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Positive affect and hope contribute to individuals' psychological adjustment and positive youth development. The purpose of the study was to examine growth in positive and negative affect as well as state hope in Chinese adolescents in a juvenile correctional institution. We also investigated whether distinct trajectories of affect and hope predicted mental health and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behavior. The study included 198 male adolescents in a Chinese juvenile correctional institution and comprised nine measurement points (T1-T9) which were one week apart, respectively. Positive and negative affect and state hope were assessed from T1 to T8, and mental health and internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behavior were measured at T9. Analyses of latent growth curve and latent class growth models were estimated. It was found that positive and negative affect, as well as state hope, decreased over time. Youth in classes characterized by higher state hope and lower negative affect reported better mental health than youth in classes characterized by lower levels of these constructs. Because of the beneficial effects of lower negative affect and higher state hope on mental health and internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behavior, interventions strengthening hope and reducing negative affect may promote positive youth development in juvenile correctional institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Negative charged acidic polarity (NCAP) has been unveiled as the guideline for selecting additives to regulate electric double layer (EDL) for Zn-ion batteries. NCAP glutamate has been verified to regulate EDL structure with synergetic effects, including preferential adsorption on Zn anode and reconstruction of hydrated Zn-ion clusters. Adding NCAP additives, Zn|Cu half-cell achieves a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.83% for 2000 cycles, and NH4V4O10|Zn full cell realizes a high-capacity retention of 82.1% for 3000 cycles. Zinc-ion batteries are promising for large-scale electrochemical energy storage systems, which still suffer from interfacial issues, e.g., hydrogen evolution side reaction (HER), self-corrosion, and uncontrollable dendritic Zn electrodeposition. Although the regulation of electric double layer (EDL) has been verified for interfacial issues, the principle to select the additive as the regulator is still misted. Here, several typical amino acids with different characteristics were examined to reveal the interfacial behaviors in regulated EDL on the Zn anode. Negative charged acidic polarity (NCAP) has been unveiled as the guideline for selecting additive to reconstruct EDL with an inner zincophilic H2O-poor layer and to replace H2O molecules of hydrated Zn2+ with NCAP glutamate. Taking the synergistic effects of EDL regulation, the uncontrollable interface is significantly stabilized from the suppressed HER and anti-self-corrosion with uniform electrodeposition. Consequently, by adding NCAP glutamate, a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.83% of Zn metal is achieved in Zn|Cu asymmetrical cell for over 2000 cycles, and NH4V4O10|Zn full cell exhibits a high-capacity retention of 82.1% after 3000 cycles at 2 A g−1. Recapitulating, the NCAP principle posted here can quicken the design of trailblazing electrolyte additives for aqueous Zn-based electrochemical energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are a recent class of porous materials that have garnered considerable research interest owing to their distinctive characteristics. HOFs can be constructed through judicious selection of H-bonding motifs, which are further enforced by other weak intermolecular interactions such as π–π stacking, van der Waals forces, and framework interpenetration. Taking advantage of these interactions, we can expand the functional field of HOFs by introducing active molecules. Recently, researchers have made substantial advancements in using HOFs for chemical sensing, catalysis, proton conduction, biological applications, and others. The low bonding energy of H-bonds allows for precise control over the concentration of ligands in solvents, forming diverse HOF structures. These varied structures offer significant advantages for producing HOFs with photo-responsive and electro-responsive properties. However, the presence of H-bonds in HOFs results in their inherent lower stability compared to metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) formed via coordination and covalent bonds, respectively. As a result, the pursuit of stable and innovative HOF materials with novel functional sites remains an ongoing challenge. This review provides an overview of recent research progress in the development of new strategies for stable HOF synthesis and applications of HOFs with stimuli-responsive properties. We first classified all synthetic methods reported to date and discussed the stable HOFs synthesized, as well as their unique properties and applications. In addition, we summarized the applications of HOFs utilizing their synergistic responses to external stimuli, including photo, electrical, pressure, and chemical stimuli. We systematically reviewed stable HOF synthesis and applications, which may lead to a deeper understanding of the structure–activity relationship for these materials and guide future HOF design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese settlements (TCSs) embody millennia of human and cultural history, with the core culture serving as their essence. However, any damage incurred by these TCSs can result in the loss of core culture. In the era of China's digital transformation, there has recently been a significant push toward digital reforms within TCSs. Thus, this paper introduces a traditional settlement digitalization (TSD) framework with a specific focus on enhancing the preservation of TCS landscape gene through the perspective of landscape gene information chain theory. This research uses the Nanxun traditional settlement (TS), Huzhou, Zhejiang, China, the first TS listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in China, as a case study, extracting and identifying the area landscape gene and digital visualization status. This article identifies the landscape gene information chain of the Nanxun TS and redesigns its digital visualization and application scheme under the TSD framework. This study reveals the notion of a digital landscape gene characterized by four key attributes: identical, interactive, immersive, and intelligent. The results of this study will help guide the sustainable protection, application and planning of the Nanxun TS and promote the study of other sections of landscape gene theory. This research not only contributes to the development of landscape gene information chain theory but also provides guidance for the digital transformation of other TCSs and cultural heritage sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrity of shale gas wells is crucial in ensuring safety and efficiency throughout the development process. Such integrity spans the entire process of drilling and fracturing horizontal wells and is an essential indicator for ensuring safe and stable production throughout the lifespan of the well. This study investigates methods for assessing the integrity of shale gas wells by employing the analytic hierarchy process combined with experimental data to establish evaluation criteria and weights. The assessment is carried out specifically on shale gas wells in Changning Block. Results indicate that the integrity of these shale gas wells is influenced by various factors, such as drilling and fracturing processes. Moreover, the integrity assessment of indicators such as oil layer casing/technical casing, liquid carrying