Northern College

Sphallerocarpus gracilis (SG) is a medicinal and edible plant in China with high nutritional value. In the present study, the synergistic effect of crude Sphallerocarpus gracilis polysaccharides (CSGP) and specific probiotics on the intestinal flora and its immune-related metabolites in rats was investigated. Probiotic fermented milk supplemented with 5-15 g L-1 CSGP (YSGP) was prepared. Following a 60-day feeding experiment conducted on Wistar rats, the levels of inflammatory factors in the serum were measured, and the contents of intestinal metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, indole, 3-methylindole and hydrogen sulfide, were assessed. Additionally, the changes in the fecal microbiota were analyzed using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The results demonstrated that YSGP containing ≥10 g L-1 CSGP significantly modulated the intestinal flora by increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Prevotella and Turiubacter, at the same time as reducing the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Ruminococcaceae and Dorea (P < 0.05). The levels of short-chain fatty acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid and valeric acid), indole derivatives and serum cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and IL-1β] in rats were also enhanced after YSGP consumption (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between CSGP, beneficial microbial abundance, intestinal metabolites and cytokine levels. These findings demonstrate the prebiotic capacity of CSGP to synergize with probiotics in regulating intestinal microecology and immunity, highlighting its potential application in functional fermented dairy products. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study aimed to investigate the roles and mechanisms of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in the drug resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae, focusing on its regulation of the aminoglycoside resistance methylase (armA) and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. A549 cells were infected with drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and treated with meropenem. TRAIL overexpression and knockdown were performed using plasmids and small interfering RNA, respectively. Cell viability, apoptosis, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were assessed. The mRNA expression of armA was examined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression of key proteins in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was evaluated using western blots. Drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection reduced A549 cell viability, promoted apoptosis, and increased TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels. Meropenem treatment failed to reverse these effects, confirming the drug resistance. TRAIL overexpression exacerbated Klebsiella pneumoniae infection-induced viability inhibition, apoptosis, and inflammation, suggesting that TRAIL enhances the drug resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae. In contrast, TRAIL knockdown showed the opposite results. TRAIL overexpression upregulated armA expression and activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, but armA inhibition reversed TRAIL-mediated drug resistance and PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation. TRAIL-mediated armA upregulation enhanced the drug resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. These findings provide new insight into the drug resistance mechanisms of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Scalp acupuncture is a therapeutic procedure that involves inserting needles into the scalp to treat various medical conditions, including pain and neurological and psychological disorders. The inter-system variability of scalp acupuncture limits secondary analysis and evidence synthesis, delaying its inclusion into evidence-based healthcare policies and establishment as a treatment intervention recognized by Western medicine. This scoping review aimed to identify the range of scalp acupuncture systems, systematically collect and summarize information on their general, anatomical, and clinical characteristics, and build a framework for understanding scalp acupuncture systems. This review included all English-language publications on scalp acupuncture applied to treat any health condition in humans. Extensive searches were conducted across bibliographic databases, journals, trial registries, and supplementary sources. The detailed general, anatomical, and clinical application characteristics of 19 scalp acupuncture systems were extracted. Data were collected and analyzed using charting and image manipulation software. Framework synthesis was performed using the Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature Scalp Acupuncture as an a priori framework. The review revealed that the heterogeneity related to scalp acupuncture methods can be attributed to the high variability among the theoretical bases of different systems, intersystem mismatch in anatomical locations of treatment points and areas on the scalp, and inconsistencies in the methods used for locating them. These discrepancies in anatomical and clinical features have limited the synthesis and development of a framework for scalp acupuncture. Discussion and agreement on the anatomical locations of scalp stimulation areas, identification of methods for precise positioning of acupuncture areas on the scalp, and further exploration of theoretical bases will aid in the standardization of scalp acupuncture and improve the quality of research in this area.

Explaining the principles of Cultural Historical Activity Theory and the Change Laboratory to participants in a research intervention 2 This resource describes the approach I used to explain key concepts relating to Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and the Change Laboratory to participants at the start of a synchronous, online Change Laboratory intervention I delivered over seven months as part of my PhD research during 2020/2021. The intervention was designed to allow a group of online educators to explore their professional development needs and engender changes in their workplace to optimise delivery of online teaching and learning for learners and for themselves. I start this resource by introducing the background to the Change Laboratory intervention before describing the purpose of the resource, explaining the approach I took to positioning key concepts of CHAT and the Change Laboratory with the study participants and offering some personal reflections on the intervention. I have also included materials for other researcher-interventionists to use as a possible starting point when designing and describing their own formative intervention to participants.

