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Background: In the realm of Chinese medicine, quality control and pharmacodynamics are crucial to ensure the consistency in scaled-up process from the laboratory to commercial operations. This study aims to analyse bioactivity consistency between laboratory observations and commercial processes. Method: The preparation of BPAid (5: 2: 9: 1 for Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR): Pueraria thomsonii (PT): Panax notoginseng (PN): Alisma orientale (AO) was divided into three methods: laboratory-scale maceration (BPAidM), industrial-scale flash extract method (BPAidFE), decoction method (BPAidD). The vasodilatory and antihypertensive effects of the extracts were examined through ex vivo and in vivo studies. The chemical fingerprint of each extract was analysed using tri-step FTIR spectroscopy, and UPLC-MS/MS was used for standard marker quantification. Results: BPAidM exhibited the highest vasodilatory effect, followed by BPAidFE, and BPAidD with EC50 values of 11.25 ± 2.30 mg/mL, 39.23 ± 12.55 mg/mL, 24.33 ± 6.26 mg/mL, and 198.71 ± 127.21 mg/mL: RMAX values of 106.53 ± 7.95%, 82.92 ± 5.22%, 76.35 ± 4.51%, and 60.62 ± 5.7%, respectively. In in vivo antihypertensive studies, all extracts significantly reduced the blood pressure of Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHRs). The tri-step FTIR revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, esters, and saccharides in BPAid extracts. BPAidM contained the highest total standard marker in the UPLC-MS/MS quantification, followed by BPAidFE, and BPAidD. Conclusion: Ultimately, the flash extract technique is recommended to produce BPAid to meet the global demand.

Visual motor integration (VMI) is considered a key predictor of adaptive functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, information regarding the VMI characteristics of children with ASD is scarce because existing assessment methods have focused on outcome measures while neglecting process measures due to the high failure rates in children with ASD. Therefore, the current pilot study was conducted to explore the appropriate indicators for the construction of a comprehensive VMI evaluation. First, five computer games were designed to provide enjoyable and appropriate tasks for use in VMI assessment while ensuring a high completion rate among the participants. Then, 30 children with ASD and 30 age-matched typically developing (TD) children between 4 and 6 years old were recruited to play the games. In this process, several quantitative indicators were applied to infer the children's visual perception, eye-hand coordination, and fine motor skills. Finally, the validity of the proposed method was verified using three classic machine-learning algorithms. The results revealed that the proposed method is effective in providing a comprehensive description of VMI deficits and can thus ultimately provide an objective basis for targeted interventions.

Evaluation is crucial in the treatment of autistic children. The Psychoeducational Profile--Third Edition (PEP-3) is a standardized scale used to evaluate the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, as a traditional scale, the PEP-3 relies highly on the experience of the evaluator, and the evaluation process is complicated and time-consuming. Therefore, based on the PEP-3, this study aimed to use touchscreen and speech recognition technology to develop a set of human-computer interaction (HCI) games for the evaluation of the cognitive and language abilities of children with ASD. The study consisted of three parts: construct evaluation of the items and games, calibration and validation of the games, and cross-validation of the games. A total of 45 ASD children were recruited. They were divided into two groups: the calibration/validation group and the cross-validation group. The calibration/validation group was used to test the feasibility of the evaluation games. The cross-validation group was used to validate the effectiveness of the evaluation games. The results showed (1) the HCI evaluation games were a supportive tool to evaluate the cognitive and language ability of children with ASD; (2) there was a high agreement between the HCI evaluation games and the PEP-3, and the evaluation based on the HCI evaluation games reflected the evaluation results of the PEP-3; and (3) compared to the PEP-3, the HCI evaluation games saved time and were objective and attractive. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the HCI evaluation games were an effective means for evaluation and encourage future work in exploring technology-based methods for evaluating children with ASD.

Characteristics of interpersonal motor synchrony in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been investigated only in older children and adolescents, which calls for investigations in younger samples. The interpersonal motor synchrony was compared between preschool-aged children with (n = 23) and without ASD (n = 24) during free plays with familiar teachers. Children with ASD exhibited reduced synchrony of the upper body and trunk compared with typically developing (TD) children. Moreover, the degree of synchrony in ASD group was not above than chance. For autistic children, interpersonal motor synchrony was negatively correlated with aspects of autistic traits. The results suggest that the impairment of interpersonal motor synchrony has an onset earlier than school age and is a potential pathway for understanding autistic traits., Author(s): Xianke Chen [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jingying Chen [sup.1] [sup.2] , Mengyi Liao [sup.3] , Guangshuai Wang [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.411407.7, 0000 0004 1760 2614, National Engineering Laboratory for [...]