capacity, and tube column deformation is relatively low, indicating a need for enhanced monitoring and management. The comprehensive evaluation results indicate that, overall, the integrity rating of shale gas wells is generally considered "common," but some potential safety hazards still remain that require timely attention and resolution. Case analysis reveals varying levels of integrity risks in shale gas wells. Case 1's score of 93.51 warrants attention but is still deemed generally safe. However, Case 2's score of 73.89 indicates a disaster level, emphasizing urgent intervention needs. Critical factors such as pressure, cementation quality, and corrosion demand proactive management for safe, sustainable operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metrology is the science of measurement and its applications, whereas biometrology is the science of biological measurement and its applications. Biometrology aims to achieve accuracy and consistency of biological measurements by focusing on the development of metrological traceability, biological reference measurement procedures, and reference materials. Irreproducibility of biological and multi-omics research results from different laboratories, platforms, and analysis methods is hampering the translation of research into clinical uses and can often be attributed to the lack of biologists' attention to the general principles of metrology. In this paper, the progresses of biometrology including metrology on nucleic acid, protein, and cell measurements and its impacts on the improvement of reliability and comparability in biological research are reviewed. Challenges in obtaining more reliable biological and multi-omics measurements due to the lack of primary reference measurement procedures and new standards for biological reference materials faced by biometrology are discussed. In the future, in addition to establishing reliable reference measurement procedures, developing reference materials from single or multiple parameters to multi-omics scale should be emphasized. Thinking in way of biometrology is warranted for facilitating the translation of high-throughput omics research into clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional self-assembled monolayer (SAM) hole transporters in organic solar cells (OSCs) generally suffer from poor uniformity and limited thickness tolerance, hindering their large-scale production. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a novel polymeric hole transporter synthesized by polymerizing carbazole phosphonic acid (PACz). The resultant Poly-2PACz material exhibits exceptional conductivity, high tolerance for variations in layer thickness, and improved film uniformity compared with conventional SAMs. Consequently, the OSCs utilizing Poly-2PACz achieve a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 19.1% and a high fill factor of 81.2%, surpassing the devices based on 2PACz. Moreover, Poly-2PACz-based OSCs demonstrate excellent operational stability, retaining over 80% of their initial efficiency after 1,400 h of continuous light exposure in ambient conditions. This work presents a novel strategy for designing hole transporters, paving the way for more efficient and stable OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image classification task of porcelain fragments is of great significance for the digital preservation of cultural heritage. However, common issues are encountered in the image processing of porcelain fragments, including the low computation speed, decreased accuracy due to the uneven distribution of sample categories, and model instability. This study proposes a novel Capsule Network model, referred to as LBCapsNet, which is suitable for the extraction of features from images of porcelain artifacts fragments. A bottleneck-like channel transformation module denoted by ChannelTrans, which resides between the convolutional layer and the PrimaryCaps layer, was first designed. This module is used to reduce the computational complexity and enhance the processing speed when dealing with intricate porcelain images. The MF-R loss function was then proposed by incorporating focal loss into the original loss function. This allows to address the issue of imbalanced distribution of ceramic shard samples and reduce the classification errors, which leads to faster convergence with smoother trend. Finally, an adaptive dynamic routing mechanism is designed with a dynamic learning rate to enhance the overall stability of the classification process. The experimental results obtained on public datasets, such as MNIST, Fashion- MNIST, CIFAR10, FMD and DTD as well as porcelain fragments dataset, demonstrate that LBCapsNet achieves high classification accuracy with faster and more stable computation compared with existing methods. Furthermore, the ability of LBCapsNet to process special textures can provide technical support for the digital preservation and restoration of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing inflammatory disease with a unique aetiology. The treatment of UC is challenging, and the current clinical therapeutics for colitis have limited efficacy. Thus, finding new and effective treatment options remains urgent. Baricitinib, an inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK), has been clinically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, its potential effects on UC have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of baricitinib on UC and its underlying mechanism. Dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced murine model of chronic colitis was used to investigate the intervention efficacy following oral administration of baricitinib. The levels of key cytokines, such as IL-6, IFN-γ and IL-17A, were determined. Moreover, western blotting for IκBα, p-IκBα, JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 protein expression was performed to investigate the associated signalling pathways. Our findings demonstrated that baricitinib can significantly relieve DSS-induced UC in mice. After baricitinib intervention, IL-6, IFN-γ and IL-17A levels were decreased both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the elevated expression levels of p-IκBα, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 were significantly reduced after treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that baricitinib is a potential therapeutic agent for alleviation of DSS-induced colitis. This study provides a method for subsequent investigations on potential curative drugs development of the for colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A fluorinated zincophilic covalent organic framework (COF-S-F) with sulfonic acid group (-SO3H) is prepared on the surface of Zn anode, which promotes the desolvation of hydrated Zn ions and inhibits the side reactions. The highly electronegative -F group in COF-S-F promotes fast and uniform transport of Zn ions along the interconnected channels, which contributes to the uniform electrodeposition process of Zn metal. Zn@COF-S-F symmetric cell achieves a superior stability of 1,000 h and Zn@COF-S-F|MnO2 cell delivers high specific capacity of 206.8 mAh g−1 at current density of 1.2 A g−1. Achieving a highly robust zinc (Zn) metal anode is extremely important for improving the performance of aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) for advancing "carbon neutrality" society, which is hampered by the uncontrollable growth of Zn dendrite and severe side reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction, corrosion, and passivation, etc. Herein, an interlayer containing fluorinated zincophilic covalent organic framework with sulfonic acid groups (COF-S-F) is developed on Zn metal (Zn@COF-S-F) as the artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Sulfonic acid group (− SO3H) in COF-S-F can effectively ameliorate the