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Busyness has become more prevalent, and the state of being busy and associated cues have been increasingly employed as a marketing strategy by numerous businesses and marketers. The current research integrates two online experiments, one field experiment, one laboratory experiment, and one secondary data to examine the busy mindset, referred to as a subjective perception of busyness, and how it impacts consumers' preferences for self‐improvement products. First, busy mindsets made individuals more inclined toward products that promote self‐improvement (studies 1, 2, and 3). Furthermore, sense of authentic pride served as a mediator in the effect of a busy mindset on self‐improvement products (study 4). This study also investigated the moderating effect of work ethic on the above mechanisms (study 5). Finally, we used a second data set (study 6) to verify the main effect of a busy mindset on the preference for self‐improvement products. This research not only enriches the theory of busyness but also offers practical implications for marketing self‐improvement products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern plant breeding, molecular markers have become indispensable tools, allowing the precise identification of genetic loci linked to key agronomic traits. These markers provide critical insight into the genetic architecture of crops, accelerating the selection of desirable traits for sustainable agriculture. This review focuses on the advancements in quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association studies (GWASs), highlighting their effective roles in identifying complex traits such as stress tolerance, yield, disease resistance, and nutrient efficiency. QTL mapping identifies the significant genetic regions linked to desired traits, while GWASs enhance precision using larger populations. The integration of high-throughput phenotyping has further improved the efficiency and accuracy of QTL research and GWASs, enabling precise trait analysis across diverse conditions. Additionally, next-generation sequencing, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology, and transcriptomics have transformed these methods, offering profound insights into gene function and regulation. Single-cell RNA sequencing further enhances our understanding of plant responses at the cellular level, especially under environmental stress. Despite this progress, however, challenges persist in optimizing methods, refining training populations, and integrating these tools into breeding programs. Future studies must aim to enhance genetic prediction models, incorporate advanced molecular technologies, and refine functional markers to tackle the challenges of sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Hypothesis: The objective was to investigate whether diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) can cause adverse outcomes for different long-term postpartum women. Methods: We recruited 437 long-term postpartum women at five different time points (3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 years postpartum respectively). Inter-recti distance (IRD) and linea alba or umbilical hernia were measured by ultrasound. Strength of abdominal muscle was measured by a manual muscle test. Low back pain (LBP), urinary incontinence (UI) and quality of life (QOL) were measured by questionnaires including the Oswestry Disability Index, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey respectively. Results: Women with DRA experienced more severe LBP, and poorer QOL only 10 years postpartum according to the diagnostic criterion of IRD > 2cm. However, when the diagnostic criterion was raised to IRD > 3cm, women with DRA reported weaker abdominal muscle strength, more severe LBP 3, 5, and 10 years postpartum, poorer QOL 3, 5, 10, and 20 years postpartum, and higher incidence of linea alba or umbilical hernia 5 and 20 years postpartum. Conclusions: When using IRD > 2cm as the diagnostic criterion, the impact of DRA is minimal. However, when utilizing IRD > 3cm as the diagnostic criterion, DRA is associated with increased linea alba or umbilical hernia, weakened abdominal muscle strength, increased LBP, and decreased QOL. Most of the effects are particularly evident within 3–10 years postpartum, but becomes insignificant 20 and 30 years postpartum. Therefore, it is necessary to consider whether the diagnostic criterion of DRA need to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyimide (PI) is one of the most important engineering plastics, but its stability in aqueous environments is insufficient, which limits its anti‐corrosion efficiency. In this study, a novel P(VDF‐HFP)/SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI composite coating is prepared by incorporating poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF‐HFP)) and the exfoliated boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) which were highly co‐functionalized with two kinds of materials of the rosin and the soy‐maleic anhydride‐tannic acid adhesive molecules (SMT‐RS@BNNSs). The coatings are characterized in detail by using the XRD, FT‐IR, XPS, and SEM technologies. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization curve tests further evaluated the corrosion resistance of the coating. As results, the obtained P(VDF‐HFP)/SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI coating with good adhesion (grade 1) to the low‐carbon steel plate displays a larger water contact angle of 93.10° compared to blank PI (75.5°) and SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI (83.2°). The dispersed distribution and interaction of SMT‐RS@BNNSs can effectively reduce the phase separation between P(VDF‐HFP) and PI. Even after soaking in electrolyte for 15 days, the impedance modulus, corrosion current, and corrosion voltage of the P(VDF‐HFP)/SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI coating are 1.568 × 1010 Ω cm2, 4.612 × 10−12 A cm−2, and 0.325 V, respectively. These properties are superior to those of the PI and SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI coatings. It is believed that the excellent anti‐corrosive performance of this PI‐based composite will broaden the application fields of PI materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objects: Taurine exhibits protective effects in the context of cardiovascular pathophysiology. A range of evidence suggests that hypertension activates inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), elevating the arterial tone and sympathetic activity, while it induces gut–brain axis dysfunction in the context of hypertension. However, the mechanism underlying taurine's anti-hypertensive effects via the gut–brain axis remains unclear. Method: Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were administered 3% taurine in their drinking water for eight weeks, with their arterial pressure measured weekly. Molecular techniques were employed to investigate taurine's effects on the hypertensive gut and PVN. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the gut microbiota composition, and untargeted metabolomics was applied to assess the fecal metabolites following taurine supplementation. Results: Taurine supplementation not only reduced the blood pressure, sympathetic activity, and inflammatory and oxidative stress in the PVN but also improved the cardiac pathology and microbiota composition while alleviating gut inflammation in hypertensive rats. The untargeted metabolite analysis indicated that the primary effect of the taurine intervention in SHRs was exerted on tryptophan metabolism. The levels of serum metabolites such as kynurenine, L-tryptophan, serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) were altered in hypertensive rats following taurine treatment. Conclusions: Taurine supplementation restored the microbiota balance, strengthened the mucosal barrier, reduced intestinal inflammation, and stimulated tryptophan metabolism. The metabolites derived from the gut microbiota likely crossed the brain barrier and reached the paraventricular nucleus, thereby reducing the inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the PVN via gut–brain communication, leading to decreased sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in the studied hypertensive rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a common subtype of NSCLC, has a high mortality rate. Telomere genes are influenced by radiation therapy, affecting treatment response. Additionally, immune cell presence in the tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in cancer prognosis. However, the role of Radioresistant-Related Telomere Genes (RRTGs) in LUAD prognosis and immune infiltration remains unclear. Methods: In this research, we utilized diverse bioinformatics techniques to examine our personally tested information along with publicly accessible datasets. We conducted a comprehensive study on the genetic and transcriptional differences, predictive significance, and expression profiles of RRTGs. Afterwards, a RRTGs score was developed to forecast the overall survival (OS) and ascertain its reliable predictive capacity for patients with LUAD. Following this, dependable nomograms were developed to enhance the practicality of RRTGs scoring in a clinical setting. Furthermore, the investigation delved into the associations among RRTGs, infiltration of immune cells, prognosis, and clinical treatments of patients. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was conducted to explore the potential mechanisms by which RRTGs influence the regulation of LUAD. Then, Western blot, qRT-PCR and Immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression levels of RRTGs in cell lines and LUAD tumor tissues. Results: Our research indicates that certain genes related to telomeres have a notable correlation with the prognosis of patients diagnosed with LUAD. The RRTGs score, which includes three key genes (ARRB1, PLK1, and DSG2), was developed to forecast the OS and its dependable predictive capability for individuals diagnosed with LUAD was ascertained. Afterwards, extremely reliable nomograms were developed to improve the practicality of the RRTGs score. Moreover, as illustrated, genetic characteristics can be utilized to assess the infiltration of immune cells in tumors, as well as clinical attributes and prognosis. RRTGs score characterizes tumor mutational burden, immune activity, and notable survival probabilities in addition. Furthermore, GSEA results revealed that RRTGs may influence LUAD by modulating immune-related pathways in high-risk groups and regulating cell cycle and DNA repair processes in low-risk groups. The RRTGs (ARRB1 and PLK1) were upregulated in A549 cells and radiosensitive NSCLC tissues compared to radioresistant A549 cells and NSCLC tissues. Conclusion: In conclusion, this research emphasizes the significance of RRTGs in the outlook of LUAD. The findings contributed to a better understanding of the link between radiotherapy, telomere-related genes, and prognosis in LUAD, and identified potential therapeutic targets for patients with LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both lipid metabolism and cyclic RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to be involved in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) progression, but the relationship between lipid metabolism and circRNAs remains unclear. Methods: The expression levels of miR-223-3p, circ_0124346, and acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 3 (ACSL3) were determined through qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the CCK-8 and EdU incorporation assays. Cholesterol (CH) and triglyceride (TG) levels were quantified using relevant kits. The relationships between miR-223-3p and circ_0124346 or ACSL3 mRNA were examined by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter, RNA-RNA pull-down, and RIP assays. Results: We observed a significant elevation in circ_0124346 expression in both pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) tissues and cell lines, and its expression level was shown to be correlated with tumor size. Circ_0124346 stimulated cell proliferation and facilitated lipid synthesis in PAAD cells. Additionally, we found that circ_0124346 functioned as a sponge for miR-223-3p, preventing miR-223-3p's binding to the 3'-UTR of ACSL3 mRNA, which subsequently led to an elevation in ACSL3 expression and promoted lipid synthesis. Accordingly, circ_0124346 knockdown resulted in a significant decrease in lipid synthesis and cell proliferation in PAAD cells, with partial reversal of these effects achieved via inhibiting miR-223-3p or overexpressing ACSL3. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that circ_0124346 regulates lipid metabolism in PAAD cells via the miR-223-3p/ACSL3 axis, suggesting that targeting circ_0124346 may serve as a potential strategy for treating PAAD and assisting in its diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metagenomic time-course studies provide valuable insights into the dynamics of microbial systems and have become increasingly popular alongside the reduction in costs of next-generation sequencing technologies. Normalization is a common but critical preprocessing step before proceeding with downstream analysis. To the best of our knowledge, currently there is no reported method to appropriately normalize microbial time-series data. We propose TimeNorm, a novel normalization method that considers the compositional property and time dependency in time-course microbiome data. It is the first method designed for normalizing time-series data within the same time point (intra-time normalization) and across time points (bridge normalization), separately. Intratime normalization normalizes microbial samples under the same condition based on common dominant features. Bridge normalization detects and utilizes a group of most stable features across two adjacent time