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Providing consistent, individualized feedback to teachers is essential for improving instruction but can be prohibitively resource-intensive in most educational contexts. We develop M-Powering Teachers, an automated tool based on natural language processing to give teachers feedback on their uptake of student contributions, a high-leverage dialogic teaching practice that makes students feel heard. We conduct a randomized controlled trial in an online computer science course (N = 1,136 instructors), to evaluate the effectiveness of our tool. We find that M-Powering Teachers improves instructors' uptake of student contributions by 13% and present suggestive evidence that it also improves students' satisfaction with the course and assignment completion. These results demonstrate the promise of M-Powering Teachers to complement existing efforts in teachers' professional development.

Fuller and Bown (1975) postulated that novice teachers move through three hierarchical stages of development: concerns about self, subject matter, and finally concerns about student impact. Killian, et al. (2013) found that novice teachers when asked to list their concerns, most frequently listed self concerns and seldom listed student impact concerns. Contrastingly, when Campbell & Thompson (2007) asked teachers to rate concerns given a prepared list, novice teachers rated student impact concerns much more highly. We postulated that the conflicting results were caused by differences in the dependent measures and designed this study to ask the same respondents to list concerns and to rate prepared statements. Preservice music teachers from the same institution (N = 43) completed both a free response dependent measure and rated the Campbell & Thompson prepared statements. We further divided the pool into experienced teachers (those completing student teaching n = 20) and inexperienced teachers (those beginning student teaching n = 23) to explore the effect of teaching experience on the two measures. Results concurred with previous research with some notable exceptions. Preservice teachers overwhelmingly mentioned self on free-response measures and more often mentioned students and subject matter on rating measures. Experienced student teachers responded differently than those who had not experienced student teaching. Results are discussed in terms of future research using multiple dependent measures when evaluating the complex task of the growth of music educators.

Objective To investigate the association between the maintenance regimens for immunotherapy and prognosis in patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis and different cranial MRI manifestations. Methods Diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up data were collected from 94 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in Qilu Hospital from January 2016 to January 2021, and the features of the disease were compared between the positive MRI group (group M with 35 patients) and the negative MRI group (group N with 59 patients), as well as the association between the maintenance regimens for immunotherapy and the long-term prognosis of patients. Results After follow-up for 4-73 months, group M had a median fCASE score of 1 (0,3), with 24 patients exhibiting poor symptomatic prognosis, and group N had a median fCASE score of 0 (0,1), with 21 patients exhibiting poor symptomatic prognosis, suggesting that group N had a better prognosis than group M (P0.05). Conclusion Autoimmune encephalitis patients with related responsible lesions found by cranial MRI have a relatively poor prognosis and should receive a longerterm of maintenance regimen for immunotherapy.

Objective The objective of this study was to unravel the genetic traits of Guanling cattle, pinpoint genes advantageous for muscle growth, and lay a foundation for the preservation of genetic diversity and further analysis of regulation mechanism of important economic traits in local cattle breed. Methods In this study, we sequenced the whole genome of 3 Guanling cattle in Guizhou province using the Illumina HiSeq cBo sequencing platform. And, high-multiplex polymerase chain reaction technology was employed to detect high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites of other 55 Guanling cattle. Results Our study identified 166,411 non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) and 42,423 insertions and deletions (indels). Through SNP annotation, gene function enrichment analysis, and comparing with Simmental, Angus, and Limousin cattle, we identified six genes (LEPR, AKAP9, SIX4, SPIDR, PRG4, FASN) which are potentially influential on meat quality traits, playing crucial roles in muscle growth, fat metabolism, and bodily support. We also examined polymorphisms at seven SNP sites in Guanling cattle and found that all seven were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Conclusion These findings suggested that these gene sites are stable and widespread in the Guanling cattle population. Our research lays the groundwork for future genetic enhancement and variety identification of Guanling cattle.

Context The mechanism of Renshen Shouwu Decoction (RSSW) in treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unknown.Objective This study investigates the effects and mechanism of RSSW for ameliorating AD.Materials and methods Ten SAMR1 mice and 40 SAMP8 mice were divided into five groups: control (SAMR1), model (SAMP8), positive drug (Donepezil, 1.3 mg/kg/d), and RSSW (Low-dose, 117 mg/kg/d; High-dose, 234 mg/kg/d). Starting from 6 months of age, the medications were administered intragastrically for a total of 60 days. Subsequently, memory improvement in rapidly aging mice was assessed using the novel object recognition test and Morris water maze test. Through the identification of absorbed blood components and analysis of network pharmacology, active ingredients and potential targets involved in the treatment of AD were identified. Finally, AD-related biological indicators were detected using western blotting and ELISA.Result Our results demonstrated that RSSW effectively ameliorated memory impairments, inhibited tau hyperphosphorylation, and reduced β-amyloid plaque deposition in SAMP8 mice. Thirty absorbed blood components in RSSW were identified, revealing identified 96 major targets that play a key role in alleviating AD. Notably, the obtained main targets were highly enriched in SIRT1-mediated signaling pathways. Subsequent experimental validation confirmed that RSSW activated the SIRT1/NF-κB, SIRT1/AMPK, and SIRT1/p53 signaling cascades. Nine potential active ingredients were predicted through molecular docking.Discussion and conclusions Our research findings suggest the mechanism of RSSW treatment for AD, which ameliorates memory impairments by reducing cortical tissue inflammation and apoptosis.