desolvation process of hydrated Zn ions, and the three-dimensional channel with fluoride group (-F) can provide interconnected channels for the favorable transport of Zn ions with ion-confinement effects, endowing Zn@COF-S-F with dendrite-free morphology and suppressed side reactions. Consequently, Zn@COF-S-F symmetric cell can stably cycle for 1,000 h with low average hysteresis voltage (50.5 mV) at the current density of 1.5 mA cm−2. Zn@COF-S-F|MnO2 cell delivers the discharge specific capacity of 206.8 mAh g−1 at the current density of 1.2 A g−1 after 800 cycles with high-capacity retention (87.9%). Enlightening, building artificial SEI on metallic Zn surface with targeted design has been proved as the effective strategy to foster the practical application of high-performance AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the influence of stored cereal volatiles on the behavior of Sitophilus oryzae, the olfactory responses of adult rice weevils to the volatiles of different rice cultivars [Red brown rice (RBR), Daohuaxiangmi (DHXM), Baishuigongmi (BSGM), Yashuixinmi (YSXM), and white glutinous rice (WGR)] were studied using electroantennography (EAG) and behavioural bioassays in different types of olfactometers. S. oryzae showed significantly different preferences for these rice cultivars, in the order RBR > DHXM = YSXM ≥ BSGM > WGR. Furthermore, 26 components were identified in the volatile profile of RBR. Nonanal (29.37%), hexanal (16.08%), and 1-octen-3-ol (8.83%) were the most abundant compounds. EAG recordings showed that the antennae of S. oryzae were able to perceive these three compounds in a dose-dependent manner. The compounds elicited significant EAG responses at various concentrations, with the strongest responses at 100 μg μL−1. S. oryzae had a significant positive behavioural response to nonanal, hexanal, and 1-octen-3-ol at various concentrations, with the most attractive being 50, 100, and 100 µg µL−1, respectively. The olfactory preferences of S. oryzae, based on a comparison of these compounds at their optimal concentrations, were nonanal > 1-octen-3-ol = hexanal. These results indicated that the volatiles of the preferred rice cultivar (RBR) were perceived by the peripheral olfactory system of S. oryzae adults and individually elicited positive chemotaxis. These findings offer new insights into the mechanism of host preferences of stored-grain pests. Nonanal showed the greatest potential for use as a novel monitoring and control tool against this storage-beetle pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop a deep learning (DL) method that can determine the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) grading of high-risk liver lesions and distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from non-HCC based on multiphase CT. Methods: This retrospective study included 1049 patients with 1082 lesions from two independent hospitals that were pathologically confirmed as HCC or non-HCC. All patients underwent a four-phase CT imaging protocol. All lesions were graded (LR 4/5/M) by radiologists and divided into an internal (n = 886) and external cohort (n = 196) based on the examination date. In the internal cohort, Swin-Transformer based on different CT protocols were trained and tested for their ability to LI-RADS grading and distinguish HCC from non-HCC, and then validated in the external cohort. We further developed a combined model with the optimal protocol and clinical information for distinguishing HCC from non-HCC. Results: In the test and external validation cohorts, the three-phase protocol without pre-contrast showed κ values of 0.6094 and 0.4845 for LI-RADS grading, and its accuracy was 0.8371 and 0.8061, while the accuracy of the radiologist was 0.8596 and 0.8622, respectively. The AUCs in distinguishing HCC from non-HCC were 0.865 and 0.715 in the test and external validation cohorts, while those of the combined model were 0.887 and 0.808. Conclusion: The Swin-Transformer based on three-phase CT protocol without pre-contrast could feasibly simplify LI-RADS grading and distinguish HCC from non-HCC. Furthermore, the DL model have the potential in accurately distinguishing HCC from non-HCC using imaging and highly characteristic clinical data as inputs. Clinical relevance statement: The application of deep learning model for multiphase CT has proven to improve the clinical applicability of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System and provide support to optimize the management of patients with liver diseases. Key Points: • Deep learning (DL) simplifies LI-RADS grading and helps distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from non-HCC. • The Swin-Transformer based on the three-phase CT protocol without pre-contrast outperformed other CT protocols. • The Swin-Transformer provide help in distinguishing HCC from non-HCC by using CT and characteristic clinical information as inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to effectively reduce the dimensionality of high-dimensional and massive unconstrained face data is important. In this paper, the Weighted Tensor Sparse Graph Embedding (WBTSGE) algorithm is proposed. The original sample image is divided into B blocks, and each image block is represented by a second-order tensor. Then, the algorithm introduces the sample category label and added the intra-class compactness constraint. The sparse reconstruction coefficient is constrained by adding distance weight. Finally, the optimal transformation matrix is obtained by adding global constraint factors. The experimental results show that the recognition rate of WBTSGE is 98.57% in the AR face database and 99.80% in the Extended Yale B database. The WBTSGE algorithm improves the accuracy of face recognition in the experimental face database collected in the controlled environment and the real face database collected in the uncontrolled environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyethylene oxide (PEO) based solid-state batteries are considered as promising candidates for the next-generation Li metal batteries with high energy density and safety. However, the low Li-ion conductivity and high-voltage endurability hinder the further applications of PEO-based electrolytes. To overcome these issues, herein two-dimensional (2D) CeF3 nanoplates with maximally exposed [001] crystal faces are introduced into the PEO matrix to expand the electrochemical window and improve Li-ion conduction and transport. The optimized crystal shape and crystal face anisotropy of CeF3 nanoplate filler reduce the crystallinity of composite solid polymer electrolyte (CSPE) via its Lewis acid-base interaction with ether oxygen of PEO. The Li-affinity [100] and Li-repellent [001] crystal faces of CeF3 nanoplates synergistically realize the dissociation of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), fast Li-adsorption/desorption, and Li+ migration. The optimized CSPE-0.1CeF3 membrane enables the achievement of Li metal batteries with high endurability and stability, from the kinetically favorable Li/Li symmetric cells with long-term cycling over 8000 h. The highly reversible Li/LiFePO4 cells exhibit a capacity retention of 109.2 mAh·g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 C, corresponding to a low capacity fading rate of 0.026% per cycle. The conversion-type all-solid-state Li/CSPE-0.1CeF3/FeF3 cells show a high reversible capacity of 201.9 mAh·g−1 after long-term 600 cycles and of 231.1 mAh·g−1 at an ultra-high rate of 5 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chlor-alkali process plays an essential and irreplaceable role in the modern chemical industry due to the wide-ranging applications of chlorine gas. However, the large overpotential and low selectivity of current chlorine evolution reaction (CER) electrocatalysts result in significant energy consumption during