points for normalization. Through comprehensive simulation studies and application to a real study, we demonstrate that TimeNorm outperforms existing normalization methods and boosts the power of downstream differential abundance analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Metagenomic time-course studies provide valuable insights into the dynamics of microbial systems and have become increasingly popular alongside the reduction in costs of next-generation sequencing technologies. Normalization is a common but critical preprocessing step before proceeding with downstream analysis. To the best of our knowledge, currently there is no reported method to appropriately normalize microbial time-series data. We propose TimeNorm, a novel normalization method that considers the compositional property and time dependency in time-course microbiome data. It is the first method designed for normalizing time-series data within the same time point (intra-time normalization) and across time points (bridge normalization), separately. Intratime normalization normalizes microbial samples under the same condition based on common dominant features. Bridge normalization detects and utilizes a group of most stable features across two adjacent time points for normalization. Through comprehensive simulation studies and application to a real study, we demonstrate that TimeNorm outperforms existing normalization methods and boosts the power of downstream differential abundance analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authentication of milk and dairy products has great significance for food fraud. The present investigation entailed the development of a novel method that amalgamates the double-tube approach with multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, incorporating TaqMan probes, to facilitate the high-throughput screening and detection of animal-derived constituents within milk and dairy products. Eight dairy-derived animal-specific primers and probes were designed for the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene of eight dairy products, including cow, buffalo, yak, goat, sheep, horse, donkey, and camel. Through the developed double-tube detection assays, the above eight targets could be simultaneously identified with a detection limit of 0.00128–0.0064 ng/μL. The multiplex qPCR assay was effectively validated using simulated adulterated samples with different mixing ratios and demonstrated a detection limit of 0.1%. Upon analysis of 54 commercially available dairy products, a mislabeling rate of 33% was revealed. This method affords an efficacious means of detecting dairy product ingredients, thereby offering robust technical backing for market oversight and regulatory enforcement of milk and dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metagenomic time-course studies provide valuable insights into the dynamics of microbial systems and have become increasingly popular alongside the reduction in costs of next-generation sequencing technologies. Normalization is a common but critical preprocessing step before proceeding with downstream analysis. To the best of our knowledge, currently there is no reported method to appropriately normalize microbial time-series data. We propose TimeNorm, a novel normalization method that considers the compositional property and time dependency in time-course microbiome data. It is the first method designed for normalizing time-series data within the same time point (intra-time normalization) and across time points (bridge normalization), separately. Intra- time normalization normalizes microbial samples under the same condition based on common dominant features. Bridge normalization detects and utilizes a group of most stable features across two adjacent time points for normalization. Through comprehensive simulation studies and application to a real study, we demonstrate that TimeNorm outperforms existing normalization methods and boosts the power of downstream differential abundance analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Proteins play pivotal roles in biological systems, and precise prediction of their functions is indispensable for practical applications. Despite the surge in protein sequence data facilitated by high-throughput techniques, unraveling the exact functionalities of proteins still demands considerable time and resources. Currently, numerous methods rely on protein sequences for prediction, while methods targeting protein structures are scarce, often employing convolutional neural networks (CNN) or graph convolutional networks (GCNs) individually. Results To address these challenges, our approach starts from protein structures and proposes a method that combines CNN and GCN into a unified framework called the two-model adaptive weight fusion network (TAWFN) for protein function prediction. First, amino acid contact maps and sequences are extracted from the protein structure. Then, the sequence is used to generate one-hot encoded features and deep semantic features. These features, along with the constructed graph, are fed into the adaptive graph convolutional networks (AGCN) module and the multi-layer convolutional neural network (MCNN) module as needed, resulting in preliminary classification outcomes. Finally, the preliminary classification results are inputted into the adaptive weight computation network, where adaptive weights are calculated to fuse the initial predictions from both networks, yielding the final prediction result. To evaluate the effectiveness of our method, experiments were conducted on the PDBset and AFset datasets. For molecular function, biological process, and cellular component tasks, TAWFN achieved area under the precision-recall curve (AUPR) values of 0.718, 0.385, and 0.488 respectively, with corresponding F max scores of 0.762, 0.628, and 0.693, and S min scores of 0.326, 0.483, and 0.454. The experimental results demonstrate that TAWFN exhibits promising performance, outperforming existing methods. Availability and implementation The TAWFN source code can be found at: https://github.com/ss0830/TAWFN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the radiated microwave penetration depth is the key to breaking the limitations of the action range in the lossy human body for non-invasive microwave technologies such as microwave hyperthermia, microwave imaging, and the wireless charging of implantable devices. This paper presents a method to increase the radiated microwave penetration depth in the lossy human body by matching the complex impedance of the skin surface using a two-layered medium. The proposed method avoided the impedance mismatch caused by the real impedance assumption of the skin surface for a lossy human body when using the traditional method. Therefore, the reflection loss on the skin surface could be significantly reduced, thereby increasing the penetration depth of the radiated microwave. Moreover, this method could select a suitable medium for the matched