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Teacher self-efficacy plays an important role in special education; yet, the literature on the measurement of teacher self-efficacy in this field is limited. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale with a sample of Chinese special education teachers (N = 401, 24.19% male). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Chinese special educational version of the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy Scale (CS-TSES), modified from the Asian model by Ruan, J., Nie, Y., Hong, J., Monobe, G., Zheng, G., Kambara, H., & You, S. (2015). Cross-cultural validation of teachers' sense of efficacy scale in three Asian countries. "Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment," 33(8), 769-779, showed an excellent fit. Additionally, correlations were observed between the results of the CS-TSES and both the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, providing criterion-related validity. In sum, the findings indicated that the TSES is applicable to special education teachers in the Chinese context.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity and low phosphorus availability (LP) are the top two co-existing edaphic constraints limiting agriculture productivity in acid soils. Plants have evolved versatile mechanisms to cope with the two stresses alone or simultaneously. However, the specific and common molecular mechanisms, especially those involving flavonoids and carbohydrate metabolism, remain unclear. Laboratory studies were conducted on two wheat genotypes—Fielder (Al-tolerant and P-efficient) and Ardito (Al-sensitive and P-inefficient)—exposed to 50 μM Al and 2 μM Pi (LP) in hydroponic solutions. After 4 days of stress, wheat roots were analyzed using transcriptomics and targeted metabolomics techniques. In Fielder, a total of 2296 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under Al stress, with 1535 upregulated and 761 downregulated, and 3029 DEGs were identified under LP stress, with 1591 upregulated and 1438 downregulated. Similarly, 4404 DEGs were identified in Ardito under Al stress, with 3191 upregulated and 1213 downregulated, and 1430 DEGs were identified under LP stress, with 1176 upregulated and 254 downregulated. GO annotation analysis results showed that 4079 DEGs were annotated to the metabolic processes term. These DEGs were significantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways by performing the KEGG enrichment analysis. The targeted metabolome analysis detected 19 flavonoids and 15 carbohydrate components in Fielder and Ardito under Al and LP stresses. In Fielder, more responsive genes and metabolites were involved in flavonoid metabolism under LP than Al stress, whereas the opposite trend was observed in Ardito. In the carbohydrate metabolism pathway, the gene and metabolite expression levels were higher in Fielder than in Ardito. The combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed differences in flavonoid- and carbohydrate-related genes and metabolites between Fielder and Ardito under Al and LP stresses, which may contribute to Fielder's higher resistance to Al and LP. The results of this study lay a foundation for pyramiding genes and breeding multi-resistant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on tools of attitudes towards ASD was limited. This study is the first to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the multidimensional attitudes scale toward persons with disabilities (MAS) in a sample of Chinese college students (N = 1002, 32.10% males). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the G-MAS-R model's 4-factor structure: calm, negative affect, positive cognitions and behavioral avoidance. The results suggest that the Chinese version of the MAS has satisfactory internal consistency. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the MAS scores were significantly correlated with the Social Distance Scale and Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire scores. Overall, the findings indicate that the MAS is appropriate for assessing attitudes toward people with ASD in a Chinese context.

