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Parietal alpha activity shows a specific pattern of phasic changes during working memory. It decreases during the encoding and recall phases but increases during the maintenance phase. This study tested whether online rTMS delivered to the parietal cortex during the maintenance phase of a working memory task would increase alpha activity and hence improve working memory. Then, 46 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups to receive 3-day parietal 10 Hz online rTMS (either real or sham, 3600 pulses in total) that were time-locked to the maintenance phase of a spatial span task (180 trials in total). Behavioral performance on another spatial span task and EEG signals during a change detection task were recorded on the day before the first rTMS (pretest) and the day after the last rTMS (posttest). We found that rTMS improved performance on both online and offline spatial span tasks. For the offline change detection task, rTMS enhanced alpha activity within the maintenance phase and improved interference control of working memory at both behavioral (K score) and neural (contralateral delay activity) levels. These results suggested that rTMS with alpha frequency time-locked to the maintenance phase is a promising way to boost working memory.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pediatric healthcare staff towards the therapy for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). CHD is a major global health concern, posing significant risks to health and life despite advancements in early detection and treatment. Methods This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 04, 2023 to August 12, 2023 in the Bengbu area (three counties and one city) for pediatric healthcare staff. Correlations between knowledge, attitude and practice scores were evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis. Factors associated with knowledge, attitude and practice scores were identified by multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 332 valid questionnaires were enrolled, including 258 (77.7%) females, and 161 (48.5%) were pediatrician. The median (25% quartile, 75% quintile) of knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 38 (36, 40) (possible range: 10—49), 28 (27, 31) (possible range: 7—35), and 35 (32, 39) (possible range: 9—45), respectively. Correlation analysis showed that significant positive correlations were found between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.528, P

Objective: Discuss the value of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in post-processing head and carotid artery CTA images and diagnosing head and carotid artery stenosis. Methods: The imaging data of 42 patients who all underwent head and neck CTA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of head and carotid arteries from November 2022 to October 2023 at our hospital were retrospectively collected. Image post-processing and diagnosis were divided into AI and manual groups to compare the differences in image post-processing time and subjective scores of image quality and identification of head and carotid artery plaque properties (calcified plaque, non-calcified plaque and mixed plaque) between the two groups. To compare the differences in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of the two groups in diagnosing head and neck artery stenosis, using DSA results as the gold standard, and to perform the Kappa test for consistency between the two groups’ diagnostic results and DSA results. The diagnostic efficacy of the AI and manual groups on the head and carotid artery stenosis was analyzed by subject operator characteristic curve (ROC) and compared by Z-test. Results: The post-processing and diagnostic time in the AI group was (366.48±18.54) s, which was approximately 71.65% shorter than that in the manual group (1291.63±52.27) s. The difference was statistically significant. The difference between the subjective scores of image quality obtained by the two methods was not statistically significant. A total of 145 head and neck artery plaques were identified in the manual group and 145 in the AI group, of which 141 plaques of different nature were accurately identified in the AI group, with an overall accuracy rate of 97.24% (141/145). There was no statistically significant difference between the AI group and the manual group for identifying calcified plaque, non-calcified plaque and mixed plaque in the head and carotid arteries, and the agreement between the two groups for identifying the nature of plaque was good (Kappa=0.845). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of the AI group in diagnosing head and neck artery stenosis were 87.09% (27/31), 81.82% (9/11), 93.10% (27/29), 69.23% (9/13) and 85.71% (36/42), respectively, which were in good agreement with DSA in diagnosing head and neck artery stenosis (Kappa= 0.792). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of the manual group in diagnosing head and neck artery stenosis were 90.32% (28/31), 81.82% (9/11), 93.33% (28/30), 75.00% (9/12) and 88.10% (37/42), respectively, which were in good agreement with DSA in diagnosing head and neck artery stenosis (Kappa=0.801), and the difference in diagnostic efficacy was not statistically significant in either group. The results of the ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of head and neck artery stenosis was 0.845 and 0.861 in the AI and manual groups, respectively, with no significant difference. Conclusion: AI technology has high clinical value in time spent on post-processing head and neck CTA images, assessing head and neck artery stenosis and identifying the nature of carotid plaque, and can be used as a useful aid for physicians in analyzing and diagnosing head and neck CTA.

This article presents the results of a study on composite coatings based on high-entropy FeCoNiCrCuNb alloys with varying niobium content obtained through high-speed laser cladding. The primary objective of the research is to investigate the influence of composition on the structure, mechanical characteristics, and behaviour of the coatings. Microstructure analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. The microhardness, shear strength, and coefficient of friction of the composite coatings were examined. It was demonstrated that the microstructure of the coatings is characterized by fine grains and the presence of columnar crystals. An increase in copper content leads to a transition to the face-centred cubic phase with elevated niobium content, influencing the mechanical characteristics. It was revealed that niobium-containing composite coatings exhibit improved mechanical properties and wear resistance. The incorporation of niobium synergistically affects the mechanical characteristics of the alloys. The obtained results hold practical applicability in the field of engineering, particularly where wear resistance and strength are of paramount importance.

