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This study aims to understand how social organizations participate in education governance and how they interact with state actors in the context of education governance in China from a network governance perspective. Based on a multiple case study, we selected four social organizations (a think tank, an academic association, and a domestic, and overseas organization each focused on educational philanthropy) for this qualitative investigation. The study findings indicate that although the government of the People's Republic of China uses a network approach to steer the country's educational system, the government maintains its supremacy over social organizations, leading to hierarchical and submissive policy networks. However, social organizations may obtain the freedom to conduct their work and influence the educational system if they could gain the government's political trust and support. These study's findings suggest that the mode of Chinese education governance is a mixture of government, characterized by bureaucratic and top-down governing, and governance, characterized by the government steering society via collaborations with nonstate actors. Therefore, it can be conceptualized as a network government, reflecting China's political and ideological systems by emphasizing the institutional monitoring and supervision of social organizations through policy networks to strengthen the state's governing capabilities from the top down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a sparse algebra for samplet compressed kernel matrices to enable efficient scattered data analysis. We show that the compression of kernel matrices by means of samplets produces optimally sparse matrices in a certain S-format. The compression can be performed in cost and memory that scale essentially linearly with the number of data points for kernels of finite differentiability. The same holds true for the addition and multiplication of S-formatted matrices. We prove that the inverse of a kernel matrix, given that it exists, is compressible in the S-format as well. The use of selected inversion allows to directly compute the entries in the corresponding sparsity pattern. Moreover, S-formatted matrix operations enable the efficient, approximate computation of more complicated matrix functions such as A α or exp (A) of a matrix A . The matrix algebra is justified mathematically by pseudo differential calculus. As an application, we consider Gaussian process learning algorithms for implicit surfaces. Numerical results are presented to illustrate and quantify our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article is devoted to wavelet matrix compression for boundary integral equations when using anisotropic wavelet bases for the discretization. We provide a compression scheme for boundary integral operators of order 2 q on patchwise smooth and globally Lipschitz continuous mainfolds which amounts to only O (N) relevant matrix coefficients in the system matrix without deteriorating the accuracy offered by the underlying Galerkin scheme. Here, N denotes the degrees of freedom in the related trial spaces. By numerical results we validate our theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new statistical method for clustering step data, a popular form of health recording data easily obtained from wearable devices. As step data are high-dimensional and zero-inflated, classical methods such as K-means and partitioning around medoid (PAM) cannot be applied directly. The proposed method is a novel combination of newly constructed variables that reflect the inherent features of step data, such as quantity, strength, and pattern, and a multivariate functional principal component analysis that can integrate all the features of the step data for clustering. The proposed method is implemented by applying a conventional clustering method, such as K-means and PAM, to the multivariate functional principal component scores obtained from these variables. Simulation studies and real data analysis demonstrate significant improvement in clustering quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative grading strategies are increasingly popular in higher education, but research into the outcomes of these strategies is limited. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the relevant research regarding alternative grading strategies in undergraduate STEM and identify gaps in the literature to inform future research. This scoping review was done using the stages as described by Arksey and O'Malley (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8(1):19–32, 2005). The results of this review indicate there is a lack of consensus on the theoretical foundation for the benefits of alternative grading and, therefore, limited validated tools being used to capture these benefits. Additionally, we find that research into alternative grading methods tends to occur in both disciplinary and practice-based silos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been confirmed that microplastics (MPs) are present in the environment. This study simulated secondary PE-MPs via aging and mechanical processes to evaluate their effects on Pak choi (Brassica rapa L.) over 21 d. Two common pollutants, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and naphthalene, were used in the combined toxicity tests. The results indicated that the growth of Pak choi was significantly inhibited after exposure to secondary PE-MPs, and the combined effects were antagonistic, owing to the adsorption capacity of secondary PE-MPs to DDT and naphthalene. Oxidative stress in Pak choi can be markedly affected, leading to oxidative damage to plant cells. The moisture content, soil bulk density, soil density, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and FDA hydrolase in the planted soils increased in the treated groups, and the TOC content changed significantly. We also found that the microbial composition of the soil in the DDT and naphthalene groups showed more significant alterations than that in the other groups. Alpha diversity analysis showed that species diversity increased in the combined groups but indicated a clear downward trend in the single MPs groups. This study suggests that secondary PE-MPs harm the growth of Pak choi and can change soil properties, revealing the harm to the ecosystem of MPs in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the effect of distributed practice (spacing out of study over time) and retrieval practice (recalling information from memory) on academic grades in health professions education and to summarise a range of interventional variables that may affect study outcomes. A systematic search of seven databases in November 2022 which were screened according to predefined inclusion criteria. