to the genetic diversity and phylogeny of Cervus deer. In view of the current status of these populations, their conservation category will need to be reassessed.

Maladaptive DNA repair is the ultimate contributor to the death of trimethoprim-treated cells under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

The bactericidal effects of antibiotics are undoubtedly triggered by target-specific interactions, but there is growing evidence that an important aspect of cytotoxicity results from treatment-induced metabolic perturbations. In this study, we characterized molecular mechanisms whereby trimethoprim treatment results in cell death, using Escherichia coli as the model organism. E. coli cells grown in rich medium that contained all amino acids and low amounts of thymidine were treated with trimethoprim under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Under these growth conditions, accelerated thymine depletion is the primary trigger of the processes leading to cell death. Thymine depletion-induced DNA replication stress leads to the production of reactive oxygen species under aerobic conditions and of the DNA-damaging byproducts of nitrate respiration under anaerobic conditions. Lowering the DNA replication initiation rate by introducing the dnaA(Sx) allele or by overexpressing Hda protein reduces the number of active replication forks, which reduces the consumption of thymidine and increases resistance to trimethoprim under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Analysis of the involvement of DNA repair enzymes in trimethoprim-induced cytotoxicity clearly indicates that different amounts and/or different types of DNA lesions are produced in the presence or absence of oxygen. Maladaptive processing of the DNA damage by DNA repair enzymes, in particular by MutM and MutY DNA glycosylases, ultimately contributes to cell death.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of northeastern sika deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the northeastern sika deer, Cervus nippon hortulorum, was determined by accurate polymerase chain reaction. The entire genome is 16,434 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region, all of which are arranged in a typical vertebrate manner. The overall base composition of the northeastern sika deer's mitochondrial genome is 33.3% of A, 24.5% of C, 28.7% of T and 13.5% of G. A termination associated sequence and several conserved central sequence block domains were discovered within the control region.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of northeastern red deer (Cervus elaphus xanthopygus).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the northeastern red deer, Cervus elaphus xanthopygus, was determined by accurate polymerase chain reaction. The entire genome is 16,416 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region, all of which are arranged in a typical vertebrate manner. The overall base composition of the northeastern red deer's mitochondrial genome is 33.3% of A, 24.3% of C, 28.9% of T and 13.5% of G. A termination-associated sequence and several conserved central sequence block domains were discovered within the control region.

Structure-performance correlations of organic dyes with an electron-deficient diphenylquinoxaline moiety for dye-sensitized solar cells.

The high performances of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on seven new dyes are disclosed. Herein, the synthesis and electrochemical and photophysical properties of a series of intentionally designed dipolar organic dyes and their application in DSSCs are reported. The molecular structures of the seven organic dyes are composed of a triphenylamine group as an electron donor, a cyanoacrylic acid as an electron acceptor, and an electron-deficient diphenylquinoxaline moiety integrated in the π-conjugated spacer between the electron donor and acceptor moieties. The DSSCs based on the dye DJ104 gave the best overall cell performance of 8.06 %; the efficiency of the DSSC based on the standard N719 dye under the same experimental conditions was 8.82 %. The spectral coverage of incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies extends to the onset at the near-infrared region due to strong internal charge-transfer transition as well as the effect of electron-deficient diphenylquinoxaline to lower the energy gap in these organic dyes. A combined tetraphenyl segment as a hydrophobic barrier in these organic dyes effectively slows down the charge recombination from TiO2 to the electrolyte and boosts the photovoltage, comparable to their Ru(II) counterparts. Detailed spectroscopic studies have revealed the dye structure-cell performance correlations, to allow future design of efficient light-harvesting organic dyes.