Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
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Item IT affordance, organizational learning, business networking and B2B performance: A multi-channel networks perspective(Elsevier B.V., 2025-08-19) Yang Y; Chung HFL; Elms J; Fletcher PIT affordances are increasingly employed to increase the efficiency and outcome of live streaming e-commerce. Despite this, research on the relationship between IT affordances and Business-to-Business (B2B) performance in Multi-Channel Network (MCN) businesses is still unknown. Our study is one of the pioneering efforts to investigate the integrative effect of dynamic capability (DC) theory and IT affordances in B2B research. By analyzing the experience of 229 MCN organizations in China, our results reveal the positive effect of IT affordances on channel and economic performance. Our research also successfully identifies the contingent role of organizational learning and business networking in the IT affordance-B2B performance dyad. By integrating organizational learning theory and organizational networking theory with DC theory, we provide a comprehensive framework that explains how MCNs can adapt and sustain competitive advantage in B2B live streaming environments. The findings show that business networking and exploratory learning positively enhance the effect of IT affordance strategy on B2B performance, while exploitative learning has a negative contingent effect in an IT affordance-B2B framework. These findings offer both theoretical contributions and practical implications, guiding MCN managers in leveraging IT affordances for sustained growth and competitive advantage.Item Convergence of primary education development in urban and rural China: empirical analysis of historical trends and future projections(Springer Nature Limited, 2025-12) Zhang Y; Yang W; Li B; Yang Y; Chen L; Feng LIntegrating primary school education in urban and rural areas is essential for reducing disparities in resources and promoting educational equity. This study uses four analytical methods—entropy variation coefficient-comprehensive index, time difference correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression prediction, and Beta convergence—to analyze the historical evolution, future trends, and convergence in primary education development levels in China. Using national time series data from 1995 to 2022, we constructed an evaluation index for primary education and found that the urban-rural gap in primary education has slightly narrowed. Although urban growth currently surpasses rural growth, projections for the next 13 years suggest a decreasing gap in annual growth rates between the two. The analysis shows significant absolute Beta convergence nationally and within urban areas from 1995 to 2035, while rural areas exhibit divergence. After controlling for factors such as per-student expenditure, school building floor space per student, student-teacher ratio, teacher education level, teacher title structure, number of primary schools per student, enrollment rates, and dependency ratio, we find no significant conditional convergence at the national level or between urban and rural areas from 1995 to 2035. These results highlight that current levels of urban-rural investment are inadequate for balancing primary education development. To address this, increased and equitable educational investment is necessary for balanced development across urban and rural areas, within rural areas, and among urban regions.Item Transmission pathways of Campylobacter jejuni between humans and livestock in rural Ethiopia are highly complex and interdependent(BioMed Central Limited, London, United Kingdom, 2025-12-01) Singh N; Thystrup CAN; Hassen BM; Bhandari M; Rajashekara G; Hald TM; Manary MJ; McKune SL; Hassen JY; Smith HL; Marshall JC; French NP; Havelaar AH; Mekuria ZH; Weldesenbet YD; Yang Y; Li X; Gebreyes W; Shaikh N; Bhrane M; Dawid MM; Usmail MM; Deblais L; Mechlowitz K; Umer KA; Roba KT; Hassen KA; Amin JK; Usmane IA; Ahmed IA; Yimer G; Yusuf EA; Chen D; Saleem C; Ahmedo BU; Ojeda AE; Ibrahim AM; Seran AJBackground: Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are the most common causes of bacterial enteritis worldwide whereas symptomatic and asymptomatic infections are associated with stunting in children in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about their sources and transmission pathways in low- and middle-income countries, and particularly for infants and young children. We assessed the genomic diversity of C. jejuni in Eastern Ethiopia to determine the attribution of infections in infants under 1 year of age to livestock (chickens, cattle, goats and sheep) and other humans (siblings, mothers). Results: Among 287 C. jejuni isolates, 48 seven-gene sequence types (STs), including 11 previously unreported STs were identified. Within an ST, the core genome STs of multiple isolates differed in fewer than five alleles. Many of these isolates do not belong to the most common STs reported in high-resource settings, and of the six most common global STs, only ST50 was found in our study area. Isolates from the same infant sample were closely related, while