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During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and regions experienced a surge in online learning, but the public complained about and questioned its effectiveness. One of the most important reasons for this was the inadequate metacognitive abilities of adolescents. Studies in learning sciences have identified various inefficient learning behaviors among students in online learning, including help abuse, help avoidance, and wheel spinning; all closely related to metacognition. Despite concerns about ecological validity, researchers in psychology have proposed the agenda-based regulation framework, the COPES model, and MAPS model, which may help explain the inefficient learning behaviors among adolescents in online learning. Future studies should aim to verify these theoretical frameworks within the context of online learning and elucidate the causes of inefficient learning behaviors; the design and optimization of online learning systems should be informed by theories in cognitive psychology.

With the development of the petroleum industry, the demand for materials for oilfield equipment is becoming increasingly stringent. The strength increase brought about by time strengthening is limited in meeting the needs of equipment development. The GH3625 alloy with different strength levels can be obtained through cold deformation and heat treatment processes. A study should be carried out to further develop the potential mechanical properties of GH3625. In this study, the GH3625 alloy was cold drawn with different reductions in area (0–30%) and heat treated, and its mechanical properties were tested. The microstructure of the alloy during deformation and heat treatment was characterized by methods such as optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based on the principles of physical metallurgy. The strength increase caused by dislocation strengthening was calculated from the dislocation density, tested by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The calculated value was compared to the measured value, elucidating the strengthening effect of cold deformation and heat treatment. The results showed that the yield strength and yield ratio of the cold-drawn alloy significantly reduced after aging at 650 °C and 760 °C. Heat treatment can make a cold-deformed material recover, ablate dislocations, and greatly reduce the dislocation density in the microstructure of the GH3625 alloy, which was the main factor in the decrease in yield strength. The work-hardening gradient of the cold-drawn material varied greatly with different reductions in area. When the reduction in area was small (10%), the hardness gradient was obvious. When it increased to 30%, the alloy was uniformly strengthened as the deformation was transmitted to the axis. This study can provide more mechanical performance options for GH3625 alloy structural components in the petrochemical industry.

The concept of high-entropy alloy not only greatly enriches the metal material system，but also breaks the design routine of traditional ceramic material.In recent years，people are gradually extending the design concept of multi-principal and high-entropy to ceramic materials，and a series of multi-principal high-entropy ceramics have been fabricated.Thanks to its unique structure and “four effects”similar to high-entropy alloy，high-entropy ceramics exhibit a series of excellent mechanical，thermal and tribological properties.Based on the preparation methods，structural characteristics and properties，this article mainly introduced the research progress of high-entropy oxide，carbide，nitride ceramics and other high-entropy carbonitrides，borides，silicides and sulfides at home and abroad，and analyzed the specific structures and properties of those high-entropy ceramics.Finally，the development prospect of the high-entropy ceramic was also prospected.

Background: The CONSORT Extension for Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula 2017 (CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017) has established a reporting standard for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula (CHMF) interventions; however, its adherence and implications for the design and execution of study design remain ambiguous. It is necessary to evaluate the level of compliance with the CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017 in RCTs conducted over the past 5 years, and to determine the reporting quality of clinical trials in this field.Methods: First, a systematic search is conducted for RCTs on CHMF in EBM Reviews, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), Embase, Ovid-MEDLINE(R), Wanfang data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database (VIP) and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) database, that encompassed CHMF interventional RCTs published from 1 January 2018 to 8 June 2022, with language restriction to English or Chinese. Second, a descriptive analysis will be performed regarding the study design and general characteristics of the included trials. Third, for the quality assessment, we have subdivided the CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017 checklist (consisting of 22 extended items) into a total of 42 sub-questions to facilitate scoring, with a specific focus on the description, quality control, and safety assessment of CHMF interventions. Professional training and a pilot test on 100 randomly selected articles will be provided for all reviewers. Throughout this process, a standard operating procedure (SOP) for quality assessment will be developed to ensure consistency. Each item will be assessed by two reviewers in a paired back-to-back manner, and the compliance rate will be calculated to assess inter-rater agreement.Discussion: This review will identify the current reporting characteristics and quality of CHMF interventional studies and further evaluate the impact of CONSORT-CHM Formula 2017. The results may provide suggestions for future application or promotion of the guideline.Registration: The study has been registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/xpn7f).