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale-Education (NOS-E) were used to critically appraise eligible articles. A summary of interventional variables includes article content type, strategy type, assessment type and delay and statistical significance. Of 1818 records retrieved, 56 were eligible for inclusion and included a total of 63 experiments. Of these studies, 43 demonstrated significant benefits of distributed practice and/or retrieval practice over control and comparison groups. Included studies averaged 12.23 out of 18 on the MERSQI and averaged 4.55 out of 6 on the NOS-E. Study designs were heterogeneous with a variety of interventions, comparison groups and assessment types. Distributed practice and retrieval practice are effective at improving academic grades in health professions education. Future study quality can be improved by validating the assessment instruments, to demonstrate the reliability of outcome measures. Increasing the number of institutions included in future studies may improve the diversity of represented study participants and may enhance study quality. Future studies should consider measuring and reporting time on task which may clarify the effectiveness of distributed practice and retrieval practice. The stakes of the assessments, which may affect student motivation and therefore outcomes, should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pupil size is a well-known indicator of low-level decision-making processes. However, it is unclear whether these involuntary eye data can represent information about the interwoven processes of hierarchical decision-making. In hierarchical decisions, high-level decision-making depends on the process of making low-level decisions, and the result of these interwoven processes is determined by feedback. Therefore, the exact cause of negative feedback is unclear, as it may be the result of low-level, high-level, or both low- and high-level incorrect decisions. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of eye data (pupil diameter) in the interwoven processes of hierarchical decision-making. Methods: We designed a hierarchical psychophysical experiment in which participants were asked to report their low- and high-level decisions and their confidence simultaneously on one of the colored bars. Participants received correct feedback in a trial when reporting both decisions correctly. During the experiment, the eye data of the participants were recorded by an eye-tracking device. Results: Our findings suggest that pupil size conveys information about high-level decisions as well. Furthermore, this study shows that three parameters (introduced in previous studies), negative feedback in successive trials, stimulus strength (uniformity with confidence), and decision urgency, are all represented in pupil size. Conclusion: The findings support the idea that involuntary eye data are influenced by decision-making-related brain activity in decision-making processes and not just visual stimulus features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Soil, as a primary repository of plastic debris, faces an escalating influx of microplastics. Microplastics have the potential to decrease soil bulk density and pH, as well as alter soil pore structure and aggregation. These changes in soil physicochemical properties subsequently lead to habitat degradation for microbes and environmental shifts that impact plant growth. Masquerading as soil carbon storage, microplastics can distort assessments of the soil carbon pool by introducing plastic-carbon and associated leachates, influencing soil organic matter (SOM) turnover through priming effects (e.g., dilution, substrate switching, and co-metabolisms). Additionally, microplastics can influence the distribution of soil carbon in particulate and mineral-associated organic matter, consequently affecting the accumulation and stability of soil carbon. Furthermore, microplastics can also influence the chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soils by increasing DOM aromaticity and molecular weight while deepening its humification degree. The changes observed in soil DOM may be attributed to inputs from microplastic-derived DOM along with organo-organic and organo-mineral interactions coupled with microbial degradation processes. Acting as an inert source of carbon, microplastics create a distinct ecological niche for microbial growth and contribute to necromass formation pathways. Conventional microplastics can reduce microbial necromass carbon contribution to the stable pool of soil carbon, whereas bio-microplastics tend to increase it. Furthermore, microplastics exert a wide range of effects on plant performance through both internal and external factors, influencing seed germination, vegetative and reproductive growth, as well as inducing ecotoxicity and genotoxicity. These impacts may arise from alterations in the growth environment or the uptake of microplastics by plants. Future research should aim to elucidate the impact of microplastics on microbial necromass accumulation and carbon storage within mineral-associated fractions, while also paying closer attention to rhizosphere dynamics such as the microbial stabilization and mineral protection for rhizodeposits within soils. Highlights: • Microplastics (MPs) have either positive or negative effects on SOM mineralization. • MPs affect soil carbon distribution in particulate and mineral-associated fraction. • MPs increase the aromaticity, molecular weight and humification degree of soil DOM. • Conventional MPs can reduce microbial necromass, whereas bio-MPs cannot. • MPs influence plant performance through both internal and external factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface layers (S-layers) are proteinaceous, two-dimensional paracrystalline arrays that constitute a major component of the cell envelope in many prokaryotic species. In this study, we investigated S-layer biogenesis in the bacterial model organism Caulobacter crescentus. Fluorescence microscopy revealed localised incorporation of new S-layer at the poles and mid-cell, consistent with regions of cell growth in the cell cycle. Light microscopy and electron cryotomography investigations of drug-treated bacteria revealed that localised S-layer insertion is retained when cell division is inhibited, but is disrupted upon dysregulation of MreB or lipopolysaccharide. We further uncovered that S-layer biogenesis follows new peptidoglycan synthesis and localises to regions of high cell wall turnover. Finally, correlated cryo-light microscopy and electron cryotomographic analysis of regions of S-layer insertion showed the presence of discontinuities in the hexagonal S-layer lattice, contrasting with other S-layers completed by defined symmetric defects. Our findings present insights into how C. crescentus cells form an ordered S-layer on their surface in coordination with the biogenesis of other cell envelope components. Surface layers (S-layers) are proteinaceous, two-dimensional paracrystalline arrays that constitute a major component of the cell envelope in many prokaryotic species. Here, Herdman et al. investigate S-layer biogenesis in the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, providing insights into its coordination with the synthesis of other cell envelope components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SMC (Structural maintenance