BackgroundShort video addiction (SVA) among college students is influenced by personality traits, namely, neuroticism and agreeableness. However, the role of depression and anxiety as mediators remains unclear.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mediating role of comorbid depression and anxiety in the relationship between different dimensions of university students’ personalities and SVA.MethodsThe SPSS PROCESS was utilized to analyze data from 804 university students across seven universities in China.ResultsThe findings show that neuroticism, agreeableness, and extraversion in the personalities of Chinese university students are all significantly linked to SVA; neuroticism and agreeableness in the personalities of university students have a greater impact on SVA; both neuroticism and agreeableness can first induce depression and then lead to anxiety and SVA, whereas only agreeableness can first lead to anxiety and then result in depression and SVA.ConclusionThis study uncovers the intricate relationship between personality traits and SVA among college students, emphasizing depression and anxiety as critical chain mediators in this relationship. It reveals that neuroticism and agreeableness significantly influence SVA through specific pathways involving depression and anxiety, indicating that interventions targeting these traits are essential.

BackgroundOur study was designed to determine the incidence and risk factors of severe acute high-altitude illness (AHAI) in healthy adults first entering the northern Tibetan Plateau of over 5,000 m.MethodsIn our prospective observational study, we enrolled 500 people who were scheduled for fast ascension to the northern Tibetan Plateau. The primary outcome variable was severe AHAI, defined as the presence of serious symptoms that could not be ameliorated by general treatment and required evacuation to lower altitudes. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a cohort of 383 healthy people was included in the statistical analysis. We calculated the incidence of severe AHAI, identified the risk factors, and the differences in the most severe symptoms experienced.ResultsSixty-eight people were diagnosed with severe AHAI, and the incidence was 17.8%. Compared to individuals without severe AHAI, those with severe AHAI were more likely to be over the age of 40 years, of Han Chinese nationality, and living at an altitude of

The clinical application of cancer immunotherapy is unsatisfied due to low response rates and systemic immune-related adverse events. Microwave hyperthermia can be used as a synergistic immunotherapy to amplify the antitumor effect. Herein, we designed a Gd-based metal-organic framework (Gd-MOF) nanosystem for MRI-guided thermotherapy and synergistic immunotherapy, which featured high performance in drug loading and tumor tissue penetration. The PD-1 inhibitor (aPD-1) was initially loaded in the porous Gd-MOF (Gd/M) nanosystem. Then, the phase change material (PCM) and the cancer cell membrane were further sequentially modified on the surface of Gd/MP to obtain Gd-MOF@aPD-1@CM (Gd/MPC). When entering the tumor microenvironment (TME), Gd/MPC induces immunogenic death of tumor cells through microwave thermal responsiveness, improves tumor suppressive immune microenvironment and further enhances anti-tumor ability of T cells by releasing aPD-1. Meanwhile, Gd/MPC can be used for contrast-enhanced MRI. Transcriptomics data revealed that the downregulation of MSK2 in cancer cells leads to the downregulation of c-fos and c-jun, and ultimately leads to the apoptosis of cancer cells after treatment. In general, Gd/MPC nanosystem not only solves the problem of system side effect, but also achieves the controlled drug release via PCM, providing a promising theranostic nanoplatform for development of cancer combination immunotherapy.

Genetic studies on attention have mainly focused on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so little systematic research has been conducted on genetic correlates of attention performance and their potential brain mechanisms among healthy individuals. The current study included a genome-wide association study (GWAS, N = 1145 healthy young adults) aimed to identify genes associated with sustained attention and an imaging genetics study (an independent sample of 483 healthy young adults) to examine any identified genes' influences on brain function. The GWAS found that TTLL11 showed genome-wide significant associations with sustained attention, with rs13298112 as the most significant SNP and the GG homozygotes showing more impulsive but also more focused responses than the A allele carriers. A retrospective examination of previously published ADHD GWAS results confirmed an un-reported, small but statistically significant effect of TTLL11 on ADHD. The imaging genetics study replicated this association and showed that the TTLL11 gene was associated with resting state activity and connectivity of the somatomoter network, and can be predicted by dorsal attention network connectivity. Specifically, the GG homozygotes showed lower brain activity, weaker brain network connectivity, and non-significant brain-attention association compared to the A allele carriers. Expression database showed that expression of this gene is enriched in the brain and that the G allele is associated with lower expression level than the A allele. These results suggest that TTLL11 may play a major role in healthy individuals' attention performance and may also contribute to the etiology of ADHD.

Musical training has been evidenced to facilitate music perception, which refers to the consistencies, boundaries, and segmentations in pieces of music that are associated with the Gestalt principles. The current study aims to test whether musical training is beneficial to non-musical cognitive ability with Gestalt principles. Three groups of Chinese participants (with early, late, and no musical training) were compared in terms of their performances on the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test (MVPT). The results show that the participants with early musical training had significantly better performance in the Gestalt-like Visual Closure subtest than those with late and no musical training, but no significances in other Gestalt-unlike subtests was identified (Visual Memory, Visual Discrimination, Spatial Relationship, Figure Ground in MVPT). This study suggests the benefit of early musical training on non-musical cognitive ability with Gestalt principles.