Abstract Wireless signals are commonly subject to diverse and complex noise interference. The typical assumption of Gaussian white noise often oversimplifies the noise, resulting in reduced accuracy in estimating the direction of arrival (DOA), especially in complex scenarios. To tackle this issue, this paper introduces a new Bayesian model for off‐grid DOA estimation. This model utilizes Gaussian mixture model (GMM)‐based Dirichlet processes (DP) to characterize noise, allowing adaptive adjustments in the number of Gaussian mixture models. Leveraging the factor graph representation of the Bayesian model, a low‐complexity mixed messaging passing algorithm, employing generalized approximate message passing (GAMP) and mean field (MF), is proposed. Simulation results validate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm.

Insulin resistance in brain and amyloidogenesis are principal pathological features of diabetes-related cognitive decline and development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A growing body of evidence suggests that maintaining glucose under control in diabetic patients is beneficial for preventing AD development. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DDP4is) are a class of novel glucose-lowering medications through increasing insulin excretion and decreasing glucagon levels that have shown neuroprotective potential in recent studies. This review consolidates extant evidence from earlier and new studies investigating the association between DPP4i use, AD, and other cognitive outcomes. Beyond DPP4i’s benefits in alleviating insulin resistance and glucose-lowering, underlying mechanisms for the potential neuroprotection with DPP4i medications were categorized into the following sections: (Ferrari et al., Physiol Rev, 2021, 101, 1,047–1,081): the benefits of DPP4is on directly ameliorating the burden of β-amyloid plaques and reducing the formation of neurofibrillary tangles; DPP4i increasing the bioactivity of neuroprotective DPP4 substrates including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), and stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) etc.; pleiotropic effects of DPP4is on neuronal cells and intracerebral structure including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-apoptosis. We further revisited recently published epidemiological studies that provided supportive data to compliment preclinical evidence. Given that there remains a lack of completed randomized trials that aim at assessing the effect of DPP4is in preventing AD development and progression, this review is expected to provide a useful insight into DPP4 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target for AD prevention and treatment. The evidence is helpful for informing the rationales of future clinical research and guiding evidence-based clinical practice.

Background: Micheliolide (MCL), which is the active metabolite of parthenolide, has demonstrated promising clinical application potential. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of MCL on atherosclerosis are still unclear. Method: ApoE−/− mice were fed with high fat diet, with or without MCL oral administration, then the plaque area, lipid deposition and collagen content were determined. In vitro, MCL was used to pretreat macrophages combined by ox-LDL, the levels of ferroptosis related proteins, NRF2 activation, mitochondrial function and oxidative stress were detected. Results: MCL administration significantly attenuated atherosclerotic plaque progress, which characteristics with decreased plaque area, less lipid deposition and increased collagen. Compared with HD group, the level of GPX4 and xCT in atherosclerotic root macrophages were increased in MCL group obviously. In vitro experiment demonstrated that MCL increased GPX4 and xCT level, improved mitochondrial function, attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited lipid peroxidation to suppress macrophage ferroptosis induced with ox-LDL. Moreover, MCL inhibited KEAP1/NRF2 complex formation and enhanced NRF2 nucleus translocation, while the protective effect of MCL on macrophage ferroptosis was abolished by NRF2 inhibition. Additionally, molecular docking suggests that MCL may bind to the Arg483 site of KEAP1, which also contributes to KEAP1/NRF2 binding. Furthermore, Transfection Arg483 (KEAP1-R483S) mutant plasmid can abrogate the anti-ferroptosis and anti-oxidative effects of MC in macrophages. KEAP1-R483S mutation also limited the protective effect of MCL on atherosclerosis progress and macrophage ferroptosis in ApoE−/− mice. Conclusion: MCL suppressed atherosclerosis by inhibiting macrophage ferroptosis via activating NRF2 pathway, the related mechanism is through binding to the Arg483 site of KEAP1 competitively.

PurposeTo explore the association between the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) score and prognosis in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-treated patients with lung cancer.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched up to August 1, 2024. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were the primary outcomes queried. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined, and subgroup analysis was based on pathological type [non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) vs. small-cell lung cancer (SCLC)], lines of ICIs (first-line vs. second- or further-line), and combinations of other therapies (yes vs. no).ResultsTwenty retrospective studies with 2424 participants were included. The pooled results demonstrated that an elevated SII was associated with poorer PFS (HR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.49-2.21; P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.73-3.09; P < 0.001) in lung cancer patients receiving ICIs. Subgroup analysis stratified by pathological type, lines of ICIs and combinations of other therapies for PFS and OS further revealed the predictive role of the SII in ICI-treated lung cancer patients.ConclusionBased on current evidence the SII is significantly related to prognosis and could serve as a reliable prognostic indicator in lung cancer patients receiving ICIs.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260510.].