chlorine production. Herein, we report a highly active oxygen-coordinated ruthenium single-atom catalyst for the electrosynthesis of chlorine in seawater-like solutions. As a result, the as-prepared single-atom catalyst with Ru-O4 moiety (Ru-O4 SAM) exhibits an overpotential of only ~30 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in an acidic medium (pH = 1) containing 1 M NaCl. Impressively, the flow cell equipped with Ru-O4 SAM electrode displays excellent stability and Cl2 selectivity over 1000 h continuous electrocatalysis at a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2. Operando characterizations and computational analysis reveal that compared with the benchmark RuO2 electrode, chloride ions preferentially adsorb directly onto the surface of Ru atoms on Ru-O4 SAM, thereby leading to a reduction in Gibbs free-energy barrier and an improvement in Cl2 selectivity during CER. This finding not only offers fundamental insights into the mechanisms of electrocatalysis but also provides a promising avenue for the electrochemical synthesis of chlorine from seawater electrocatalysis. Chlor-alkali process plays an important role in the chemical industry. However, large overpotential and low selectivity of currently used catalysts lead to high energy consumption. Here the authors report Ru-O4 single site catalysts for chlorination evolution with 1000 h stability at 1000 mA cm−2 in a seawater-like environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzoin is an incomplete lithified resin secreted from the trunk of the Styrax Linn. that is known as "semipetrified amber" and has been widely used in medicine due to its blood circulation-promoting and pain-relieving properties. However, the lack of an effective species identification method due to the numerous sources of benzoin resin and the difficulty of DNA extraction has led to the uncertainty of species of benzoin in the trade process. Here, we report the successful extraction of DNA from benzoin resin containing bark-like residues and the evaluation of commercially available benzoin species using molecular diagnostic techniques. By performing a BLAST alignment of ITS2 primary sequences and homology prediction analysis of ITS2 secondary structures, we found that commercially available benzoin species were derived from Styrax tonkinensis (Pierre) Craib ex Hart. and Styrax japonicus Sieb. et Zucc. of the genus Styrax Linn. In addition, some of the benzoin samples were mixed with plant tissues from other genera, accounting for 29.6%. Therefore, this study provides a new method to solve the problem of species identification of semipetrified amber benzoin using information from bark residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was modified by plasma to improve the dispersion, conductivity and adsorption properties of carbon nanotubes. Cement-based composites made with plasma-treated carbon nanotubes (P-CNTs) at different perntages were tested under repeated cyclic axial compressive stress by four electrode methods to measure the electric resistance. Those made with CNTs without plasma treatment as controls were tested also. The results showed that electric resistance change values of the cement mortar with P-CNT and CNT were all monatomic corresponding to the cyclic loading. When the water-cement ratio of the mortar was fixed, increasing of the P-CNT/CNT content would increase the resistance change value of the mortars added with P-CNT/CNT, and the sensitivity performance. It has certain engineering application value [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock-art has been scratched, carved, and pecked into rock panels all over the world resulting in a huge number of engraved figures on natural rock surfaces that record ancient human life and culture. To preserve and recognize these valuable artifacts of human history, 2D digitization of rock surfaces has become a suitable approach due to the development of powerful 2D image processing techniques in recent years. In this article, we present a novel systematical framework for the segmentation of different petroglyph figures from 2D high-resolution images. The novel boundary enhancement with Gaussian loss (BEGL) function is proposed aiming at refining and smoothing the rock-arts boundaries in the basic UNet architecture. Several experiments on the 3D-pitoti dataset demonstrate that our proposed approach can achieve more accurate boundaries and superior results compared with other loss functions. The comprehensive framework of petroglyph segmentation from 2D high-resolution images provides the foundation for recognizing multiple petroglyph marks. The framework can then be extended to other cultural heritage digital protection domain easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of WO3–Mo–Al catalysts with various tungsten species uniformly incorporation into the Mo–Al catalyst were prepared by a facile one-pot synthesis strategy denoted as evaporation-induced self-assembly assisted by combined assembly by soft and hard chemistry (CASH) method. The prepared catalysts were applied into the extractive catalytic oxidative desulfurization (ECODS) technology when using dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the sulfur substrate, acetonitrile as the extractant and H2O2 as the oxidant. Based on the physical and chemical properties characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption, FT-IR, SEM-EDX, H2-TPR, and XPS techniques, the interaction effect between molybdenum species and other components resulting in the promotion of the electron cloud density for the Mo=O bond by the uniformly incorporated tungsten species. The 3WO3–25Mo–Al catalyst showed the highest catalytic performance when the DBT removal rate can reach up to 100.0%, and it can also be kept as 99.9% after repeated used for 10 times. The results can provide a valuable reference to prepare a catalyst with potential application prospect for the industrial desulfurization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern fringe area of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) between arid and semiarid regions is a fragile eco-environment zone and ecological transition zone, and it is highly sensitive to climate change. Predicting the future migration of the northern boundary of the EASM is important for understanding future East Asian climate change and formulating of decisions on ecological protection and economic development in arid and semiarid regions. The reanalysis dataset and simulations of 23 models from the Coupled Models Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) were used to investigate the response of the boundary of the ESAM to the global warming. The multi-model ensemble showed a northwestward migration of the EASM northern boundary during the near-term (2020–2060) and late-term (2061–2099) of the twenty-first century under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). The northern boundary migrated northwestward by 23–28 and 74–76 km in the near-term and late-term respectively, under SSP1-2.6, 2-4.5 and 3-7.0 and by ~ 44 km and ~ 107 km respectively during the near-term and late-term under SSP5-8.5. During the twenty-first century, under various SSPs, the surface of the East Asian subcontinent warmed more than the ocean, thereby increasing the contrast of near-surface temperature and sea level pressure in summer between the East Asian subcontinent and the surrounding oceans. In turn, the intensified land–sea thermal contrast reinforced the EASM meridional circulation and thus transported more moisture from the Indian Ocean into northern China. Additionally, a poleward migration and weakening of the East Asian subtropical westerly jet would also favor an increase in precipitation, eventually caused a northwestward migration of the EASM northern boundary. The results suggest that the arid and