Layer 1 by adjusting the relative permittivity of the matched Layer 2, which is more practical than the single-layer-medium optimization method where the relative permittivity cannot be adjusted. The full-wave simulation results showed that the microwave penetration depth of the proposed method at an input power of 0.5 W was 21.01 mm and could significantly increase by 83.18% and 21.37% compared with those in a no-matched layer model and in a traditional 1/4 wavelength medium match method, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubisco is assembled from large subunits (encoded by chloroplast gene rbcL) and small subunits (encoded by the nuclear rbcS multigene family), which are involved in the processes of carbon dioxide fixation in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. Although Rubisco has been studied in many plants, the evolutionary divergences among the different rbcS genes are still largely unknown. Here, using a rice closely related wild species, Oryza punctata Kotschy ex Steud, we investigated the differential properties of the rbcS genes in the species. We identified five rbcS genes (OprbcS1 through OprbcS5), OprbcS1 showed a different evolutionary pattern from the remaining four genes in terms of chromosome location, gene structure, and sequence homology. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that plant rbcS1 and other non‐rbcS1 genes originated from a common ancient duplication event that occurred at least in seed plants ancestor. RbcS1 was then retained in a few plant lineages, including Oryza, whereas non‐rbcS1 was mainly amplified in angiosperms. OprbcS1, OprbcS2–OprbcS4, and OprbcS5 were prominently expressed in stems and seeds, young leaves, and mature leaves, respectively. The yeast two‐hybrid assay detected a significant decrease in the interaction between OprbcS1 and OprbcL compared to the other four pairs of proteins (OprbcS2–OprbcS5 and OprbcL). We propose that OprbcS1 might be assigned a divergent function that was predominantly specific to nonphotosynthetic organs, whereas OprbcS2–OprbcS5, having different affinity in the assembly process of Rubisco, might be subfunctionalized in photosynthetic organs. This study not only deepens our understanding of the fine assembly of Rubisco, but also sheds some light on future de novo domestication of wild rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to manufacturing error and wear, the profiles of bushing and pin in revolute clearance joints are usually non-circular, while traditional kinematic models for revolute clearance joints generally assume a circular profile for the pin or bushing, which may not be able to accurately capture the kinematic behavior of real revolute joints in multibody systems. To this end, a curvature center method was proposed for the kinematic modeling of revolute clearance joints with noncircular bushing and pin. In the proposed method, both the noncircular bushing and pin were discretized, and the curvature center and radius corresponding to each discrete point were then obtained to detect the point of contact between the bushing and pin based on their kinematic constraints. The number of discrete points was determined based on both accuracy and efficiency of the proposed curvature center method, which was then applied to model a revolute clearance joint between the slider and the link of a slider-crank mechanism. Via comparison to the traditional geometric center method and discrete point method, it was validated that the proposed method can achieve a comparable accuracy in modeling revolute joints with a circular pin. The unique advantage of the proposed curvature center method is its ability in modeling revolute joints with noncircular bushing and noncircular pin, which was also demonstrated via a series of simulations. Simulation results show a significant influence of noncircular bushing and noncircular pin on the dynamic response of the multibody system. This implies the promising value of the proposed method in studying the effect of manufacturing error or wear of both bushing and pin on the system's dynamic performance and/or service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of boundary elements in two-dimensional acoustic analysis is presented in this study, along with a detailed explanation of how to derive the final discrete equations from the fundamental fluctuation equations. In order to overcome the fictitious eigenfrequency problem that might arise during the examination of the external sound field, this work employs the Burton-Miller approach. Additionally, this work uses the Taylor expansion to extract the frequency-dependent component from the BEM function, which speeds up the computation and removes the frequency dependency of the system coefficient matrix. The effect of the radiated acoustic field generated by underwater structures' on thin-walled structures such as submarines and ships is inspected in this work. Numerical examples verify the accuracy of the proposed method and the efficiency improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic sense, or termed magnetoreception, has evolved in a broad range of taxa within the animal kingdom to facilitate orientation and navigation. MagRs, highly conserved A-type iron-sulfur proteins, are widely distributed across all phyla and play essential roles in both magnetoreception and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. However, the evolutionary origins and functional diversification of MagRs from their prokaryotic ancestor remain unclear. In this study, MagR sequences from 131 species, ranging from bacteria to humans, were selected for analysis, with 23 representative sequences covering species from prokaryotes to Mollusca, Arthropoda, Osteichthyes, Reptilia, Aves, and mammals chosen for protein expression and purification. Biochemical studies revealed a gradual increase in total iron content in MagRs during evolution. Three types of MagRs were identified, each with distinct iron and/or iron-sulfur cluster binding capacity and protein stability, indicating continuous expansion of the functional roles of MagRs during speciation and evolution. This evolutionary biochemical study provides valuable insights into how evolution shapes the physical and chemical properties of biological molecules such as MagRs and how these properties influence the evolutionary trajectories of MagRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious diseases have been posing frequent and significant threats to us. However, research on how disease threat affects consumer behavior, especially sensory responses, is still limited. In this study, drawing on the theory of compensatory consumption, we show that consumers under disease threat are less willing to buy products presented in a dense display. This is because disease threat activates a high‐density avoidance mindset, which is carried over to the way in which products are placed. Moreover, this effect is mitigated when diseases are noninfectious or