Cucumber is an important vegetable crop that has high nutritional and economic value and is thus favored by consumers worldwide. Exploring an accurate and fast technique for measuring the morphological traits of cucumber fruit could be helpful for improving its breeding efficiency and further refining the development models for pepo fruits. At present, several sets of measurement schemes and standards have been proposed and applied for the characterization of cucumber fruits; however, these manual methods are time-consuming and inefficient. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a cucumber fruit morphological trait identification framework and software called CucumberAI, which combines image processing techniques with deep learning models to efficiently identify up to 51 cucumber features, including 32 newly defined parameters. The proposed tool introduces an algorithm for performing cucumber contour extraction and fruit segmentation based on image processing techniques. The identification framework comprises 6 deep learning models that combine fruit feature recognition rules with MobileNetV2 to construct a decision tree for fruit shape recognition. Additionally, the framework employs U-Net segmentation models for fruit stripe and endocarp segmentation, a MobileNetV2 model for carpel classification, a ResNet50 model for stripe classification and a YOLOv5 model for tumor identification. The relationships between the image-based manual and algorithmic traits are highly correlated, and validation tests were conducted to perform correlation analyses of fruit surface smoothness and roughness, and a fruit appearance cluster analysis was also performed. In brief, CucumberAI offers an efficient approach for extracting and analyzing cucumber phenotypes and provides valuable information for future cucumber genetic improvements.

Objective Enteral immunonutrition is a nutritional intervention that has been studied in postoperative patients with gastric cancer, but its effectiveness is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the effects of enteral immunonutrition and enteral nutrition on immune function in patients who undergo gastric cancer surgery. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, and ClinicalTrials.gov from the inception of the review until 10 March 2023. Twelve studies were included for qualitative and quantitative analyses. Results We studied 1124 patients, including 565 patients in the enteral immunonutrition group and 559 in the enteral nutrition (controls) group. All included randomized, controlled trials were high quality. CD4+ levels, lymphocytes, transferrin concentrations, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome were not significantly different between the enteral immunonutrition and enteral nutrition groups. However, CD8+, immunoglobulins G and M, and proalbumin concentrations, CD4+/CD8+, and infectious complications were significantly higher in the enteral immunonutrition group than in the enteral nutrition group. A sensitivity analysis showed consistent results after excluding each study. Begg’s test showed no publication bias. Conclusions Enteral immunonutrition is an effective nutritional intervention that improves immune function in patients who have undergone gastric cancer surgery.

Abstract The existing research on time‐triggered network reconfiguration neglects redundant traffic states, posing a challenge in effectively balancing traffic performance and reconfiguration efficiency in practical deployments. In response to these limitations, a novel joint optimization approach is introduced for reconfiguration and traffic planning. Initially, the efficiency of reconfiguration solutions is enhanced by sacrificing the delay performance of redundant flows and prioritizing compressed yet tailored constraints. Subsequently, a tabu‐based optimization algorithm is employed to provide more flexible enhancements to the delay performance of network‐wide traffic. The outcomes demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms incremental reconfiguration, improving the solution efficiency of the reconfiguration recovery phase by over 75.38%. Furthermore, through multiple rounds of reconfiguration, the approach achieves an 8.38% improvement in the average delay performance of all flows, even with redundant flows sacrificed.