those from consecutive infant samples often displayed different STs, suggesting rapid clearance and new infection. Four different attribution models using different genomic profiling methods, assumptions and estimation methods predicted that chickens are the primary reservoir for infant infections. Infections from chickens are transmitted with or without other humans (mothers, siblings) as intermediate sources. Model predictions differed in terms of the relative importance of cattle versus small ruminants as additional sources. Conclusions: The transmission pathways of C. jejuni in our study area are highly complex and interdependent. While chickens are the most important reservoir of C. jejuni, ruminant reservoirs also contribute to the infections. The currently nonculturable species Candidatus C. infans is also highly prevalent in infants and is likely anthroponotic. Efforts to reduce the colonization of infants with Campylobacter and ultimately stunting in low-resource settings are best aimed at protecting proximate sources such as caretakers’ hands, food and indoor soil through tight integration of the currently siloed domains of nutrition, food safety and water, sanitation and hygiene.Item Campylobacter colonization and undernutrition in infants in rural eastern Ethiopia - a longitudinal community-based birth cohort study.(Frontiers Media S.A., 2025-01-07) Chen D; McKune SL; Yang Y; Usmane IA; Ahmed IA; Amin JK; Ibrahim AM; Seran AJ; Shaik N; Ojeda A; Hassen BM; Deblais L; Ahmedo BU; Hassen KA; Bhrane M; Li X; Singh N; Roba KT; French NP; Rajashekara G; Manary MJ; Hassen JY; Havelaar AH; CAGED Research TeamBackground: Campylobacter is associated with environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and malnutrition in children. Campylobacter infection could be a linchpin between livestock fecal exposure and health outcomes in low-resource smallholder settings. Methods: We followed a birth cohort of 106 infants in rural smallholder households in eastern Ethiopia up to 13 months of age. We measured anthropometry, surveyed sociodemographic determinants, and collected stool and urine samples. A short survey was conducted during monthly visits, infant stool samples were collected, and Campylobacter spp. was quantified using genus-specific qPCR. In month 13, we collected stool and urine samples to assay for EED biomarkers. We employed regression analyses to assess the associations of household determinants with Campylobacter colonization, EED, and growth faltering. Results: The Campylobacter load in infant stools increased with age. The mean length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) decreased from −0.45 at 3–4 months of age to −2.06 at 13 months, while the prevalence of stunting increased from 3 to 51%. The prevalence of EED at 13 months of age was 56%. A higher Campylobacter load was associated with more frequent diarrhea. Prelacteal feeding significantly increased Campylobacter load in the first month of life. Over the whole follow-up period, Campylobacter load was increased by keeping chickens unconfined at home and unsanitary disposal of infant stools while decreased by mothers’ handwashing with soap. Longitudinally, Campylobacter load was positively associated with food insecurity, introduction of complementary foods, and raw milk consumption. There were no significant associations between Campylobacter load, EED, and LAZ. Conclusion: This study found that most determinants associated with increased Campylobacter infection were related to suboptimal feeding practices and hygiene. The findings related to livestock-associated risks were inconclusive. Although stunting, EED, and Campylobacter prevalence rates all increased to high levels by the end of the first year of life, no significant association between them was identified. While additional research is needed to investigate whether findings from this study are replicable in other populations, community efforts to improve infant and young child feeding practices and food hygiene, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) at the household level, could reduce (cross-)contamination at the point of exposure.Item Reprocessable Epoxy-Anhydride Resin Enabled by a Thermally Stable Liquid Transesterification Catalyst.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-11-20) Liang H; Tian W; Xu H; Ge Y; Yang Y; He E; Yang Z; Wang Y; Zhang S; Wang G; Chen Q; Wei Y; Ji Y; Jang K-SIntroducing dynamic ester bonds into epoxy-anhydride resins enhances the reprocessability of the crosslinked network, facilitated by various types of transesterification catalysts. However, existing catalysts, such as metal salts and organic molecules, often struggle with dispersion, volatility, or structural instability issues. Here, we propose to solve such problems by incorporating a liquid-state, thermally stable transesterification catalyst into epoxy resins. This catalyst, an imidazole derivative, can be uniformly dispersed in the epoxy resin at room temperature. In addition, it shows high-temperature structural stability above at least 200 °C as the synergistic effects of the electron-withdrawing group and steric bulk can be leveraged. It can also effectively promote