The van der Waals interface structures and behaviors are of great importance in determining the physical properties of two-dimensional atomic crystals and their heterostructures. The delicate interfacial properties are sensitively dependent on the mechanical behaviors of atomically thin films under external strain. Here, we investigated the strain-engineered rippling structures at the CVD-grown bilayer-MoS2 interface with advanced atomic force microscopy (AFM). The in-plane compressive strain is sequentially introduced into the 1L-substrate and 2L-1L interface of bilayer-MoS2 flakes via a fast-cooling process. The thermal strain-engineered rippling structures were directly visualized at the central 2H- and 3R-MoS2 bilayer regions with friction force microscopy (FFM) and bimodal AFM techniques. These rippling structures can be further artificially manipulated into the beating-like rippling features and fully erased via the contact mode AFM scanning. Our results shed lights on the strain-engineered interfacial structures of two-dimensional materials and also inspire the further investigation on the interface engineering of their electronic and optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) method has been widely applied to synthesize high-quality two-dimensional materials. GeTe has many intriguing properties, such as phase transition, thermoelectric and ferroelectricity, which allow unique opportunities for functional ferroelectric devices. Here, we systematically investigated effects of various parameters during the growth of α-GeTe nanosheets on mica by APCVD. Single-crystal α-GeTe nanosheets possess a lateral size of up to ∼30 μm and a thickness as low as ∼8.6 nm. It was found that substrate pre-annealing significantly impacted the nucleation density of α-GeTe nanosheets. Furthermore, the room-temperature ferroelectric properties of α-GeTe nanosheets grown by CVD are reported for the first time. This work offers an effective accessible method for the controllable growth of large-size 2D α-GeTe to explore its fascinating multiferroic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to determine how environmental technology (ET), digital financial inclusion (DFI), information and communication technology (ICT), and education affect a firm's performance in China from 1998 to 2020. We have employed the quantile autoregressive distributed lag model to estimate the variables' short‐ and long‐term relationship across various quantiles. In the context of non‐state‐owned enterprises (NSOE), the estimates of ET are positively significant in almost half of the quantiles in the long run, while in the short run, the estimates are insignificant. In the NSOE model, the DFI estimates are significant and positive at the highest quantiles only in the long run and almost at all quantiles in the short run. Likewise, the estimates of ET are positively significant in half quantiles in the long run and insignificant in the short run in terms of state‐owned enterprises (SOE). In the SOE model, the DFI estimates are significant and positive at the highest quantiles only in the long run and at medium and highest quantiles in the short run. ICT and educational development have a favorable impact on a firm's performance across all quantiles in the long run in SOE and NSOE models. However, in the short run, these variables have a favorable impact only at higher quantiles in SOE and NSOE. These findings imply that more ET, DFI, ICT, and education are crucial for improving the performance of state‐owned and non‐state‐owned firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced carbon and silicon carbide matrix composites for nozzle inner of solid propellant ramjet were prepared by using the hybrid process of "chemical vapor infiltration + precursor impregnation pyrolysis (CVI+PIP)". The microstructure, flexural and anti-ablation properties of the C/C-SiC composites and hydraulic test and rocket motor hot firing test for nozzle inner of solid propellant ramjet were comprehensively investigated. The results show that when the flexural strength of the composite reachs 197 MPa, the fracture damage behavior of the composites presents typical toughness mode.Also the composites has excellent anti-ablative property, i.e., linear ablation rate is only 0.0063 mm·s-1 after 200 s ablation. The C/C-SiC component have excellent integral bearing performance with the hydraulic bursting pressure of 6.5 MPa, and the high temperature combination property of the C/C-SiC composite nozzle inner is verified through motor hot firing of solid propellant ramjet.

Enhancing the sustainability of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is crucial due to their manifold benefits, which encompass environmental preservation, cost reduction, and resource and energy conservation. The achievement of these advantages relies on the careful choice and implementation of retrofit technologies to upgrade WWTPs. However, this decision-making process is intricate, given the trade-offs between the objectives and the inherent decision uncertainties. To address these complexities, this work presents an innovative weighted multi-objective optimization (MOO) framework tailored for WWTP enhancement amid uncertain conditions. This framework comprises two phases. The first phase involves basic definition and information collection through a case-specific assessment, while the second phase includes model formulation and solver optimization, which serves as a generic tool for the weighted MOO problem. In the model formulation, a combined weighting approach that integrates expert opinions and statistical insights is introduced to assign significance to each objective. The solver optimization employs a projection-based algorithm to identify the optimal technology configuration that achieves a satisfactory and balanced improvement across multiple sustainable objectives. By applying this framework to a case plant for retrofit technology selection, the comprehensive sustainability performance, the targeting of discharged pollution, the operational cost, and the GHG emissions improved by 46.7% to 68.