In previous experiments we have conducted on the Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME), we have focused on the ability of biased search results to shift voting preferences. In three new experiments with a total of 1,137 US residents (mean age = 33.2), we sought to determine whether biased search rankings could shift people's opinions on topics that do not involve candidates or elections. Each of the new experiments looked at a different topic, and participants were pre-screened to make sure they didn't have strong opinions about these topics. The topics were: Is artificial intelligence useful or dangerous? Is fracking helpful or dangerous? And: Are people born gay or do they choose to be gay? All participants were first asked various demographic questions, then shown brief summaries of the "pro" and "anti" views on each topic, and then asked their opinions about each topic. Next, participants were allowed to conduct an online search using our mock search engine (Kadoodle) lasting up to 15 minutes. In each experiment, one-third of the participants saw biased search results favoring one perspective; one-third saw biased search results favoring the opposing perspective; and one-third (the control group) saw mixed search results. After completing their search, participants were again asked for their opinions about the topic. Our primary dependent variable was Manipulation Power (MP), the percentage increase in the number of participants favoring one viewpoint after having viewed search rankings favoring that viewpoint. The MPs in the three experiments were 25.0%, 30.9%, and 17.8%, respectively. Corresponding shifts were also found for how persuasive participants found each viewpoint to be and for how much they trusted each viewpoint. We conclude that search rankings favoring one viewpoint on a wide range of topics might be able to cause people who have not yet formulated a strong opinion on such topics to adopt the favored perspective. If our findings prove to be robust, we are exposing what might be considered an unforeseen consequence of the creation of search engines, namely that even without human interference, search algorithms will inevitably alter the thinking and behavior of billions of people worldwide on perhaps any topic for which they have not yet formed strong opinions.

Objective. To observe the changes of serum adiponectin (AP) levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and explore the correlation between serum AP and polysomnography (PSG) parameters in patients with OSAHS. Methods. The data of subjects who underwent PSG at the hospital between January 2021 and December 2022 were collected retrospectively and divided into simple snoring group (AHI 30 times/h, n = 60). The general data, PSG indices, and serological indices of the subjects were collected and compared between groups. Pearson correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis were employed to examine the correlation between serum AP level and PSG parameters. Ordered logistic regression was employed to analyze the risk factors influencing the severity of OSAHS. The predictive capability of the serum AP level in determining the occurrence of OSAHS was assessed using ROC. The serum AP levels of subjects with different subtypes of PSG indicators were compared. Results. In the simple snoring group, mild OSAHS group, moderate OSAHS group, and severe OSAHS group, there were statistically significant differences in microarousal count, MAI, AHI, times of blood oxygen decreased by ≥ 3%, L-SaO2, and TS90% among the 4 groups (P

Complex heavy metal (HM)-containing wastewater discharges pose substantial risks to global water ecosystems and human health. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has attracted increased attention as an efficient and low-cost adsorbent in HM-containing wastewater treatment. Therefore, this study systematically evaluates the effect of Cu(II), Ni(II), and Cr(III) addition on the characteristics, performance and mechanism of AGS in complex HM-containing wastewater treatment process by means of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma spectrocopcy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) fractions detection and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray. The results showed that AGS efficiently eliminated Cu(II), Ni(II), and Cr(III) by the orchestrated mechanisms of ion exchange, three-layer EPS adsorption [soluble microbial products EPS (SMP-EPS), loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS)], and inner-sphere adsorption; notably, almost 100% of Ni(II) was removed. Three-layer EPS adsorption was the dominant mechanism through which the HM were removed, followed by ion exchange and inner-sphere adsorption. SMP-EPS and TB-EPS were identified as the key EPS fractions for adsorbing Cr(III) and Cu(II), respectively, while Ni(II) was adsorbed evenly on SMP-EPS, TB-EPS, and LB-EPS. Moreover, the rates at which the complex HM penetrated into the granule interior and their affinity for EPS followed the order Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Cr(III). Ultimately, addition of complex HM stimulated microorganisms to excrete massive phosphodiesterases (PDEs), leading to a pronounced decrease in cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) levels, which subsequently suppressed EPS secretion due to the direct linkage between c-di-GMP and EPS. This study unveils the adaptability and removal mechanism of AGS in the treatment of complex HM-containing wastewater, which is expected to provide novel insights for addressing the challenges posed by intricate real wastewater scenarios.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that greatly impacts patients’ quality of life, and its management remains challenging. Tofacitinib is the first Janus kinase inhibitor to be approved for clinical use and is the most extensively studied. Several studies have demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of oral tofacitinib in treating patients with alopecia areata. However, despite being widely used in clinical practice, no prospective randomized controlled trials have been implemented and its indication criteria have not been thoroughly established. Moreover, little is known about the factors associated with response to therapy under real-world conditions. The aims of this retrospective cohort study of patients with alopecia areata treated with tofacitinib for 3 months were to assess the effectiveness of tofacitinib and to identify predictive factors of response to it. Primary outcome was the change in disease severity, as evaluated by Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) grade. A total of 125 patients with alopecia areata were included, the incidence of effectiveness was 83.2%, and 16.0% of patients achieved a result of complete remission. Total duration of alopecia areata and previous hair regrowth were independent predictors of response. Combined therapy was associated with relapse after discontinuation. No severe adverse event was observed. This study suggests that tofacitinib provides an effective treatment option for patients with alopecia areata, and that earlier intervention in the treatment of severe alopecia areata with tofacitinib may lead to better outcomes.