transesterification at elevated temperatures, allowing for the effective release of shear stress. This property enables the thermal recycling and reshaping of the fully crosslinked epoxy-anhydride resin. This strategy not only enhances the functionality of epoxy resins but also broadens their applicability across various thermal and mechanical environments.Item A Blockchain Based Data Monitoring and Sharing Approach for Smart Grids(IEEE, 2019-11-11) Yang Y; Liu M; Zhou Q; Zhou H; Wang RWith the development of science and technology, human beings cannot live without electricity. The introduction of smart grid systems brings new ideas to break the shackle of existing electricity systems. This paper proposes a mechanism with data monitoring and sharing capabilities based on the consortium blockchain, realizing comprehensive monitoring of smart devices, and promoting the effective sharing of electrical data in smart grids. When a smart device is out of order, the smart contract connected to it will be triggered, and the users can check the running status through the smart phone. This approach allows nodes in the consortium blockchain to request transactions, using the prepaid payment smart contract with time-lock script to protect the consumer right of request nodes. In addition, we use a (t, n) -threshold secret sharing scheme to realize multiparty sharing of electrical data. Paillier encryption arithmetic is used to guarantee the confidentiality of messages in node transaction.Item The relationship between hair metabolites, air pollution exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus: A longitudinal study from pre-conception to third trimester.(Frontiers Media S.A., 2022-12-02) Chen X; Zhao X; Jones MB; Harper A; de Seymour JV; Yang Y; Xia Y; Zhang T; Qi H; Gulliver J; Cannon RD; Saffery R; Zhang H; Han T-L; Baker PN; Zhou NBACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic condition defined as glucose intolerance with first presentation during pregnancy. Many studies suggest that environmental exposures, including air pollution, contribute to the pathogenesis of GDM. Although hair metabolite profiles have been shown to reflect pollution exposure, few studies have examined the link between environmental exposures, the maternal hair metabolome and GDM. The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship (from pre-conception through to the third trimester) between air pollution exposure, the hair metabolome and GDM in a Chinese cohort. METHODS: A total of 1020 women enrolled in the Complex Lipids in Mothers and Babies (CLIMB) birth cohort were included in our study. Metabolites from maternal hair segments collected pre-conception, and in the first, second, and third trimesters were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Maternal exposure to air pollution was estimated by two methods, namely proximal and land use regression (LUR) models, using air quality data from the air quality monitoring station nearest to the participant's home. Logistic regression and mixed models were applied to investigate associations between the air pollution exposure data and the GDM associated metabolites. RESULTS: Of the 276 hair metabolites identified, the concentrations of fourteen were significantly different between GDM cases and non-GDM controls, including some amino acids and their derivatives, fatty acids, organic acids, and exogenous compounds. Three of the metabolites found in significantly lower concentrations in the hair of women with GDM (2-hydroxybutyric acid, citramalic acid, and myristic acid) were also negatively associated with daily average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and the exposure estimates of PM2.5 and NO2, and positively associated with O3. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the maternal hair metabolome reflects the longitudinal metabolic changes that occur in response to environmental exposures and the development of GDM.Item An Evaluation of Different Digestion Methods for the Quantitation of Inorganic Elements in Human Hair Using ICP-MS.(John Wiley and Sons, 2022-12-01) Liu Y; Yang Y; Xia Y-Y; de Seymour JV; Zhao D-Z; Li Y-M; Zhang H; Han T-L; Kowalski RThe inorganic elements have unique properties in biochemical processes in humans. An increasing number of pathologies have been associated with essential element ions, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Hair has become an attractive clinical specimen for studying the longitudinal exposure to elements from the external environment. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled with nitric acid (HNO3) digestion is the most common approach for determining inorganic elements from human hair. This study aims to optimize the digestion method for the absolute quantitation of 52 elements using ICP-MS, for a large cohort study in human hair. Five different HNO3 (65%) digestion methods were investigated and evaluated for their internal standard solution stability, reproducibility, element coverage, and standard solution recovery efficiency, namely, room temperature for 24 h (RT), 90°C for 4 h (T90), ultrasonic-assisted digestion (UltraS), programmed digestion of microwave digestion (MicroD), and ordinary microwave oven digestion (O-MicroD). Our results demonstrated that O-MicroD, MicroD, and RT were the best performing digestion methods for coefficient of variation (CV) scores, coverage, and recovery efficiency, respectively. In particular, the O-MicroD method detected multiple elements in a small quantity of hair (3 mg), with minimum nitric acid usage (200 μl) and a short digestion time (30 min). The O-MicroD method had excellent reproducibility, as demonstrated by a continuous thousand injections of hair samples with three internal standards (CV: 103Rh = 3.59%, 115In = 3.61%, and 209Bi = 6.31%). Future studies of the elemental content of hair should carefully select their digestion method to meet the primary purpose of their study.Item Whole-genome resequencing of the native sheep provides insights into the microevolution and identifies genes associated with reproduction traits(BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-07-11) Zhu M; Yang Y; Yang H; Zhao Z; Zhang H; Blair HT; Zheng W; Wang M; Fang C; Yu Q; Zhou H; Qi HBACKGROUND: Sheep genomes undergo numerous genes losses, gains and mutation that generates genome variability among breeds of the same species after long time natural and artificial selection. However, the microevolution of native sheep in northwest China remains elusive. Our aim was to compare the genomes and relevant reproductive traits of four sheep breeds from different climatic environments, to unveil the selection challenges that this species cope with, and the microevolutionary differences in sheep genomes. Here, we resequenced the genomes of 4 representative sheep breeds in northwest China, including Kazakh sheep and Duolang sheep of native breeds, and Hu sheep and Suffolk sheep of exotic breeds with different reproductive characteristics. RESULTS: We found that these four breeds had a similar expansion experience from ~ 10,000 to 1,000,000 years ago. In the past 10,000 years, the selection intensity of the four breeds was inconsistent, resulting in differences in reproductive traits. We explored the sheep variome and selection signatures by FST and θπ. The genomic regions containing genes associated with different reproductive traits that may be potential targets for breeding and selection were detected. Furthermore, non-synonymous mutations in a set of plausible candidate genes and significant differences in their allele frequency distributions across breeds with different reproductive characteristics were found. We identified PAK1, CYP19A1 and PER1 as a likely causal gene for seasonal reproduction in native sheep through qPCR, Western blot and ELISA analyses. Also, the haplotype frequencies of 3 tested gene regions related to reproduction were significantly different among four sheep breeds. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide insights into the microevolution of native sheep and valuable genomic information for identifying genes associated with important reproductive traits in sheep.Item Hair and cord blood element levels and their relationship with air pollution, dietary intake, gestational diabetes mellitus, and infant neurodevelopment.(Elsevier B.V., 2023-08-23) Xia Y-Y; de Seymour JV; Yang X-J; Zhou L-W; Liu Y; Yang Y; Beck KL; Conlon CA; Mansell T; Novakovic B; Saffery R; Han T-L; Zhang H; Baker PNBACKGROUND & AIMS: Exposure to a range of elements, air pollution, and specific dietary components in pregnancy has variously been associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk or infant neurodevelopmental problems. We measured a range of pregnancy exposures in maternal hair and/or infant cord serum and tested their relationship to GDM and infant neurodevelopment. METHODS: A total of 843 pregnant women (GDM = 224, Non-GDM = 619) were selected from the Complex Lipids in Mothers and Babies cohort study. Forty-eight elements in hair and cord serum were quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between hair element concentrations and GDM risk, while multiple linear regression was performed to analyze the relationship between hair/cord serum elements and air pollutants, diet exposures, and Bayley Scales of infant neurodevelopment at 12 months of age. RESULTS: After adjusting for maternal age, BMI, and primiparity, we observed that fourteen elements in maternal hair were associated with a significantly increased risk of GDM, particularly Ta (OR = 9.49, 95% CI: 6.71, 13.42), Re (OR = 5.21, 95% CI: 3.84, 7.07), and Se (OR = 5.37, 95% CI: 3.48, 8.28). In the adjusted linear regression model, three elements (Rb, Er, and Tm) in maternal hair and infant cord serum were negatively associated with Mental Development Index scores. For dietary exposures, elements were positively associated with noodles (Nb), sweetened beverages (Rb), poultry (Cs), oils and condiments (Ca), and other seafood (Gd). In addition, air pollutants PM2.5 (LUR) and PM10 were negatively associated with Ta and Re in maternal hair. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the potential influence of maternal element exposure on GDM risk and infant neurodevelopment. We identified links between levels of these elements in both maternal hair and infant cord serum related to air pollutants and dietary factors.