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphic structures of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) host exotic electronic states, like charge density wave and superconductivity. However, the number of these structures is limited by crystal symmetries, which poses a challenge to achieving tailored lattices and properties both theoretically and experimentally. Here, we report a coloring-triangle (CT) latticed MoTe2 monolayer, termed CT-MoTe2, constructed by controllably introducing uniform and ordered mirror-twin-boundaries into a pristine monolayer via molecular beam epitaxy. Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) together with theoretical calculations reveal that the monolayer has an electronic Janus lattice, i.e., an energy-dependent atomic-lattice and a Te pseudo-sublattice, and shares the identical geometry with the Mo5Te8 layer. Dirac-like and flat electronic bands inherently existing in the CT lattice are identified by two broad and two prominent peaks in STS spectra, respectively, and verified with density-functional-theory calculations. Two types of intrinsic domain boundaries were observed, one of which maintains the electronic-Janus-lattice feature, implying potential applications as an energy-tunable electron-tunneling barrier in future functional devices. 2D materials with Kagome lattices have attracted significant interest due to their exotic electronic properties. Here, the authors report the synthesis and characterization of a 2D MoTe2 phase characterized by a colouring-triangular lattice (a Kagome variant), showing evidence of Dirac-like and flat electronic bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correlated 2D layers, like 1T‐phases of TaS2, TaSe2, and NbSe2, exhibit rich tunability through varying interlayer couplings, which promotes the understanding of electron correlation in the 2D limit. However, the coupling mechanism is, so far, poorly understood and is tentatively ascribed to interactions among the dz2${{\mathrm{d}}}_{{{\mathrm{z}}}^2}\ $orbitals of Ta or Nb atoms. Here, it is theoretically shown that the interlayer hybridization and localization strength of interfacial Se pz orbitals, rather than Nb dz2${{\mathrm{d}}}_{{z}^2}\ $orbitals, govern the variation of electron‐correlated properties upon interlayer sliding or twisting in correlated magnetic 1T‐NbSe2 bilayers. Each of the layers is in a star‐of‐David (SOD) charge‐density‐wave phase. Geometric and electronic structures and magnetic properties of 28 different stacking configurations are examined and analyzed using density‐functional‐theory calculations. It is found that the SOD contains a localized region, in which interlayer Se pz hybridization plays a paramount role in varying the energy levels of the two Hubbard bands. These variations lead to three electronic transitions among four insulating states, which demonstrate the effectiveness of interlayer interactions to modulate correlated magnetic properties in a prototypical correlated magnetic insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)‐based minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, which can identify disease relapse ahead of radiological imaging, has shown promising performance. The objective of this study was to develop and validate OriMIRACLE S (Minimal Residual Circulating Nucleic Acid Longitudinal Detection in Solid Tumor), a highly sensitive and specific tumor‐informed assay for MRD detection. Methods: Tumor‐specific somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were identified via whole exome sequencing of tumor tissue and matched germline DNA. Clonal SNVs were selected using the OriSelector algorithm for patient‐specific, multiplex PCR‐based NGS assays in MRD detection. Plasma‐free DNA from patients with gastrointestinal tumors prior to and following an operation, and during monitoring, were ultradeep sequenced. Results: The detection of three positive sites was sufficient to achieve nearly 100% overall sample level sensitivity and specificity and was determined by calculating binomial probability based on customized panels containing 21 to 30 variants. A total of 127 patients with gastrointestinal tumors were enrolled in our study. Preoperatively, MRD was positive in 18 of 26 patients (69.23%). Following surgery, MRD was positive in 24 of 82 patients (29.27%). The positivity rate for MRD was 33.33% (n = 18) for gastric adenocarcinoma and 32.26% (n = 62) for colorectal cancer. Twenty (20) of 59 patients (34.48%) experienced a change in MRD status over the monitoring period. Patients 8 and 31 responded to 3 cycles of systemic therapy, after which levels for all ctDNA dropped below the detection limit. Patient 53 was an example of using MRD to predict tumor metastasis. Patient 55 showed a weak response to treatments first and respond to new systemic therapy after tumor progression. Conclusion: Our study identified a sensitive