of chromosomes) complexes are key participants in the spatial organization of DNA in all living organisms: in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. In bacteria, there are several homologues of SMC complexes that perform seemingly unrelated functions, but function through very similar, highly conserved mechanisms. In recent years, it has been established that SMC complexes are capable of forming loops from DNA (through the so-called loop extrusion), which allows them to be considered as a separate class of DNA translocases. This paper discusses bacterial SMC complexes in comparison with their homologues such as MukBEF, MksBEF, RecN, and Wadjet, as well as with eukaryotic SMC complexes. Their properties, role and functions in the key processes of the bacterial cell are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioids traced back to ancient civilizations, have evolved in their usage for acute and chronic pain treatment. Their interaction with the endogenous opioidergic system modulates pain thresholds, neurological functions, and beyond. The discovery of opioid receptor subtypes (MOP, KOP, DOP, and NOP) revolutionized pharmacology, shedding light on their distinctive roles and signaling pathways. However, despite the efficacy of opioids, complications such as tolerance, addiction, and adverse behavioral effects pose significant challenges. This article explores the mechanisms of opioid activity in cells, emphasizing the role of biased agonism in the analgesic and adverse effects of opioids. We further reviewed strategies to mitigate the side effects, including the development of biased agonists targeting G-proteins, exploration of opioid receptor heterodimers, allosteric activation, and selective targeting of receptor splice variants. Insights into the sodium channel's role and bitopic modulators also offer new avenues for drug design. The quest to develop safer and more effective analgesics while minimizing adverse effects drives ongoing research. The comprehensive understanding of opioid receptors and innovative strategies offer hope for addressing the opioid crisis and advancing pain management paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities generally have less access to necessary medical care compared to those without disabilities. Barriers to adequate care include patient fear and uncooperative behavior during routine medical procedures and inadequate preparation of medical professionals to treat this population. Researchers have identified multiple behavior-analytic procedures for promoting comfort and cooperation during medical treatments. Efficient, cost-effective training programs are needed to widely disseminate behavior-analytic procedures to medical students and professionals. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a virtual training to prepare medical students to implement behavioral procedures that could be easily incorporated into typical wellness examinations. Seven medical students received behavioral skills training (BST) delivered remotely via the Internet. Results showed that the training successfully increased students' correct implementation of the procedures in roleplay with the experimenter and with patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Responding also maintained at high levels 2 weeks after the training. These findings suggest that virtual BST is an efficient, practical approach for training health care professionals to implement general behavior management strategies to increase the comfort and cooperation of patients with NDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the application of a tailored quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) method to a class of optimal control problems subject to parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) constraints under uncertainty: the state in our setting is the solution of a parabolic PDE with a random thermal diffusion coefficient, steered by a control function. To account for the presence of uncertainty in the optimal control problem, the objective function is composed with a risk measure. We focus on two risk measures, both involving high-dimensional integrals over the stochastic variables: the expected value and the (nonlinear) entropic risk measure. The high-dimensional integrals are computed numerically using specially designed QMC methods and, under moderate assumptions on the input random field, the error rate is shown to be essentially linear, independently of the stochastic dimension of the problem—and thereby superior to ordinary Monte Carlo methods. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of a heterogeneous set of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is the final outcome of a non-enzymatic process that occurs in vivo on long-life biomolecules. This process, known as glycation, starts with the reaction between reducing sugars, or their autoxidation products, with the amino groups of proteins, DNA, or lipids, thus gaining relevance under hyperglycemic conditions. Once AGEs are formed, they might affect the biological function of the biomacromolecule and, therefore, induce the development of pathophysiological events. In fact, the accumulation of AGEs has been pointed as a triggering factor of obesity, diabetes-related diseases, coronary artery disease, neurological disorders, or chronic renal failure, among others. Given the deleterious consequences of glycation, evolution has designed endogenous mechanisms to undo glycation or to prevent it. In addition, many exogenous molecules have also emerged as powerful glycation inhibitors. This review aims to provide an overview on what glycation is. It starts by explaining the similarities and differences between glycation and glycosylation. Then, it describes in detail the molecular mechanism underlying glycation reactions, and the bio-molecular targets with higher propensity to be glycated. Next, it discusses the precise effects of glycation on protein structure, function, and aggregation, and how computational chemistry has provided insights on these aspects. Finally, it reports the most prevalent diseases induced by glycation, and the endogenous mechanisms and the current therapeutic interventions against it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allelopathy has been considered as a natural method of weed control. Despite the nature of allelochemical compounds has been studied, little is known about the genetic basis underlying allelopathy. However, it is known that rice exhibits diverse allelopathic potentials across varieties, and breeding for rice plants exhibiting allelopathic potential conferring an advantage against weeds in paddy fields would be highly desirable. Knowledge of the gene factors and the identification of the genomic regions responsible for allelopathy would facilitate breeding programs. Taking advantage of the existing genetic diversity in rice, particularly in temperate japonica rice, we conducted a comprehensive investigation into the genetic determinants that contribute to rice allelopathy. Employing Genome-Wide Association Study, we identified four Quantitative