when disinfectant products are displayed. A set of four studies, which adopt lab and field settings, using different manipulations and measures, provide convergent evidence for these effects. Specifically, Study 1 examines the main effect of disease threat on product display. Study 2 tests the mediating role of high‐density avoidance mindset as well as the moderating role of disease infectiousness. Study 3 proceeds to explore product type as the other boundary condition. Finally, Study 4 provides real world evidence through a field experiment. Furthermore, in these studies, five alternative explanations were ruled out to further clarify the psychological process. These findings offer valuable insights for retailers regarding product display strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common and lethal malignancy of the biliary tract that lacks effective therapy. In many GBC cases, infiltration into adjacent organs or distant metastasis happened long before the diagnosis, especially the direct liver invasion, which is the most common and unfavorable way of spreading. Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics (ST), proteomics, and multiplexed immunohistochemistry (mIHC) were performed on GBC across multiple tumor stages to characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME), focusing specifically on the preferential enrichment of neutrophils in GBC liver invasion (GBC-LI). Results: Multi-model Analysis reveals the immunosuppressive TME of GBC-LI that was characterized by the enrichment of neutrophils at the invasive front. We identified the context-dependent transcriptional states of neutrophils, with the Tumor-Modifying state being associated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) metabolism. In vitro assays showed that the direct cell-cell contact between GBC cells and neutrophils led to the drastic increase in oxLDL uptake of neutrophils, which was primarily mediated by the elevated OLR1 on neutrophils. The oxLDL-absorbing neutrophils displayed a higher potential to promote tumor invasion while demonstrating lower cancer cytotoxicity. Finally, we identified a neutrophil-promoting niche at the invasive front of GBC-LI that constituted of KRT17+ GBC cells, neutrophils, and surrounding fibroblasts, which may help cultivate the oxLDL-absorbing neutrophils. Conclusions: Our study reveals the existence of a subset of pro-tumoral neutrophils with a unique ability to absorb oxLDL via OLR1, a phenomenon induced through cell-cell contact with KRT17+ GBC cells in GBC-LI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting and family environment have significant impact on child development, including development of executive function, attention, and self-regulation, and may affect the risk of developmental disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper examines the relationship of parenting and family environment factors with ADHD. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in 2014 and identified 52 longitudinal studies. A follow-up search in 2021 identified 7 additional articles, for a total of 59 studies that examined the association of parenting factors with ADHD outcomes: ADHD overall (diagnosis or symptoms), ADHD diagnosis specifically, or presence of the specific ADHD symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. For parenting factors that were present in three or more studies, pooled effect sizes were calculated separately for dichotomous or continuous ADHD outcomes, accounting for each study's conditional variance. Factors with sufficient information for analysis were parenting interaction quality (sensitivity/warmth, intrusiveness/reactivity, and negativity/harsh discipline), maltreatment (general maltreatment and physical abuse), parental relationship status (divorce, single parenting), parental incarceration, and child media exposure. All factors showed a significant direct association with ADHD outcomes, except sensitivity/warmth which had an inverse association. Parenting factors predicted diagnosis and overall symptoms as well as inattentive and hyperactive symptoms when measured, but multiple factors showed significant heterogeneity across studies. These findings support the possibility that parenting and family environment influences ADHD symptoms and may affect a child's likelihood of being diagnosed with ADHD. Prevention strategies that support parents, such as decreasing parenting challenges and increasing access to parent training in behavior management, may improve children's long-term developmental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green and efficient remediation of soil cadmium (Cd) is an urgent task, and plant-microbial joint remediation has become a research hotspot due to its advantages. High-throughput sequencing and metabolomics have technical advantages in analyzing the microbiological mechanism of plant growth-promoting bacteria in improving phytoremediation of soil heavy metal pollution. In this experiment, a pot trial was conducted to investigate the effects of inoculating the plant growth-promoting bacterium Enterobacter sp. VY on the growth and Cd remediation efficiency of the energy plant Hybrid pennisetum. The test strain VY-1 was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics to assess its effects on microbial community composition and metabolic function. The results demonstrated that Enterobacter sp. VY-1 effectively mitigated Cd stress on Hybrid pennisetum, resulting in increased plant biomass, Cd accumulation, and translocation factor, thereby enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. Analysis of soil physical-chemical properties revealed that strain VY-1 could increase soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and available potassium content. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated that strain VY-1 significantly influenced bacterial community composition, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, among others, being the main differential taxa. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that available phosphorus, available potassium, and pH were the primary factors affecting bacterial communities. Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) demonstrated that strain VY-1 modulated the metabolite profile of Hybrid pennisetum rhizosphere soil, with 27 differential metabolites showing significant differences, including 19 up-regulated and eight down-regulated expressions. These differentially expressed metabolites were primarily involved in metabolism and environmental information processing, encompassing pathways such as glutamine and glutamate metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and purine metabolism. This study utilized 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics technology to investigate the impact of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Enterobacter sp. VY-1 on the growth and Cd enrichment of Hybrid pennisetum, providing insights into the regulatory role of plant growth-promoting bacteria in microbial community structure and metabolic function, thereby improving the microbiological mechanisms of phytoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium nitride-oxide cations [NUO]+ and their complexes with equatorial N2 ligands, [NUO·(N2)n]+ (n = 1–7), were synthesized in the gas phase. Mass-selected infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations confirm [NUO·(N2)5]+ to be a sterically fully coordinated cation, with electronic singlet ground state of 1A1, linear [NUO]+ core, and C5v structure. The presence of short N–U bond distances and high stretching modes, with slightly elongated U–O bond distances and lowered stretching modes, is rationalized by attributing them to cooperative covalent and dative [ǀN≡U≡Oǀ]+ triple bonds. The mutual trans-interaction through flexible electronic U-5f6d7sp valence shell and the linearly increasing perturbation with increase in the number of equatorial dative N2 ligands has also been explained, highlighting the bonding characteristics and distinct features of uranium chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has promoted the development of the sharing economy by facilitating exchanges that provide consumers with temporary access to products. Hence, enhancing consumers' preference for access‐based products is critical for marketing practitioners and researchers. This study proposes an effective advertising strategy to enhance access‐based consumption based on the adoption of an appropriate visual perspective in advertising design. We demonstrate that advertisements that adopt a third‐person (first‐person) perspective increase (decrease) consumers' preference for access‐based products. Mental simulation and psychological ownership mediate this effect; in addition, this effect is moderated by advertising appeal. Five empirical studies provide convergent evidence in support of the study's proposed hypotheses. These findings contribute to research on access‐based products and visual perspective and suggest innovative visual strategies for marketing practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated that brain metastases patients may benefit from intracranial radiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, it is unclear whether this treatment is effective for patients with small cell lung cancer brain metastases (SCLC‐BMs). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study by analyzing medical records of patients with SCLC‐BMs from January 1, 2017 to June 1, 2022. Data related to median overall survival (mOS), median progression‐free survival (mPFS), and intracranial progression‐free survival (iPFS) were analyzed. Results: A total of 109 patients were enrolled, of which 60 received WBRT and 49 received WBRT‐ICI. Compared to the WBRT alone cohort, the WBRT‐ICI cohort showed longer mOS (20.4 months vs. 29.3 months, p = 0.021), mPFS (7.9 months vs. 15.1 months, p < 0.001), and iPFS (8.3 months vs. 16.5 months, p < 0.001). Furthermore, WBRT‐ICI cohort had a better response rate for both BMs. (p = 0.035) and extracranial diseases (p < 0.001) compared to those receiving WBRT alone. Notably, the use of WBRT before ICI was associated with longer mOS compared to the use of WBRT after ICI (23.3 months for the ICI‐WBRT group vs. 34.8 months for the WBRT‐ICI group, p = 0.020). Conclusion: Our results indicated that WBRT combined with immunotherapy improved survival in SCLC‐BMs patients compared to WBRT monotherapy. Administering WBRT prior to ICI treatment is associated with improved survival outcomes compared to WBRT following ICI treatment, for patients with SCLC‐BMs. These findings highlight the significance of conducting further prospective researches on combination strategies of intracranial radiotherapy and ICI in SCLC‐BMs patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid proliferation of COVID‐19 has dealt a heavy blow to many companies. Under these circumstances, employee‐sharing has become a valuable strategy to help enterprises resume work and production. Based on the event system theory, we explored the impact of employee‐sharing event strength on consumers' brand attitudes during the COVID‐19 pandemic through a corporate social responsibility (CSR) lens. Also, we verified that employee‐sharing event strength during the COVID‐19 pandemic positively affected consumers' internal (ICSR) and external (ECSR) perceptions of enterprises, improving consumers' brand attitudes and validating the positive moderating effect of customer‐company identification. Thus, this study provides theoretical insights and managerial implications for CSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, there is a preliminary clinical consensus that prone position ventilation (PPV) is beneficial to the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and further research on the details of treatment and patients' benefits will help to assess its effectiveness and safety. Aim: To evaluate the timing, efficacy, and safety of different mechanical ventilation positions (MVP) in treating ARDS. Study Design: The results of clinical trials were directly or indirectly compared by network meta‐analysis to compare the effects of different MVP. Two authors independently searched the papers published in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biomedical Discs (CBM), WanFang, and VIP database from January 2000 to August 2022. The outcome indicators were oxygenation index, mechanical ventilation time, ICU hospitalization time, in‐hospital mortality, and incidence of adverse events. Two authors independently screened the literature, evaluated the quality of the studies, and completed the data extraction. Stata 14.0 was used to conduct a network Meta‐analysis, and the intervention measures were ranked according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Funnel plots were drawn to evaluate publication bias. Results: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 75 studies (including 6333 patient data) were finally included. According to the analysis results, PPV was the best for improving the oxygenation index. The SUCRA values of mechanical ventilation time, ICU hospitalization time, and in‐hospital mortality were ranked as PPV > lateral position ventilation (LPV) > supine position ventilation (SuPV) > semireclining position ventilation (SePV). The SUCRA values in the incidence of adverse events were ranked as LPV > PPV > SuPV > SePV. All outcome measures had good consistency and low statistical heterogeneity. Funnel plot analysis shows that papers reported within three days of mechanical ventilation time, over five days of mechanical ventilation time, and in‐hospital mortality were more likely to have publication bias. Conclusions: PPV has the best effect on improving the oxygenation index, reducing mechanical ventilation time, shortening ICU hospitalization time, and reducing in‐hospital mortality. Early and long‐term use of PPV to improve pulmonary ventilatory function