This study explored the influence of the dynamic assessment of human–computer interactive games on children's language potential. Thirty‐seven special children aged 3–7 years were selected to participate in the study. They were divided into three groups according to their scores on the Autism Behaviour Checklist: (1) a non‐autism group, (2) a suspected autism group and (3) an autism group. In two stages of static and dynamic assessment, all three groups of children completed language tests under the conditions of no mediated prompt and mediated prompts, and the data generated in the game interactions were processed and analysed. The findings suggest the following: (1) static assessment may ignore children's language potential, while dynamic assessment can measure and differentiate children's potential language development ability; (2) children with ASD need more mediation prompts and are more likely to complete tasks with explicit mediation prompts; (3) children with ASD have weaker language potential, and children with suspected ASD or non‐ASD children have homogeneous language potential; and (4) assessors should pay timely attention to and maintain children's learning status and psychological changes. This study demonstrates the importance of human–computer interactive games as a dynamic assessment tool to tap into children's language potential and to determine their proximal developmental zone, which has important implications for teachers in understanding groups with different language abilities. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about the topic? The traditional language assessment paradigm (static assessment) can only evaluate the learners' current language development ability, while the short‐term development potential may not be observed.Different prompts in the mediation strategy can be used as a quantitative assessment paradigm in dynamic assessment.Much of the dynamic assessment in children with ASD focuses on language vocabulary learning outcomes and lacks measurement or quantification of language potential.What this paper adds? Presents a method for the dynamic assessment of a human–computer interactive language game suitable for children aged 3–7 years with ASD.Quantifies the potential level of language skills in children with varying degrees of ASD.Objectively and dynamically compares differences in language development potential between different groups.In dynamic assessment, children's learning status and psychological changes should be paid attention to and maintained in time.Implications for practice, research or policy This paper provides a concrete example of how human–computer interactive games can be used to dynamically assess the language potential of children with ASD.These findings highlight the importance of progressive scaffolds (mediated prompts) in children's language learning, which can help children identify and solve problems in a timely manner.For educational developers, language intervention materials should be prepared in a way that encompasses the different levels of language skills of children with different disabilities, that is, within the individual's zone of proximal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia nitidissima C.W. Chi is a golden camellia recognized in Chinese herbology and widely used as tea and essential oil in Chinese communities. Due to its diverse pharmacological properties, it can be used to treat various diseases. However, unethical sellers adulterated the flower with other parts of Camellia nitidissima in their product. This study used an integrated tri-step infrared spectroscopy method and a chemometric approach to distinguish C. nitidissima’s flowers, leaves, and seeds. The three different parts of C. nitidissima were well distinguished using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), second-derivative infrared (SD-IR) spectra, and two-dimensional correlation infrared (2D-IR) spectra. The FT-IR and SD-IR spectra of the samples were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), PCA-class, and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) for classification and discrimination studies. The three parts of C. nitidissima were well separated and discriminated by PCA and OPLS-DA. The PCA-class model’s sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity were all >94%, indicating that PCA-class is the good model. In addition, the RMSEE, RMSEP, and RMSECV values for the OPLS-DA model were low, and the model’s sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity were all 100%, showing that it is the excellent one. In addition, PCA-class and OPLS-DA obtained scores of 27/32 and 26/32, respectively, for detecting adulterated and other TCM reference flower samples from C. nitidissima. Combining an infrared spectroscopic method with a chemometric approach proved that it is possible to differentiate distinct sections of C. nitidissima and discriminate adulterated samples of C.nitidissima flower.

The available evidence on the connection between excessive alcohol consumption and diabetes is controversial. Therefore, the primary objective of this investigation was to examine the connection between excessive alcohol consumption and incident diabetes in a Japanese population through the utilization of propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Our retrospective cohort study encompassed a sample of 15,464 Japanese individuals who were initially free of diabetes between the years 2004 and 2015. The study utilized comprehensive medical records of individuals who underwent a physical examination. Employing a one:one PSM analysis, the current research included 2298 individuals with and without excessive alcohol consumption. Furthermore, a doubly robust estimation method was employed to ascertain the connection between excessive alcohol consumption and diabetes. The findings revealed that individuals with excessive alcohol consumption exhibited a 73% higher likelihood of developing diabetes (HR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.08–2.77). Furthermore, upon adjusting for variables, the PSM cohort demonstrated that individuals with excessive alcohol consumption had a 78% increased risk of developing diabetes in comparison to those with non-excessive alcohol consumption (HR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.08–2.93). Individuals with excessive alcohol consumption were found to have a 73% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those with non-excessive alcohol consumption, even after controlling for propensity score (HR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.08–2.78). Participants in the PSM cohort with excessive alcohol consumption had a 73% higher risk of developing diabetes than those with non-excessive alcohol consumption after controlling for confounding factors. These findings underscore the importance of alcohol consumption guidelines aimed at reducing excessive drinking. Clinicians should be vigilant in screening for alcohol use in patients, particularly those at risk for diabetes, and provide appropriate counseling and resources to support alcohol reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) technology has shown great potential on intervention of social skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review aimed to review the application of VR in current social skills intervention targeting autistic children and evaluate its effect. After searching and screening three databases, we found 20 papers on interventions for children with ASD using VR technology, including three studies of social communication, six studies about social–emotional reciprocity, nine studies on social interaction, and eight studies of on social cognition. First, concerning the age of the children involved in the interventions, we found that VR devices were more suitable for children with ASD who were older. Second, regarding VR devices, we recommend laptop VR devices based on the cost, non-invasiveness, and effectiveness of their use in interventions. The VR application form of game is more advisable. More importantly, for the design of the VR intervention, based on the adoption article, we found that using a single participant worked better. This research presents the overall effects and limitations of this literature as well as implications for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]