Trait Loci, with the most promising loci situated on chromosome 2 and 5. Subsequent inspection of the genes located within these QTLs revealed genes associated with the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites such as Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL), a key enzyme in the synthesis of phenolic compounds, and two genes coding for R2R3-type MYB transcription factors. The identification of these two QTLs associated to allelopathy in rice provides a useful tool for further exploration and targeted breeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multireceiver synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) can produce high-resolution images by coherently superposing successive echoed signal. However, multireceiver SAS imaging is a difficult issue since the system can be divided into many bistatic SASs. Traditional imaging algorithms cannot be directly used to process the multireceiver SAS echoed signal, as they are just applied to monostatic sonar system. In order to solve this issue, this paper proposes an imaging algorithm based on Loffeld's bistatic formula (LBF) for multireceiver SAS system. With the LBF method, the point target reference spectrum (PTRS) of multireceiver SAS system can be split into quasi-monostatic term and the bistatic deformation term. The quasi-monostatic term is similar to the spectrum of monostatic SAS while the bistatic deformation term is caused by the displacement of transmitter and receiver. In this paper, the data of multireceiver SAS is firstly coerced into monostatic one by compensating the bistatic deformation term. After this step, the chirp scaling (CS) algorithm based on monostatic SAS can be directly applied. At last, simulations are exploited to demonstrate the presented method. Compared to traditional multireceiver SAS CS algorithms, the presented method significantly improves the imaging performance. Both ghosts target and higher sidelobes that traditional multireceiver SAS CS algorithms suffer from can be successfully suppressed. Furthermore, the presented method can obtain high-resolution results which are nearly identical to the benchmark of BP algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to synthesize the literature on burnout and coping in athletes with disabilities and identify the psychological and physical variables associated with burnout and coping in this population. The present study was conducted in accordance with the updated PRISMA 2020 systematic review guidelines. The Scopus, PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, SciELO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched. Eight articles were included in the study. Five of them investigated coping, and three investigated burnout. Their sample sizes ranged between 10 and 209 athletes with a total of 588 from the eight studies. Burnout was associated with socially prescribed perfectionism and sleep, and coping was associated with self-determined motivation, engagement, anxiety, depression, performance, and classification. This is the first systematic review of burnout and coping in athletes with disabilities that provides an overview of the studies conducted. Scientific research on the psychological constructs of coping and burnout in athletes with disabilities is in an incipient phase. The results highlight the key factors associated with burnout and coping in this population, which may inform targeted intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological stress and intestinal leakage are key factors in atopic dermatitis (AD) recurrence and exacerbation. Here, we demonstrate the mechanism underlying bacterial translocation across intestinal epithelial barrier damaged due to stress and further aggravation of trimellitic anhydride (TMA)–induced itch, which remain unclear, in AD mice. Immobilization (IMO) stress exacerbated scratching bouts and colon histological damage, and increased serum corticosterone and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Orally administered fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran and surgically injected (into the colon) Cy5.5-conjugated LPS were detected in the serum and skin after IMO stress, respectively. The relative abundance of aerobic or facultative anaerobic bacteria was increased in the colon mucus layer, and Lactobacillus murinus, E. coli, Staphylococcus nepalensis, and several strains of Bacillus sp. were isolated from the spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes. Oral antibiotics or intestinal permeability blockers, such as lubiprostone (Lu), 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP) and ML-7, inhibited IMO stress-associated itch; however, it was reinduced through intradermal or i.p. injection of LPS without IMO stress. I.p. injection of TAK-242 (resatorvid), a TLR4 inhibitor, abrogated IMO stress-associated itch, which was also confirmed in TLR4-KO mice. IMO stress alone did not cause itch in naïve mice. IMO stress-induced itch aggravation in TMA-treated AD mice might be attributed to the translocation of gut-derived bacterial cells and LPS, which activates peripheral TLR4 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A precise diagnosis in medicine allows appropriate disease-specific management. Kidney failure of unknown aetiology remains a frequent diagnostic label within the haemodialysis unit and kidney transplant clinic, accounting for 15–20% of these patients. Approximately 10% of such cases may have an underlying monogenic cause of kidney failure. Modern genetic approaches can provide a precise diagnosis for patients and their families. A search for extra-renal disease manifestations is also important as this may point to a specific genetic diagnosis. Here, we present two patients where molecular genetic testing was performed because of kidney failure of unknown aetiology and associated retinal phenotypes. The first patient reached kidney failure at 16 years of age but only presented with a retinal phenotype at 59 years of age and was found to have evidence of rod-cone dystrophy. The second patient presented with childhood kidney failure at the age of 15 years and developed visual difficulties and photophobia at the age of 32 years and was diagnosed with cone dystrophy. In both cases, genetic tests were performed which revealed a homozygous whole-gene deletion of NPHP1-encoding nephrocystin-1, providing the unifying diagnosis of Senior-Løken syndrome type 1. We conclude that reviewing kidney and extra-renal phenotypes together with targeted genetic testing was informative in these cases of kidney failure of unknown aetiology and associated retinal phenotypes. The involvement of an interdisciplinary team is advisable when managing such patients and allows referral to other relevant specialities. The long time lag and lack of diagnostic clarity and clinical evaluation in our cases should encourage genetic investigations for every young patient with unexplained kidney failure. For these and similar patients, a more timely genetic diagnosis would allow for improved management, a risk assessment of kidney disease in relatives, and the