semiarid ecotone will become wetter, which could dramatically improve the eco-environment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2G 2 (UBE2G2) has been reported to be differentially expressed in subjects with abnormal coronary endothelial function. We intended to further explore the effect of UBE2G2 in AS using apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice. Relative UBE2G2 expression in aortic sinus tissues was examined by Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining. Atherosclerotic plaque formation was observed through hematoxylin–eosin staining. The protein levels of adhesion biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines was analyzed by western blotting. The direct interaction between UBE2G2 and miR-204-5p was predicted by bioinformatic analysis, and the correlation was analyzed by Pearson's correlation test, and verified by luciferase reporter assay. Human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) development was detected by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine labeling assay and wound healing assays. UBE2G2 was highly expressed in the aortic sinus tissues of high-fat diet-fed ApoE−/− mice. The atherosclerotic plaque formation was increased in ApoE−/− mice, while UBE2G2 knockdown reduced it. Silencing of UBE2G2 also inhibited the expression and protein levels of adhesion biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines in ApoE−/− mice. MiR-204-5p was the upstream effector of UBE2G2 and miR-204-5p overexpression was found to inhibit the proliferation and migration of human VSMCs through regulating UBE2G2 expression. UBE2G2 inhibition attenuated AS in ApoE−/− mice and UBE2G2 expression was negatively regulated by miR-204-5p in human VSMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, nodal line semimetals based on ZrSiS-family have garnered massive research interests contributing numerous experimental and theoretical works. Despite being the most studied nodal-line semimetal, a clear understanding of the transient state relaxation dynamics and the underlying mechanism in ZrSiS is lacking. Using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we study the ultrafast relaxation dynamics in ZrSiS and reveal a unique relaxation in the bulk nodal-line state which is well-captured by a simple model based on optical and acoustic phonon cooling. Our model predicts linear decay processes for both optical and acoustic phonon relaxations with optical cooling dominant at higher temperatures. Our results reveal different decay mechanisms for the bulk and surface states and pave a way to understand the mechanism of conduction in this material. Topological nodal line semimetals are characterised by band crossings along a line, or closed loop inside, of the Brillouin zone and belong to a larger family of topological semimetals. Here, using time-resolved angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the authors investigate the ultrafast relaxation dynamics in the bulk nodal line state of one such material, ZrSiS, elucidating the role of optical and acoustic phonon cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By exploiting the carrier frequency offset (CFO) between a transmitter-receiver pair, this paper proposes a CFO-based physical layer authentication scheme for dynamic multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems. We first provide analytical modeling of dynamic CFO in such MIMO systems by jointly taking into account the intrinsic oscillator mismatch and Doppler frequency shift caused by node mobility, and employ the self-correlating and extended Kalman filtering techniques for the CFO estimation and prediction. By quantizing the difference between the estimated CFO and predicted one, we then apply the statistical signal processing techniques to develop a CFO-based physical layer authentication scheme for transmitter identity verification. With the help of tools from stochastic process and hypothesis testing theories, we further derive the analytical expressions for false alarm rate as well as detection rate to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. Finally, we provide extensive numerical results to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bifunctional Ni-MOF nanosheet was synthesized and developed for label-free fluorescent detection of H2O2 and glucose. The Ni-MOF exhibited intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and its catalytic activity was demonstrated to be originated from the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) produced in catalytic process. Since the generated •OH enabled terephthalic acid, the non-fluorescent organic ligand of Ni-MOF, to form a strongly fluorescent 2-hydroxy terephthalic acid, the Ni-MOF nanozyme was endowed with dual-function properties of mimicking peroxidase and emitting fluorescence. Based on this bifunctional Ni-MOF nanozyme, the proposed label-free fluorescence sensing strategy was applied to detecting H2O2 and glucose with wide linear ranges of 0.1–20 mM and 8–30 μM, and low detection limits of 4.0 × 10−5 M and 4.0 × 10−6 M, respectively. Furthermore, the bifunctional Ni-MOF-based label-free sensing platform was successfully used for the glucose detection in human serum samples, showing good reproducibility and high accuracy. This strategy provides a green and sensitive method for the determination of small biomolecules in practical applications by the combination of enzyme cascade reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of natural killer (NK) cells as potential antitumor effector cells appears to be valuable for immunotherapies. However, the clinical use of NK cells is limited because the technical difficulties associated with mass production NK cells at sufficiently high numbers represents a great challenge. Ex vivo expansion of NK cells is a key technology for cell therapy. Bioreactor systems can generate homogeneous culture condition and modulate the environmental and biochemical cues. In this study, a novel magnetically controlled bioreactor was developed for supporting NK cells ex vivo expansion. Using synthetic magnetic beads, the stirring device of the magnetically controlled bioreactor generated reduced shearing force. The intermittent magnetic field was applied for magnetic beads movement to homogenize the culture system. NK-92 cells were cultured in the magnetically controlled bioreactor and the expansion and function of expanded cells were investigated on day 8. The results showed that the expansion of NK-92 cells in the bioreactor was 67.71 ± 10.60-fold, which was significantly higher than that of the T25 culture flask (P < 0.05). Moreover, the proportions of CD3−CD56+ cells and cell killing activity of expanded cells in the bioreactor did not reveal any differences compared to T25 flasks. Taken together, this study demonstrated the possibility of magnetically controlled bioreactor as a potent strategy in NK cells production for facilitating cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of transient optical fields has proven critical to understanding the dynamical mechanisms underlying ultrafast physical and chemical phenomena, and is key to realizing higher speeds in electronics and telecommunications. However, complete characterization of optical waveforms requires an 'optical oscilloscope' capable of resolving the electric-field oscillations with sub-femtosecond resolution and with single-shot operation. Here we show that strong-field nonlinear excitation of photocurrents in a silicon-based image sensor chip can provide the sub-cycle optical gate necessary to characterize carrier-envelope phase-stable optical waveforms in the mid-infrared. By mapping the temporal delay between an intense excitation and weak perturbing pulse onto a transverse spatial coordinate of the image sensor, we show that the technique allows single-shot