Given the rapid increase of the senior population around the world, the current research documents how the concept of time influences the job preferences of older and younger adults in an organizational behavior context. Study 1 reported that older adults devoted significantly more attention towards the present compared to the past and future, while younger adults showed a small preference towards the future compared to the past and present. Mediation analyses revealed that older adults' reduced sense of time remaining in life led to them devoting less time to the future. A novel finding from the current work was that sense of time remaining in life also significantly suppressed the relationship between age and present temporal focus. That is, an increased sense of time remaining in life was actually associated with enhanced focus on the present among seniors. Study 2 investigated the downstream consequences of temporal focus by examining older and younger adults' preferences for present- and future-focused job opportunities. Findings revealed that older adults showed a distinct preference for present-focused job opportunities over future-focused ones, whereas younger individuals reported the opposite pattern. These findings highlight how the concept of time influences individuals of varying ages in unique ways, leading to important differences in both cognition and behavior. The practical implications of these findings across various domains such as the workplace, leadership, and team dynamics are discussed., Author(s): Faizan Imtiaz [sup.1] , Li-Jun Ji [sup.2] , Thomas Vaughan-Johnston [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.265122.0, 0000 0001 0719 7561, Department of Psychology, Towson University, , 21252, Towson, MD, USA [...]

In order to evaluate the accuracy and applicability of a two-step chemical scheme for kerosene in supersonic combustion under low total temperature, computations of the three-dimensional combustion flow field of scramjet have been performed with this model. The results were obtained with the combustor configurations including a rectangular combustor with single-cavity and a circular combustor with dual-cavity, and with the total temperature including 950 K and 600 K. Results show that the simulated wall pressure and combustion flow field are in agreement with the experiments, and the simulated flow field can accurately reflect the chemical energy release during the combustion process. As expected, more overall information of combustion flow field including the flow structure, the physical variable distribution and the combustion mode can be obtained by analyzing the numerical results.

In order to clarify the reason for generally high drying coefficient of natural gas in Cainan area of the Junggar Basin and find out the law of natural gas migration and accumulation, the analysis of natural gas components and carbon isotopes, rock mineral composition in reservoir, bulk carbon and oxygen isotope of calcite, and laboratory hydrocarbon oxidation simulation experiments were carried out. The Jurassic natural gas in Cainan area is dominated by methane, with drying coefficient of generally greater than 0.95, and δ13C1 value of basically greater than -32‰. Among C7 light hydrocarbons, methylcyclohexane is dominant, with methylcyclohexane index of greater than 50%, indicating that natural gas in the study area came from high-over mature Carboniferous source rocks. Judging from natural gas migration identification index of ln(C1/C2) with δ13C1-δ13C2, from well block Cai-47 to well block Cai-31, and then to well block Cai-003, ln(C1/C2) values gradually increased, but δ13C1-δ13C2 values did not show a trend of decreasing or increasing, indicating that migration or maturity is not the main controlling factor for the changes of natural gas composition and carbon isotope in the study area. Hydrocarbon thermal oxidation simulation experiments showed that alcohols in oil and gas were oxidized by MnO2 to generate methane and carbon dioxide at 125℃, and methane could only be oxidized to generate CO2 when the temperature reached 200℃, thus changing the composition of oil and gas and increasing methane content in natural gas. Using backscattered electron probe technology, it was found that there are two types of calcite in Jurassic dry gas interval in the study area. One type of calcite has a high Mn content, which can be as high as 3%. It appears bright orange and orange under cathodoluminescence. In addition, the bulk carbon isotope of calcite is negatively biased, which is 5‰-10‰ more negative than that of normal calcite. The higher content of Mn in calcite, the more negative of bulk carbon isotope, confirming that there is widespread weak oxidation of hydrocarbons in the Jurassic dry gas interval in Cainan area. Comprehensive analysis suggested that the reason for abnormally high drying coefficient of Jurassic natural gas in Cainan area is that the humic source rocks have undergone high-over mature evolution to generate natural gas that accumulated in Jurassic reservoirs rich in oxidizing minerals. Then the oxidation of hydrocarbons caused methane content in natural gas to increase further, resulting in a generally high drying coefficient of natural gas.