earlier identification of extra-renal disease manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we perform a detailed pooled cross-sectional analysis on the innovation performance in nine European countries by using data stemming from the Community Innovation Survey. The temporal dimension of our dataset includes three waves of CIS surveys from 2008 until 2014. As such, it allows us to evaluate the changes in the innovation processes within the countries in a more profound way. Our findings suggest that there are no significant differences among the countries regarding the firms' determinants to enter the innovation process. However, the effect of innovation output over labor productivity varies among economies: there is a positive relationship in the more developed economies compared to a negative or neutral relationship in the less developed. We use these results to speculate that the national innovation system in developing economies becomes more vulnerable in periods of the financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibers are environmentally friendly materials incorporated into polymer matrices as reinforcement agents. Several fibers are available in nature, such as cotton, jute, sisal, bamboo, hemp, banana, coir, and flax. However, in some cases, poor compatibility between fiber/polymer is observed, limiting their utilization. To overcome this disadvantage, chemical treatments can be applied to the fibers to alter their chemical composition, surface morphology, and mechanical properties. In comparison with other methods, mercerization is a popular methodology largely used to modify the properties of fibers once is inexpensive and does not require toxic chemicals. The main modifications caused by mercerization regarding chemical composition are the removal of wax, oils, and impurities of the surface of the fibers, besides a decrease in lignin and hemicellulose contents, and an increase in cellulose content. Fiber surface morphology becomes cleaner, and mechanical parameters, such as tensile strength and rigidity, are generally improved. Although these are some common modifications, mercerization process parameters must be well-adjusted to obtain optimized results. Unlike other published articles, this review covers the mercerization parameters adopted for several types of natural fibers to establish a correlation between the main effects of the process on the physical–chemical, morphological, and mechanical properties of the fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to adulthood have posed particular obstacles to university students' mental health. However, it remains unclear whether hope promotes mental health in the relationship between self-compassion, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction. Therefore, this study investigated the role of hope as a mediator in the relationship between self-compassion, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction among Vietnamese undergraduate students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants consisted of 484 students (aged 18–24) from several universities in Vietnam. To measure the four variables in the research model, we opted for the Self-Compassion Scale, the State Hope Scale, the World Health Organization 5-item Well-Being Index, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. The results showed that (1) self-compassion was significantly positively correlated with psychological well-being, (2) self-compassion was not correlated with life satisfaction, (3) hope was a mediator of the relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being, and (4) hope was a mediator of the relationship between self-compassion and life satisfaction. These findings suggest interventions on self-compassion to enhance hope and subsequently increase students' mental health, which offers colleges, psychologists, and psychiatrists a guideline to cope with harmful psychological implications during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme (C3bot) exclusively inhibits RhoA, B and C by ADP-ribosylation and is therefore used as a cell-permeable tool for investigating the cellular role of these Rho-GTPases. Rho-GTPases represent a molecular switch integrating different receptor signalling to downstream cascades including transcriptional cascades that regulate various cellular processes, such as regulation of actin cytoskeleton and cell proliferation. C3bot-induced inhibition of RhoA leads to reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, morphological changes, and inhibition of cell proliferation as well as modulation of inflammatory response. In this study, we characterized the C3bot-mediated effects on a full-thickness skin model exhibiting a psoriasis-like phenotype through the addition of cytokines. Indeed, after the addition of cytokines, a decrease in epidermal thickness, parakeratosis, and induction of IL-6 was detected. In the next step, it was studied whether C3bot caused a reduction in the cytokine-induced psoriasis-like phenotypes. Basal addition of C3bot after cytokine induction of the full-thickness skin models caused less epidermal thinning and reduced IL-6 abundance. Simultaneous basal incubation with cytokines and C3bot, IL-6 abundance was inhibited, but epidermal thickness was only moderately affected. When C3bot was added apically to the skin model, IL-6 abundance was reduced, but no further effects on the psoriasis-like phenotype of the epidermis were observed. In summary, C3bot inhibits the cytokine-induced expression of IL-6 and thus may have an impact on the pro-inflammatory immune response in the psoriasis-like phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) belonging to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily is a promising target for CVDs which mechanistically improves the production of high-density lipid as well as inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. PPAR-α mainly interferes with adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase, and nuclear factor-κB pathways to protect against cardiac complications. Natural products/extracts could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy in CVDs for targeting PPAR-α with broad safety margins. In recent years, the understanding of naturally derived PPAR-α agonists has considerably improved; however, the information is scattered. In vitro and in vivo studies on acacetin, apigenin, arjunolic acid, astaxanthin, berberine, resveratrol, vaticanol C, hispidulin, ginsenoside Rb3, and genistein showed significant effects in CVDs complications by targeting PPAR-α. With the aim of demonstrating the tremendous chemical variety of natural products targeting PPAR-α in CVDs, this review provides insight into various natural products that can work to prevent CVDs by targeting the PPAR-α receptor along with their detailed mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly reduced polyoxometalates (POMs) are predicted to be used as rather high energy density materials; however, it still suffers from the limited cluster species and reduction ratio. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to employ the building block strategy to generate a highly reduced polyoxomolybdate (C2H8N)14(NH4)4H14[MoV48MoVI26O202(OH)12(SO4)6]·46H2O (Mo74). The fundamental Mo-based {Mox} (x = 4, 5, and 6) building blocks, which are templated by tetra-coordinated anions {MoO4} or, not only lay foundation for the formation of Mo74 featuring an unprecedented reduction ratio of 65%, but also give rise to SBBs-mediated (secondary building blocks) supramolecular dense packing interactions among the isolated Mo74 clusters that are favorable for proton conduction. Remarkably, high proton conductivity (2.04 × 10−2 S cm−1) had been realized at 50 °C and 90% relative humidity, revealing one of the well-known POMs-based crystalline proton conducting materials. This result highlights that this building block approach possesses great potential in producing highly reduced POM systems that can achieve controllable reduced ratio and desirable properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the description of a multi-sensor platform able to automatically assess the level of physical activity and sedentary time of older adults. The platform has a hierarchical network topology, compound by N detector nodes managing several ambient sensor nodes and one detector node that manages a wearable sensor node. The system provides also one coordinator node that receives high-level reports from detector nodes. The idea of using heterogeneous sensors is motivated by the fact that in this way we expands the number of end-users, as they may accept only a type of sensor technology. The objective assessment was conducted through two main algorithmic steps: (1) recognition of well-defined set of human activities, detected by a 3D vision sensor (ambient node) and a smart garment (wearable sensor node), and (2) estimation of a physiological measure, that is (MET)-minutes. Results obtained in terms of activity recognition (and subsequent physical activity/sedentary time assessment) showed that the integrated version of the platform performs better than each single sensor technology with an overall accuracy obtained using simultaneously data provided from both sensory technologies that is about 5% higher of single sub-system, thus confirming the advantage in using a coordinator node. Finally, an added value of this work is the capability of the platform in providing a sensing invariant interface (i.e., abstracted from any specific sensing technology), since the use of the activities enables the integration of a wide set of devices, providing that they are able to reproduce the same set of features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constrained access to external financing has a negative effect on firm growth. This is even more problematic for SMEs, as smaller firms are more prone to having financing constraints. Drawing on the resource dependence theory, we argue that firms with constrained access to external financing seek to become less dependent on their access to external financing. Firms can introduce cost-saving management innovations, which are innovations in the form of new organizational processes, practices and structures with the goal of reducing the firm's costs and increasing its efficiency. Relying on survey data of 2,973 observations of SMEs among 34 European countries, our results show that SMEs with constrained access to external financing are indeed more likely to introduce such cost-saving management innovations. We also find evidence that cost-saving management innovations positively affect firm growth. Hence, we find a positive indirect effect of constrained access to external financing on SME revenue growth through cost-saving management innovations. This positive indirect effect suppresses the negative direct effect of constrained access to financing on revenue growth, pointing to a potentially important role of cost-saving management innovations as a coping strategy for constrained access to external financing for SMEs. Plain English Summary: Although constrained access to external financing is a well-known barrier to innovation and growth, we find that constrained access to external financing induces cost-saving management innovations that subsequently stimulate SME growth. SMEs seek to reduce their dependence on external capital when they hold no power over external capital providers. Among our sample of 2,973 observations of European SMEs, a quarter of SMEs introduced cost-saving management innovations, which increased to one-third if the firm perceived its access to external financing as its most important problem. These innovations consequently increased revenue growth and suppressed the negative effect of a constrained access to external financing on growth. This is an important insight for managers in SMEs who seek to stimulate firm growth even when dealing with financing constraints. Policymakers may note that not all SMEs are affected equally negative by financing constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates whether public procurement mitigates or exacerbates innovative enterprises' financial constraints. We distinguish between general and environmentally beneficial innovative enterprises. Theory suggests that the treatment effects of public procurement, particularly when mediated by the demand-pull effect, may lower a company's funding constraints for innovation. We test this theory with extended probit models allowing for endogenous treatment and selection. The findings reveal a significantly positive treatment effect of public procurement on the probability of facing financial constraints in both areas: general and environmentally beneficial innovative activities. Thus, the principal implications of this study are (1) that being an innovating SME exacerbates financial constraints and (2) that strengthening SMEs' participation in European public tenders would not contribute to lowering SMEs' financial constraints. On the contrary, complementary grants or other financial incentives might be necessary to substantially increase the SMEs' bidding rates in public tenders. Plain English Summary: Public procurement incre ases the chance of innovative firms, in particular SMEs, to face financial constraints. This study investigates whether public procurement mitigates or exacerbates financial constraints of enterprises with general or environmentally beneficial innovative activities. The principal implication is that owning a public procurement contract is no instrument to lower innovative firms', in particular SMEs', financial constraints. On the contrary, complementary grants or other financial incentives might be necessary to substantially increase the SMEs' bidding rates in a public tender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on amateur mountaineers is scarce, and this study aims to delve into the emotional experiences of ten amateur mountaineers during their ascent using the "Befindlichkeitsskala" (BFS) and Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness scoring system (LLS). These subjects were exposed to altitudes of 3140 m, 4300 m, and 5276 m, respectively. We found that LLS scores were negatively