measurement of few-cycle waveforms. Waveforms of mid-infrared few-cycle optical pulses are captured in a single shot by measuring nonlinear photocurrents in a Si-based image sensor chip. The temporal resolution of waveforms is determined by the spatial resolution of the image sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ξ -submanifolds and ξ -translators are, respectively, the natural generalizations of self-shrinkers and translators of the mean curvature flow and, in the case of codimension one, they are previously known as λ -hypersurfaces and λ -translators, respectively. In this paper, we study the complete Lagrangian space-like ξ -surfaces and ξ -translators in R 2 4 , the pseudo-Euclidean 4-spaces of signature 2 endowed with the canonical complex structure. As the result, we first obtain a classification theorem for all complete Lagrangian space-like ξ -surfaces in R 2 4 of constant square norm of the second fundamental form. Then the main idea of the proof also allows us to obtain a similar classification theorem for ξ -translators in R 2 4 by a Bernstein-type theorem for space-like translators in a general pseudo-Euclidean space R p m + p , which is of independent significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with chemically synthesized materials, biomass materials often exhibit unique intrinsic structures, which can be utilized through optimizing microstructures and activation process to furnish low-cost and efficient Microwave Absorption Materials. This research uses a common hydrophyte (Cyperus malaccensis Lam. var. brevifolius Bocklr) in South China as the raw material to fabricate carbon-based biomass-derived absorbers through one-step synthesis. The fabricated carbon materials show efficient Microwave Absorption (MA) performance with minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of − 26.0 dB at 11.9 GHz from the sample pyrolyzed at 700 °C under the thickness of only 2 mm and wide effective absorption bandwidth of 4.6 GHz (11.6–16.2 GHz) from the sample annealed at 600 °C. Moreover, the effective MA bandwidth can cover the entire C to Ku band by tuning the thickness. A balance of dielectric loss mechanism and impedance matching is the reason why this biomass carbon-based absorber exhibits excellent MA performance. The results show that this biomass carbon has great potential to be low-cost, green and efficient carbon-based microwave absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Sn-Ti microspheres were first successfully synthesized by a PVP-assisted sol-gel method in this paper, and their performance in the B–V oxidation of cyclohexanone was investigated. The XRD, N2 sorption, SEM, Py-IR, UV–Vis, XPS, EDX, Elemental mapping and TEM characterization techniques were utilized to investigate their physical and chemical properties. Based on the proposal possible formation mechanism, in the MTS-x sample synthesis procedure, the introduction of PVP as a stabilizer and dispersant can coordinate the hydrolysis rate of two different precursors resulting in the hindrance of their agglomerations. And the HDA as a precipitation accelerator and morphology control agent can be beneficial to the formation of spheres by increasing the hydrogen-bonding interactions. The MTS-12 as well as the weight percent of tin to titanium species of 12 with specific regular microspheres has the highest cyclohexanone conversion of 97.8% and the highest ε-caprolactone selectivity of 98.2%, which is better than the bulk Sn-TiO2 catalyst even though that the weight percent of tin to titanium species was 18. The catalysts with higher accessible active sites and shorter diffusion channels would provide a valuable theoretic reference for the industrial process of the B–V oxidation of cyclohexanone for the preparation of caprolactone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag and Co co-doped La1-xAgxMn1-yCoyO3-δ perovskites were prepared by the citric acid sol–gel method. The maximum solubility of Ag+ in LaMnO3 decreased with the increase of Co doped in B-site, which lead to the exsolution of excess Ag+ from A-site of perovskite. The exsolution progress is more favorable to the formation of uniform and stable Ag nanoparticles on the perovskite substrate. The non-thermal plasma (NTP) assisted La1-xAgxMn1-yCoyO3-δ for soot catalytic combustion had been investigated under diesel exhaust gas conditions. When La1-xAgxMn1-yCoyO3-δ was utilized as the catalyst without NTP, the soot could hardly be oxidized at 200 °C. However, when La1-xAgxMn1-yCoyO3-δ was combined with NTP, the efficiency of soot removal was dramatically improved. The NTP-La0.5Ag0.5Mn0.8Co0.2O3-δ hybrid had the highest soot removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity. The combination of NTP and La1-xAgxMn1-yCoyO3-δ could form a synergistic catalytic effect, which significantly promoted the combustion of soot at low temperature. The results of characterization and experiments indicated that the synergistic catalytic performance depended on the coordination of short-living species in plasma, adsorbed oxygen and Ag nanoparticles on surface of La1-xAgxMn1-yCoyO3-δ. Based on these results, the reaction mechanism of plasma-catalyst hybrid for soot catalytic combustion was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrolyzation of sewage sludge (SS) could efficiently transform inherent phosphorus (P) into bioavailable phosphate forms, which endows SS-derived biochar (SSB) the potential as a soil fertilizer. However, the details about the release behavior of P in SSB have not been systematically investigated. This study evaluated the fast and slow P releasing behaviors from SSB and CaO-amended SSB prepared under different pyrolysis temperature. The higher pyrolysis temperature and CaO addition could enhance the conversion of non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP) into more bioavailable apatite inorganic phosphorous (AP). Acidic and alkaline conditions were favorable for the fast release of P from SSB. Higher ionic strength condition gave greater releasing amounts of TP and the SO42- facilitating a rapid release of TP than those for Cl- and NO3-. SSBs with CaO addition showed a much slower TP release than those without CaO both in fast release (24 h, with CaO: 0.05~0.4 mg TP g-1 SSB, e.g., without CaO 0.5~5 mg TP g-1 SSB) and slow release tests (21 days, with CaO: 1.2~4.1 mg TP g-1 SSB, e.g., without CaO 1.8~5.7 mg TP g-1 SSB). Ortho-P release was more remarkable for the SSB amended with CaO (~54% of TP), which was likely due to the formation of orthophosphate. The results of this study suggested that SSB prepared by high pyrolysis temperature and CaO addition had high potential as a slow P-releasing fertilizer for the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective nutrient transport and appropriate mechanical stimulation play important roles in production of tissue-engineered bone grafts. In this study, an experimental set-up for magnetic-driven dynamic culture of cells was designed to mimic the microenvironment of the bone tissue. Here, its ability to contribute to osteogenic differentiation was investigated by inoculating human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) on magnetic scaffolds. The cytocompatibility of the developed magnetic scaffolds was verified for HUMSCs. Magnetic scaffolds seeded with HUMSCs were exposed to magnetic fields. The results showed that magnetic fields did not affect cell activity and promoted HUMSCs osteogenic differentiation. The magnetic scaffolds were magnetically driven for dynamic culture in the experimental set-up to evaluate the influence of HUMSCs osteoblast differentiation. The results indicated that magnetic-driven dynamic culture increased cell alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (p < 0.05) and calcium release (p < 0.05) compared with static culture. The effect