will be the key to improving patients' survival and quality of life with ARDS. Relevance to clinical practice: PPV significantly affects patients with ARDS, which can shorten the treatment time and reduce hospital costs. During the treatment, nursing observation should be strengthened to prevent adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product overlapping display is widely used in high-imagery ads, shopping websites, and retail displays. However, little is known about whether and how product overlapping display influences consumers' use of heuristics in their decisions. The research seeks to fill this gap by examining the link between product overlapping display and consumers' tendency to use price to judge product quality. Four experiments designed to address this question revealed that an overlapping product display increases consumers' tendency to make price–quality judgments, driven by their lower perceived uniqueness of products and higher perceived product entitativity. However, this effect is shown to be dismissed when the product is hedonic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) showing unusual expressions have been discovered in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of these circRNAs still remain largely unclear. Our current study discovered a notable increase in the expression of circRNA hsa_circ_0002395 (circ_0002395) in both PAAD tissues and cell lines. This up-regulation of circ_0002395 was found to be associated with larger tumor sizes and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, our findings showed that circ_0002395 facilitated aerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation in PAAD cells by regulating the miR-548c-3p/PDK1 axis. Mechanistically, we identified circ_0002395 as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that sponged miR-548c-3p, thereby promoting PDK1 expression and aerobic glycolysis, and ultimately resulting in the enhancement of cell proliferation. Our findings found that circ_0002395 promoted proliferation of PAAD cells by enhancing PDK1 expression and aerobic glycolysis by sponging miR-548c-3p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are a promising substitute for indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conductive films (TCFs). However, AgNWs suffer the insufficiencies in contact resistance between the nanowires and light loss. Here, graphene oxide and moth-eye-like antireflection nanostructure have been introduced to physically "weld" the AgNWs junctions and modulate the AR properties, respectively. The sandwich structure AgNWs TCFs achieved resistance of 26.26 Ω sq−1 and transmittance of 98.67%, exhibiting promoted photoelectronic performance compared with the pure AgNWs films. The stability of sandwich structure AgNWs TCFs was improved, and their wettability was also discussed with water contact angle changed from 92.55° to 69.18°, switched from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Though a simple solution process without mechanical or heat post-treatment, we proposed a stable sandwich structure to obviously improve the electrical and optical capabilities of AgNWs. The enhanced AgNWs TCFs with superior photoelectronic performance are believed to boost the practical applications and future development of AgNWs-based TCFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of deep learning techniques for decoding visual perception images from brain activity recorded by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has garnered considerable attention in recent research. However, reconstructed images from previous studies still suffer from low quality or unreliability. Moreover, the complexity inherent to fMRI data, characterized by high dimensionality and low signal-to-noise ratio, poses significant challenges in extracting meaningful visual information for perceptual reconstruction. In this regard, we proposes a novel neural decoding model, named the hierarchical semantic generative adversarial network (HS-GAN), inspired by the hierarchical encoding of the visual cortex and the homology theory of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which is capable of reconstructing perceptual images from fMRI data by leveraging the hierarchical and semantic representations. The experimental results demonstrate that HS-GAN achieved the best performance on Horikawa2017 dataset (histogram similarity: 0.447, SSIM-Acc: 78.9%, Peceptual-Acc: 95.38%, AlexNet(2): 96.24% and AlexNet(5): 94.82%) over existing advanced methods, indicating improved naturalness and fidelity of the reconstructed image. The versatility of the HS-GAN was also highlighted, as it demonstrated promising generalization capabilities in reconstructing handwritten digits, achieving the highest SSIM (0.783±0.038), thus extending its application beyond training solely on natural images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stabilization of a G-quadruplex (G4) in the promotor of the c-MYC proto-oncogene leads to inhibition of gene expression, and it thus represents a potentially attractive new strategy for cancer treatment. However, most G4 stabilizers show little selectivity among the many G4s present in the cellular complement of DNA and RNA. Intriguingly, a crescent-shaped cell-penetrating thiazole peptide, TH3, preferentially stabilizes the c-MYC G4 over other promotor G4s, but the mechanisms leading to this selective binding remain obscure. To investigate these mechanisms at the atomic level, we performed an in silico comparative investigation of the binding of TH3 and its analogue TH1 to the G4s from the promotors of c-MYC, c-KIT1, c-KIT2, and BCL2. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, combined with in-depth analyses of non-covalent interactions and bulk and per-nucleotide binding free energies, revealed that both TH3 and TH1 can induce the formation of a sandwich-like framework through stacking with both the top and bottom G-tetrads of the c-MYC G4 and the adjacent terminal capping nucleotides. This framework produces enhanced binding affinities for c-MYC G4 relative to other promotor G4s, with TH3 exhibiting an outstanding binding priority. Van der Waals interactions were identified to be the key factor in complex formation in all cases. Collectively, our findings fully agree with available experimental data. Therefore, the identified mechanisms leading to specific binding of TH3 towards c-MYC G4 provide valuable information to guide the development of new selective G4 stabilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tinospora sagittata is a columbin-rich medicinal plant, but its columbin levels are reduced under artificial cultivation conditions. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of inoculations with Diversispora versiformis (Dv), Funneliformis mosseae (Fm), Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri), and mixed inoculation (Dv + Fm + Ri) (Mix) on growth performance, root morphology, leaf photosynthetic physiology, and root columbin levels in T. sagittata. These arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were able to colonize the roots, as evidenced by a root mycorrhizal colonization rate ranging from 17% to 48% and soil hyphal lengths ranging from 17.51 cm/g to 32.02 cm/g, with the Mix treatment being the greatest. AMF inoculations improved plant height (16–151%), leaf number (119–283%), shoot (37–211%), and root biomass (22–318%) to varying extents, with Ri and Mix treatments being the most prominent. AMF-treated plants presented relatively greater root total length, projected area, surface area, volume, and average diameter, especially those treated with Ri and Mix. AMF inoculations also significantly improved the leaf nitrogen balance index, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance, while the photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll index varied by AMF species, along with a decrease in intercellular CO2 levels. Root columbin levels ranged from 0.524 mg/g to 5.389 mg/g, and AMF inoculation significantly increased root columbin levels by 228–928%, with Ri being the most significant. Root columbin levels were significantly positively correlated with soil hyphal length, root total length, root projected area, root surface area, root volume, and root average diameter, but not root AMF colonization rate. This study demonstrates for the first time that AMF, especially Ri, can be employed as a biostimulant to promote growth as well as root columbin levels in T. sagittata, where AMF-triggered improvement in root morphology is an important reason for promoting root columbin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linear fluorinated benzocyclobutene-type monomer (4F-bis-BCB) was facilely synthesized by a one-step copper-catalyzed etherification reaction and a simple precipitation post-purification method. Moreover, a series of BCB-based polymeric low-dielectric (low-k) materials were obtained by the thermal-induced ring-opening copolymerization of 4F-bis-BCB with divinyl tetramethyl disiloxane-bisbenzocyclobutene (DVS-BCB) monomer and further simple thermal curing at high temperature (200–300 °C). The resultant fully cured materials demonstrated excellent low dielectric properties at high frequency of 10 GHz (dielectric constant (Dk)<2.6, dielectric loss (Df)<1.57×10−2), great hydrophobicity (water contact angle >116°), ultra-low water absorption (<0.19% after soaked in water at room temperature for 60 h) and excellent planarization ability (surface roughness<0.56 nm of 3 µm-thick film). Overall, this new fluorinated BCB-type monomer provides us an alternative for the facile preparation of low-k polymeric materials and exhibits great potential for future applications in high-frequency communication and three-dimensional high-density packaging technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To summarize the best evidence for lung cancer screening and follow-up management of pulmonary nodules, and to provide reference for clinical practice. Methods Extensive literature search on lung cancer screening and follow-up management of pulmonary nodules was conducted in CNKI, WANFANG, VIP, PubMed, EMbase and Web of Science. The information extraction, quality evaluation and summary of evidence were carried out, and the retrieval period was up to December 1, 2022. Results A total of 33 articles were included in this study, including 5 guidelines, 2 expert consensuses, 2 expert recommendations, 14 systematic reviews and 10 cohort studies. Finally, 6 recommendations on lung cancer screening were concluded, including screening process, recommended screening age, recommended high-risk groups, recommended screening means, recommended screening frequency, and smoking cessation intervention among smokers. And 2 recommendations on pulmonary nodule management were concluded. Conclusion This study summarizes evidence of lung cancer screening and pulmonary nodules management, which can provide reference for health care personnel to conduct early screening and follow-up management of lung cancer in high-risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities constitute a population that is vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection; COVID-19 vaccination effectively reduces severe COVID-19 in these settings. To examine demographic differences in primary and up-to-date vaccination status against COVID-19 among LTC facility residents, a descriptive analysis of COVID-19 vaccination data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 vaccination data from October 31, 2022, to May 7, 2023, were analyzed. Being up to date was defined as having received a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine dose or having completed a primary vaccination series <2 months earlier. Geographic disparities in vaccination coverage were identified, with substantially lower prevalences of up-to-date status among LTC facility residents in the South (Region 6) (37.7%) and Southeast (Region 4) (36.5%) than among those in the Pacific Northwest (Region 10) (53.3%) and Mountain West (Region 8) (59.6%) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regions. Up-to-date status was lowest among Black or African American (39.9%) and multiracial (42.2%) LTC facility residents. Strategies to increase up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination among LTC facility residents could include and address these geographic and racial differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconstruction of visual stimuli from fMRI signals, which record brain activity, is a challenging task with crucial research value in the fields of neuroscience and machine learning. Previous studies tend to emphasize reconstructing pixel-level features (contours, colors, etc.) or semantic features (object category) of the stimulus image, but typically, these properties are not reconstructed together. In this context, we introduce a novel three-stage visual reconstruction approach called the Dual-guided Brain Diffusion Model (DBDM). Initially, we employ the Very Deep Variational Autoencoder (VDVAE) to reconstruct a coarse image from fMRI data, capturing the underlying details of the original image. Subsequently, the Bootstrapping Language-Image Pre-training (BLIP) model is utilized to provide a semantic annotation for each image. Finally, the image-to-image generation pipeline of the Versatile Diffusion (VD) model is utilized to recover natural images from the fMRI patterns guided by both visual and semantic information. The experimental results demonstrate that DBDM surpasses previous approaches in both qualitative and quantitative comparisons. In particular, the best performance is achieved by DBDM in reconstructing the semantic details of the original image; the Inception, CLIP and SwAV distances are 0.611, 0.225 and 0.405, respectively. This confirms the efficacy of our model and its potential to advance visual decoding research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]