correlated with positive emotions (β = −27.54, p < 0.05) and positively correlated with negative emotions (β = 21.97, p < 0.05). At an altitude of 4300 m, individuals with AMS exhibited significant differences in depression, anger, excitement, and inactivity compared to climbers without AMS. Upon returning to 3140 m after completing the climb, significant differences were observed in emotions such as happiness, calmness, anger, excitement, and depression. Throughout the three-day climb, noteworthy differences emerged in activity, happiness, calmness, inactivity, positive emotions (p < 0.01), negative emotions, and overall emotional scores (p < 0.05). Our study suggests a decline in the emotional well-being of amateur climbers with increasing altitude, highlighting AMS as a pivotal predictive factor for emotional experiences while climbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matching the language or content of a message to the psychological profile of its recipient (known as "personalized persuasion") is widely considered to be one of the most effective messaging strategies. We demonstrate that the rapid advances in large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, could accelerate this influence by making personalized persuasion scalable. Across four studies (consisting of seven sub-studies; total N = 1788), we show that personalized messages crafted by ChatGPT exhibit significantly more influence than non-personalized messages. This was true across different domains of persuasion (e.g., marketing of consumer products, political appeals for climate action), psychological profiles (e.g., personality traits, political ideology, moral foundations), and when only providing the LLM with a single, short prompt naming or describing the targeted psychological dimension. Thus, our findings are among the first to demonstrate the potential for LLMs to automate, and thereby scale, the use of personalized persuasion in ways that enhance its effectiveness and efficiency. We discuss the implications for researchers, practitioners, and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Medication overuse headache (MOH) was recently shown to be associated with leaky gut in rodents. We aimed to investigate whether chronic migraine (CM) patients with MOH have elevated lipopolysaccharide levels and inflammatory molecules in blood circulation. Materials and methods: The study included women participants (40 CM patients with NSAID overuse headache, 35 episodic migraine (EM) patients, and 20 healthy non-headache sufferers). Migraine duration, monthly migraine headache days, MigSCog, HADS-D, HADS-A, and HIT-6 scores were recorded. Serum samples were collected to measure circulating LPS, LPS binding protein (LBP), tight junction protein occludin, adherens junction protein vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), CGRP, HMGB1, HIF-1α, IL-6, and IL-17 levels. Results: Serum LPS, VE-Cadherin, CGRP, HIF-1α, and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the CM + MOH group compared to the EM group and healthy controls while serum LBP and HMGB1 were higher in the CM + MOH group compared to healthy controls. IL-17 and occludin levels were comparable between the three groups. Serum HMGB1 levels in EM patients were higher compared to the control group. Mig-SCog and HIT-6 scores were higher in the CM + MOH group compared to EM patients. HADS-A and HADS-D scores were significantly higher in the CM + MOH group compared to EM patients and healthy controls, and they were also higher in EM patients compared to healthy subjects. LPS levels were correlated with VE-cadherin and occludin levels. The number of monthly migraine headache days was positively correlated with serum LPS, HIF-1α, VE-cadherin, and IL-6 levels, HADS-A, HADS-D, HIT-6, and MigSCog scores. Conclusion: We have evidence for the first time that CM + MOH is associated with elevated serum LPS and LBP levels suggestive of LPS leak into the systemic circulation. Higher levels of nociceptive and/or pro-inflammatory molecules such as HMGB1, HIF-1α, IL-6, and CGRP may play a role in trigeminal sensitization and neurobiology of MOH. Intestinal hyperpermeability and consequent inflammatory response should be considered as a potential contributory factor in patients with MOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Self-compassion interventions are becoming popular, with demonstrated effects in reducing psychological distress and cultivating well-being. However, in case of university student populations these interventions can be less efficient. This review integrates the available evidence to determine the extent to which self-compassion interventions improve affects among university students. Methods: Seven databases were systematically searched, and randomized trials that evaluated self-compassion interventions among university students were included in this meta-analysis. Outcomes included positive affect, negative affect and self-compassion. Post-intervention between group effect sizes (Hedges' g) were calculated and synthesized using the random effects model. Sensitivity and moderator analyses were conducted and publication bias was assessed. Results: The aggregate effect size was very small for measures of negative (k = 15; g =.28) and positive affect (k = 15; g =.14), and was moderate for self-compassion outcomes (k = 11; g =.49). Effect sizes for negative and positive affect were moderated by control used. Effects for self-compassion were stronger in face-to-face format over online delivery methods, and the instrument for assessing self-compassion can also moderate the effect size. Results also indicated that publication bias may be present. Conclusions: This review supported the effectiveness of the self-compassion interventions for self-compassion, but not for negative affect. Limited evidence of effectiveness exists for students' positive affect. Trial registration: The registration identifier: CRD42022309920. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages in various and variable aquatic ecosystems is of paramount importance, given the strategic supporting services offered by these organisms. Such knowledge is implicitly based on the analysis of the realized niche of the different populations, i.e. of the sets of conditions within which populations show a positive growth. The range of phytoplankton morphological traits variability is evolutionarily selected to maximize the ecological performance of species while they are entrained in the spectrum of turbulent flows. In addition, most phytoplankton species exhibit high morphological plasticity that can further optimize their performance under reduced environmental variability. Although this plasticity is well known, it is seldom considered in phytoplankton studies. Morphological analysis could therefore be used as a tool to estimate the environmental variability within which a species can persist and, ultimately, the niche width of phytoplankton populations. This opinion paper tries to answer the questions: to what extent can the morphological variability of phytoplankton offer a synthesis of the environmental variability of aquatic ecosystems?. Do the morphological traits contain sufficient information to describe the width of the realized niche of phytoplankton species? What can we do to fill eventual gaps in our knowledge? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanshinones, are a group of diterpenoid red pigments present in Danshen – an important herbal drug of Traditional Chinese Medicine which is a dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Some of the tanshinones are sought after as pharmacologically active natural products. To date, the biosynthetic pathway of tanshinones has been only partially elucidated. These compounds are also present in some of the other Salvia species, i.a. from subgenus Perovskia, such as S. abrotanoides (Kar.) Sytsma and S. yangii B.T. Drew. Despite of the close genetic relationship between these species, significant qualitative differences in their diterpenoid profile have been discovered. In this work, we have used the Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry analysis to follow the content of diterpenoids during the vegetation season, which confirmed our previous observations of a diverse diterpenoid profile. As metabolic differences are reflected in different transcript profile of a species or tissues, we used metabolomics-guided transcriptomic approach to select candidate genes, which expression possibly led to observed chemical differences. Using an RNA-sequencing technology we have sequenced and de novo assembled transcriptomes of leaves and roots of S. abrotanoides and S. yangii. As a result, 134,443 transcripts were annotated by UniProt and 56,693 of them were assigned as Viridiplantae. In order to seek for differences, the differential expression analysis was performed, which revealed that 463, 362, 922 and 835 genes indicated changes in expression in four comparisons. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG functional analysis of selected DEGs were performed. The homology and expression of two gene families, associated with downstream steps of tanshinone and carnosic acid biosynthesis were studied, namely: cytochromes P-450 and 2-oxoglutarate-dependend dioxygenases. Additionally, BLAST analysis revealed existence of 39 different transcripts related to abietane diterpenoid biosynthesis in transcriptomes of S. abrotanoides and S. yangii. We have used quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis of selected candidate genes, to follow their expression levels over the vegetative season. A hypothesis of an existence of a multifunctional CYP76AH89 in transcriptomes of S. abrotanoides and S. yangii is discussed and potential roles of other CYP450 homologs are speculated. By using the comparative transcriptomic approach, we have generated a dataset of candidate genes which provides a valuable resource for further elucidation of tanshinone biosynthesis. In a long run, our investigation may lead to optimization of diterpenoid profile in S. abrotanoides and S. yangii, which may become an alternative source of tanshinones for further research on their bioactivity and pharmacological therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, various types of pollution affect coastal waters as a result of human activities. Bioaugmentation and biostimulation are effective methods for treating water pollution. However, few studies have explored the response of coastal prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities to bioaugmentation and biostimulation. Here, a 28-day outdoor mesocosm experiment with two treatments (bioaugmentation-A and combined treatment of bioaugmentation and biostimulation-AS) and a control (untreated-C) were carried out. The experiment was conducted in Meishan Bay to explore the composition, dynamics, and co-occurrence patterns of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in response to the A and AS using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. After treatment, Gammaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria were significantly increased in group AS compared to group C, while Flavobacteriia and Saprospirae were significantly reduced. Dinoflagellata was significantly reduced in AS compared to C, while Chrysophyta was significantly reduced in both AS and A. Compared to C, the principal response curve analyses of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities both showed an increasing trend followed by a decreasing trend for AS. Furthermore, the trends of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in group A were similar to those in group AS compared with group C, but AS changed them more than A did. According to the species weight table on principal response curves, a significant increase was observed in beneficial bacteria in prokaryotic communities, such as Rhodobacterales and Oceanospirillales, along with a decrease in autotrophs in eukaryotic communities, such as Chrysophyta and Diatom. Topological properties of network analysis reveal that A and AS complicate the interactions between the prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. Overall, these findings expand our understanding of the response pattern of the bioaugmentation and biostimulation on coastal prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Quality improvement in prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) can only be achieved by high-quality research and critical appraisal of current practices. This study examines current opportunities and barriers in EMS research in the Netherlands. Methods: This mixed-methods consensus study consisted of three phases. The first phase consisted of semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders. Thematic analysis of qualitative data derived from these interviews was used to identify main themes, which were subsequently discussed in several online focus groups in the second phase. Output from these discussions was used to shape statements for an online Delphi consensus study among relevant stakeholders in EMS research. Consensus was met if 80% of respondents agreed or disagreed on a particular statement. Results: Forty-nine stakeholders participated in the study; qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews and focus group discussions identified four main themes: (1) data registration and data sharing, (2) laws and regulations, (3) financial aspects and funding, and (4) organization and culture. Qualitative data from the first two phases of the study were used to construct 33 statements for an online Delphi study. Consensus was reached on 21 (64%) statements. Eleven (52%) of these statements pertained to the storage and use of EMS patient data. Conclusion: Barriers for prehospital EMS research in the Netherlands include issues regarding the use of patient data, privacy and legislation, funding and research culture in EMS organizations. Opportunities to increase scientific productivity in EMS research include the development of a national strategy for EMS data and the incorporation of EMS topics in research agendas of national medical professional associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]