was demonstrated in the expression of bone-associated genes. Overall, this study showed that magnetic-driven dynamic culture is a promising tool for regenerative bone engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the complete Lagrangian translators in the complex 2-plane C 2 . As the result, we obtain a uniqueness theorem showing that the plane is the only complete Lagrangian translator in C 2 with constant square norm of the second fundamental form. On the basis of this, we can prove a more general classification theorem for Lagrangian ξ -translators in C 2 . The same idea is also used to give a similar classification of Lagrangian ξ -surfaces in C 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of CA4P analogs (5a-g, 6a-g) has been designed and effectively synthesized via a one-pot reaction from Combretastatin A-4/Erianin, commercially available amino acid esters and phenyl dichlorophosphate. To establish new candidates with anticancer activity, the in vitro antiproliferative effect of these compounds was measured by the CCK8 method on different cancer cell lines such as human liver caricinoma (HepG2), cervical cancer (HeLa) and colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116). The structure-activity relationships between CA4P outgrowth-promoting activity and its analogs suggested that the biaryl structure linked with double bond in Part A and the steric effect at the position α-carbon atom in the amino acid ester moiety (Part B) are essential for affecting the in vitro proliferation inhibitory activity of CA4P analogs. Additionally, the results of biological activity and molecular docking simulation showed that the vast majority of these novel Phosphoramidate derivatives exhibited potent anti-cancer activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, carbon quantum dots-reduced graphene oxide (CQDs-rGO) nanocomposite was modified on the surface of glass carbon electrode (GCE) via an one-step co-deposition method to fabricate an effective electrochemical senor for the simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA). Due to the strong synergetic effect between CQDs and rGO, the sensor exhibited good selectivity and high catalytic activity toward AA, DA, and UA. The peak potential differences of simultaneous detection for AA-DA, DA-UA, and AA-UA were calculated as 0.147 V, 0.135 V, and 0.282 V, respectively. And the linear responses of AA, DA, and UA were found in the ranges of 0.2–0.9 mM (R2 = 0.99) and 1.4–4.2 mM (R2 = 0.99), 5–9 μM (R2 = 0.98) and 11–81 μM (R2 = 0.99), and 20–90 μM (R2 = 0.99) and 140–300 μM (R2 = 0.99), respectively. The as-prepared sensor contributed a fresh idea to the simultaneous detection of AA, DA, and UA, and has a broad prospect in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the net primary productivity (NPP) of grassland is crucial to evaluate the terrestrial carbon cycle. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution and the area of global grassland across the globe. Then, we used the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model to estimate global grassland NPP and explore the spatio-temporal variations of grassland NPP in response to climate change from 1982 to 2008. Results showed that the largest area of grassland distribution during the study period was in Asia (1737.23 × 104 km2), while the grassland area in Europe was relatively small (202.83 × 104 km2). Temporally, the total NPP increased with fluctuations from 1982 to 2008, with an annual increase rate of 0.03 Pg C/yr. The total NPP experienced a significant increasing trend from 1982 to 1995, while a decreasing trend was observed from 1996 to 2008. Spatially, the grassland NPP in South America and Africa were higher than the other regions, largely as a result of these regions are under warm and wet climatic conditions. The highest mean NPP was recorded for savannas (560.10 g C/(m2·yr)), whereas the lowest was observed in open shrublands with an average NPP of 162.53 g C/(m2·yr). The relationship between grassland NPP and annual mean temperature and annual precipitation (AMT, AP, respectively) varies with changes in AP, which indicates that, grassland NPP is more sensitive to precipitation than temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals' well-being underpins a strong and sustainable society. Schools are increasingly recognized as key facilitators of well-being producing young people who can flourish across the life span. The current research explores and extends a new model that integrates core aspects of school relational climate (teacher and peer relationships) and school identification (connectedness, belonging) in explaining student negative well-being (depression and stress) in a non-Western cultural context. Measures included students' perceptions of school relational climate, school identification, stress, and depressive symptoms in 1369 students across six Chinese schools. The results indicated that school relational climate and school identification were significantly associated with Chinese adolescents' negative well-being in line with predictions based on the social identity perspective; there was also evidence that school identification mediated school-based relationships and negative well-being. The findings provide greater confidence in the variables of school relational climate and school identification in being related to youth well-being and showcase their generalizability and applicability to non-Western cultural settings. The research also provides insights into pathways forward to address mental health in Chinese schools through school relational climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific hybridization is a useful tool for genetic improvement in organisms propagated by aquaculture. Larimichthys polyactis and L. crocea are both important aquaculture species of the Sciaenidae family of fish in China. To determine whether these two species can be interbred to produce viable offspring, we developed methods to hybridize these two fish species. The progress of embryonic development was monitored, and the relative DNA content and genetic relationships between the hybrids and their parents were analyzed. The results showed that crossing of L. polyactis (♀) and L. crocea (♂) was successful, producing hybrid offspring with a hatch rate (90.5%), higher than those of the control groups for L. polyactis and L. crocea. The data from the relative DNA content investigation demonstrated that all the hybrid offspring were hybrid diploids similar to their parents. Additionally, the hybrids inherited nuclear DNA from both parents and were shown to be true amphimixis hybrids through genetic relationship analysis. Thus, this study provided genetic evidence to support the successful establishment of viable diploid hybrid individuals from crossbreeding L. polyactis (♀) and L. crocea (♂). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wolbachia is a maternally inherited intracellular bacterium (Rickettsiaceae) that infects a wide range of arthropods and nematodes, plays an influential role in host development and triggers various reproductive abnormalities. In this study it was investigated whether Wolbachia infection of the Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) species of Guizhou brown planthopper (BPH) induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and alters BPH developmental timing, longevity, and fecundity. It was shown that although Wolbachia does not induce CI in the species of BPH, its absence decreases BPH fitness. Furthermore, the cross of a Wolbachia -free female BPH and an infected male (F▽ × M) resulted in a significantly shorter pre-adult developmental period (11.15 ± 0.22), significantly reduced ovi-days (5.80 ± 0.2438), significantly shorter longevity (22.9 ± 0.38), and lower fecundity (176.28 ± 5.79b). This cross also affected a series of population parameters by increasing the finite rate (λ) (1.2903 ± 0.02) and intrinsic rate value (r) (0.2548 ± 0.01), reducing the net reproductive rate (R 0) (88.12 ± 19.9) and decreasing longevity (22.9 ± 0.38). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) contaminated rice has become a global food security issue. Hyperspectral remote sensing can do rapid and nondestructive monitoring of environmental stress in plant. To realize the nondestructive detection of Cd in brown rice before harvest, the leaf spectral reflectance of rice exposed to six different levels of Cd stress was measured during the whole life stages. In addition, the dry weight of rice grain and Cd concentrations in brown rice were measured after harvest. The impact of Cd stress on the quantity and the quality of rice grain and on the leaf reflectance of rice was analyzed, and hyperspectral estimation models for predicting the Cd content in brown rice during three growth stages were established. The results showed that rice plants can impact the quality of the brown rice seriously, even if the impact on the quantity was not significant. All the established models had the capability to estimate Cd concentrations in brown rice (R2 > 0.598), and the best performance model, with the R2 value of 0.873, was use first derivative spectrum of booting stage as variable. It was concluded that the hyperspectral of rice leaves provides a new insight to predict Cd concentration in brown rice before harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terpenoids are a large family of natural compounds that are important for both biotechnological applications and basic microorganism physiology. Inspired by the current literature, we hypothesized that recently deciphered phosphatase promiscuity may be an unexplored factor that negatively affects terpenoid biosynthesis by redirecting carbon flux away from the pathway via unrecognized catalytic activities on the phosphorylated intermediates. We used lycopene as a proof-of-concept to test this hypothesis. Based on an extensive bioinformatics analysis, we selected 56 phosphatase-encoding genes in Escherichia coli and constructed a knockdown library for these genes in a lycopene overproducer via CRISPR interference (CRISPRi). We screened this phosphatase knockdown library and observed enrichment (28 of 56) for genes that impair lycopene biosynthesis. Further scaled-up cultivation, combinatorial knockdown, and knockout assays in strains that overproduce lycopene or another terpenoid (β-carotene) confirmed the proposed relationship between promiscuous phosphatases and impaired terpenoid biosynthesis. This study hence suggests the necessity of reconsidering the interactions of promiscuous phosphatases with ubiquitous phosphorylated components of metabolic networks with respect to engineering metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural responsiveness is a key aspect of the quality of organized activities, yet has rarely been examined. Based on developmental theories and a theoretical framework for culturally responsive activities, the current study investigated the prevalence and correlates of two ethnic cultural features (i.e., ethnic cultural content & ethnic cultural respect) in organized activities. Using data from 154 Latino adolescents (Mage = 12.36, SD = .53; 59% Female) and parents, we examined associations between adolescent perceptions of both ethnic cultural features and their activity experiences; and associations between parent perceptions of both ethnic cultural features and parental involvement in the activity. Latino adolescents and parents in general perceived lower than average ethnic cultural content and moderate to high ethnic cultural respect in the reported activity. Both adolescents and parents were more likely to perceive ethnic cultural content and respect in activities where Latino youth were the numerical ethnic majority than in activities where Latino youth were the numerical ethnic minority. Latino adolescents’ perceptions of ethnic cultural respect were associated with more positive activity experiences, whereas their perceptions of ethnic cultural content were associated with more negative feelings. Latino parents’ perceptions of ethnic cultural content predicted higher involvement. To design culturally responsive activities, ethnic cultural features should be incorporated in a thoughtful, meaningful way that reflects both adolescents’ and parents’ perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting styles have significant influence on children’s academic motivation. In a sample composed of 226 Chinese 10th grade students and at least one respective parent (147 fathers and 165 mothers), we examined the relationship between parenting styles and students’ academic motivation by applying the self-determination theory (SDT)’s multidimensional perspective of motivation. Students’ academic motivation was assessed directly within the school environment. A questionnaire used to assess parenting styles was administered to the fathers and/or mothers of the students within the home. A path-analysis indicated, firstly, that mothers’ authoritative parenting styles were related to enhanced intrinsic motivation and identified regulation. Secondly, mothers’ authoritarian parenting styles were negatively related to introjected regulation and external regulation. Lastly, both mothers’ and fathers’ permissive parenting styles were positively related to external regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to prepare stable DL-tetrahydropalmatine (DL-THP) nanosuspensions of optimized formulation with PEGylated chitosan as a multifunctional stabilizer using the antisolvent precipitation method. A central composite design project of three factors and five-level full factorial (53) was applied to design the experimental program, and response surface methodology analysis was used to optimize the experimental conditions. The effects of critical influencing factors such as PEGylated chitosan concentration, operational temperature, and ultrasonic energy on particle size and zeta potential were investigated. Under the optimization nanosuspension formulation, the particle size was 269 nm and zeta potential was at 37.4 mV. Also, the DL-THP nanosuspensions maintained good physical stability after 2 months, indicating the potential ability of the multifunctional stabilizer for stable nanosuspension formulation. Hence, the present findings indicated that PEGylated chitosan could be used as the ideal stabilizer to form a physically stable nanosuspension formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which correlations between personality domains and physical and psychological health generalize cross-culturally is unclear. We compared the strength of associations between the personality domains and somatic and psychological distress in Chinese (N = 2069) and a genetically informative sample of Australian (N = 2936) adolescents. We also examined the genetic and environmental etiology between personality, somatic and psychological distress in an Australian sample of 390 monozygotic twins and 698 dizygotic twins. In both populations, personality was assessed using the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Somatic and psychological distress was assessed using the Somatic and Psychological Health Report. We found significant cultural differences in the relationship between adolescents’ personality traits and somatic and psychological distress. Extraversion was positively associated with somatic distress in the Chinese but not in Australian adolescents. In the Australian twins, genetic covariation between neuroticism and somatic and psychological distress was stronger compared to the genetic associations between either psychoticism or extraversion with psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]