and specific clinical detection method for low frequency ctDNA, and explored the detection performance of this technology in gastrointestinal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic wastewater treatment technology has been proposed for more than 30 years, but it is still seldom used in industry. The lack of research on high-performance and cost-effective photocatalytic wastewater treatment reactors (PWTRs) may be one of the major reasons limiting the industrial application of photocatalytic technology. To accelerate the realization of industrial application, this review emphasizes the importance of increased research on PWTRs. In this review, we analyze the role of photocatalytic technology in wastewater treatment, followed by a comprehensive discussion of PWTR design from multiple perspectives, including photocatalyst selection, loading and recovery method of photocatalysts within the reactor, light source design, and reaction conditions control. Additionally, we consider the cost of reactor design. Finally, we summarize the optimization strategy of PWTRs and the criteria for evaluating photocatalytic performance. The main innovation of this review lies in a comprehensive analysis of PWTR design, with a focus on cost-effective and high-performance solutions to promote the industrial use of photocatalytic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under vertical load, the composite foundation may be damaged due to insufficient lateral restraint capacity. If the lateral restraint pile is added to the edge of the composite foundation, the lateral stability can be effectively enhanced. This new reinforcement scheme is called a combined composite foundation. For the combined composite foundation, the lateral restraint piles will bear a certain force when the composite foundation is loaded, and the force may cause the piles horizontal displacement, instability, or even failure. After preload on the composite foundation, the mechanical behavior of lateral restraint piles will be more sophisticated. To study the mechanical behavior of lateral restraint piles under such condition, a laboratory model test was conducted. The results are suggested as follows: Axial force distribution curves tend to be "S" shape with two peak values at the upper and lower parts, respectively. The negative axial force is distributed at the upper part, and the positive axial force is distributed at the lower part. The bending moment and lateral soil pressure distribution of piles appear with the regularity of "increase-decrease" along the depth. Such a phenomenon is associated with the expansion of a potential slip surface. In accordance with the relative location of the potential slide surface and the piles, the lateral restraint piles can fall into three sections. Different sections get different stresses. The reinforcement scopes have an impact on the stress of different lateral restraint piles. With the increase of the reinforcement scope, the axial force, soil pressure, and bending moment show the regularity of increase. The values of axial force, the lateral soil pressure, and the bending moment increase with load growth and become stable when the load is larger than 60 kN. This is associated with the piles in the composite foundation, which verifies the reinforcement effect to prevent the soil slide and the foundation deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honokiol, the main bioactive extract of Magnolia officinalis, exhibits extensive therapeutic actions. Its treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer is undergoing clinical trials in China. However, the published safety evaluation studies have focused on extract mixtures of Magnolia officinalis in which the honokiol content was well below the reported clinical dose of the honokiol monomer. Therefore, safety assessment of the honokiol monomer is urgently needed. Our previous studies have already demonstrated that a high dose of the honokiol microemulsion (0.6 μg/mL) induces developmental toxicity in rats and zebrafish by inducing oxidative stress. By exploring the relationship between time and toxicity, we found that developmental toxic responses were stage-dependent. They mainly occurred within the first 24 h post fertilization (hpf) especially the first 12 hpf. In zebrafish, low doses of honokiol microemulsion (0.15, 0.21 μg/mL) significantly decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased the mRNA expression of bcl-2. In contrast, high dose (0.6 μg/mL) increased the levels of ROS and MDA, decreased activities and mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and increased mRNA expression of bax, c-jnk, p53 and bim. By acridine orange staining, we found that a high dose of honokiol microemulsion induced apoptosis mainly in zebrafish brain. In rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells), low doses of the honokiol microemulsion (1, 5, 10 µM) exerted a protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative damage while high doses (≥20 µM) induced oxidative stress, which further confirms the dual effects of honokiol microemulsion on nerve cells. These dual roles of the honokiol microemulsion in oxidation–reduction reactions and apoptosis may be regulated by the forkhead box class O (FoxO) signaling pathway. Due to the potential of developmental toxicity, we recommend that the administration of high dose honokiol microemulsion in pregnant women should be considered with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]