BackgroundAcupuncture is a popular treatment for women’s health. Several trials and meta-analysis have been published in recent years on key women’s health conditions but it is unclear if this has led to any changes in clinical practice or referrals from other health professionals. The aim of this survey was to explore if, how, and why, aspects of acupuncture practice have changed since our survey in 2013.MethodAn online cross-sectional survey of registered acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. Questions covered the practitioner demographics and training, women’s health conditions commonly treated, modalities used, sources of information and continuing education (CE) (e.g. webinars), changes in clinical practice, and referral networks.ResultsOne hundred and seventy registered practitioners responded to this survey, with 93% reporting treating women’s health in the last 12 months. The majority of respondents were from Australia (60%), held a bachelors level qualification (60%), and used a traditional Chinese medicine framework (86%). Most practitioners incorporated other modalities in addition to acupuncture. Most practitioners’ referral networks were predominantly based on word of mouth for menstrual, fertility and pregnancy related conditions, with referrals from medical practitioners being much less common. More than half (57%) reported having changed their women’s health practice in the past 12 months; just over a quarter of those who changed treatment (27%) reported it was due to research findings. The most commonly used sources of information/CE used to inform treatment were webinars and conferences, while peer-reviewed journal articles were the least commonly used source.ConclusionAcupuncture practitioners in Australia and New Zealand commonly treat women’s health conditions, but this is usually the result of women seeking them out, rather than being referred from a medical practitioner. The majority of practitioners did report changing their women’s health practice, but peer reviewed academic articles alone are not an ideal medium to convey this information since practitioners favour knowledge obtained from webinars and conferences. Academics and other clinician researchers should consider alternative means of disseminating knowledge beyond traditional academic publications and conferences, special interest groups may assist in this and also help improve research literacy.

This article discusses the creation of a research-focused virtual community of practice (vCoP) for geographically-dispersed third space professionals, motivated by desires for enhanced professional collaboration, visibility and identity. The authors used collaborative autoethnography (CAE) to evaluate their personal reflections as vCoP participants. Data were gathered in two collaborative writing activities and analysed using thematic analysis (TA). The TA identified two connected themes, which capture the vCoP members’ aspirations to transcend their current roles and be research-active through connecting with like-minded professionals. Collaborative writing activities, including authoring this paper, cultivated elements of academic identity such as independence and purpose. A non-hierarchical and supportive vCoP environment allowed the members to work beyond time and institutional constraints to foster the evolution of the community and an emerging sense of professional identity beyond that typically associated with third space roles. The paper offers a model of collaboration that could help groups in similar situations.

With the rapid development of social economy, Human material civilization greatly improved at the same time, The resources of the earth is decreasing, Human survival environment is also facing a huge threat. Therefore, in the economic globalization and the protection of the ecological environment, the enterprise should undertake the social responsibility. Green purchasing is an important part of the green supply chain management, Green supply chain management, And can reduce cost through coordination and cooperation with suppliers, Reduce the use of hazardous substances, Improve the ability to response market rate, To enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, establish a corporate image of environmental protection. Therefore, the supplier selection is the core content of green procurement, green procurement is the first link, through the selection and evaluation of suppliers can further reflect the enterprise green procurement practice level. The paper will research the before, to study the supplier selection and evaluation of the enterprise from the angle of green purchasing, using analytic hierarchy process, set up a supplier evaluation index system and scheme evaluation model, thus providing methods and selection of supplier green procurement evaluation.

This paper is a report of a study of the psychometric properties of the Novice Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation Tool. A collaborative undergraduate nursing programme is currently using an objective structured clinical evaluation at the conclusion of the first nursing clinical course to determine student competence as a component of quality and safety education. However, the reliability and validity of the assessment tool has not been established. Psychometric testing was conducted with a convenience sample of 565 nursing students. Data were collected during three consecutive years from 2002 to 2004. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing were conducted on this 25-item tool. Principal axis factoring method identified two factors through the orthogonal, oblimin and promax rotations: Factor 1 Safety and Factor 2, Anticipation. Spearman-Brown's result for Factor 1 was 0·93 and for Factor 2 was 0·77. Cronbach's alpha was.94 for Factor 1 and 0·71 for Factor 2. The tool was found to have adequate construct validity and reliability. Its stability should be tested by conducting test-retest analysis. Equivalency dimensions of reliability should be evaluated by looking at interrater reliability. This tool shows merit for assessing elements of quality and safety education.