Abstract Studies focusing on the kinematics of the ankle joint complex (AJC) have long been a key area of interest for biomechanists and orthopedic surgeons. However, it is not clear how additional weight-bearing walking affects the motion of the AJC compared to walking with a normal body weight (BW) or what adjustments the AJC would instinctively make to accommodate the additional load. To address this gap in knowledge, advanced dynamic biplane radiography combined with a model-based 2D-3D tracking technique was employed to elucidate the inherent kinematics of the AJC during the stance phase while walking with and without additional weight-bearing. It was found that walking with additional 50% body weight (BW + 50%) resulted in a greater dispersion of instantaneous axes of rotation in the talocrural and subtalar joints during the stance phase of gait. The talocrural joint is more plantarflexed and anteriorly translated during the early and late stance phases than during the midstance phases, which suggests that additional weight-bearing affects the stability of the AJC. Moreover, walking with BW + 50% showed that the center of rotation of the talocrural joint was positioned more superiorly and posteriorly during the foot flat to heel-off phase. This, accordingly, increases the ankle-foot gear ratio and the force of the dorsiflexors.

Abstract Background Developing a strong professional identity is crucial to helping nursing students pursing nursing career. Stress and coping are two factors that may influence professional identity. The relationship between nursing interns’ professional identity, coping, and perceived stress, however, has not received much attention in the literature. This study aimed to examine the role of coping as a mediator in the relationship between perceived stress and professional identity among nursing interns. Methods In September 2020, a cross-sectional study was done at a Chinese medical university. Data were collected online from 213 nursing interns via convenience sampling using the personal characteristics questionnaire, the professional identity scale for nursing students, the stress rating scale for nursing students in practice and the simplified coping style questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis, and a bootstrap approach with SPSS Process macro were adopted to examine the mediating role of coping on perceived stress and professional identity. Results The overall mean score for nursing interns’ professional identity was 3.30 ± 0.51. Perceived stress was negatively correlated with professional identity (r = -0.217, p

Abstract Solid stress, originating from rigid and elastic components of extracellular matrix and cells, is a typical physical hallmark of tumors. Mounting evidence indicates that elevated solid stress drives metastasis and affects prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism of how cancer cells sense solid stress, thereby exacerbating malignancy, remains elusive. In this study, our clinical data suggest that elevated stress in metastatic solid tumors is highly associated with the expression of cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 (CKAP4). Intriguingly, CKAP4, as a sensitive intracellular mechanosensor, responds specifically to solid stress in a subset of studied tumor micro-environmental elements through liquid–liquid phase separation. These micron-scaled CKAP4 puncta adhere tightly onto microtubules and dramatically reorchestrate their curvature and branching to enhance cell spreading, which, as a result, boosts cancer cell motility and facilitates distant metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, the intrinsically disordered region 1 (IDR1) of CKAP4 binds to microtubules, while IDR2 governs phase separation due to the Cav1.2-dependent calcium influx, which collectively remodels microtubules. These findings reveal an unprecedented mechanism of how cancer cells sense solid stress for cancer malignancy and bridge the gap between cancer physics and cancer cell biology.

Abstract Background and aims Continuous vegetable production under plastic tunnels faces challenges like soil degradation, increased soil-borne pathogens, and diminished eggplant yield. These factors collectively threaten the long-term sustainability of food security by diminishing the productivity and resilience of agricultural soils. This research examined the use of raw garlic stalk (RGS) waste and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a sustainable solution for these issues in eggplant monoculture. We hypothesized that the combined application of RGS waste and AMF would improve soil physicochemical properties compared to untreated soil in eggplant monoculture. The combined use of RGS and AMF was expected to suppress soil-borne pathogens, increase the abundance of soil beneficial microorganisms and alter fungal community structure. The combined application of RGS and AMF will significantly enhance eggplant yield compared to untreated plots. This study aimed to determine whether AMF and RGS, individually or in combination, can ameliorate the adverse effects of monoculture on eggplant soil. We also investigated whether these treatments could enhance eggplant yield. Methods The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four treatments: AMF, RGS, and a combined treatment of AMF + RGS (ARGS), along with a control. Each treatment was replicated three times, Eggplant seedlings inoculated with AMF and treated with RGS amendments, both individually and combined. The effects on root traits, soil physicochemical properties, soil enzyme activity, and fungal community structure were investigated. Results RGS amendments and AMF inoculation improved root length, volume, and mycorrhizal colonization. The combined treatment showed the most significant improvement. RGS and AMF application increased soil nutrient availability (N, P, K) and organic matter content. Enzyme activities also increased with RGS and AMF treatments, with the combined application showing the highest activity. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) increased, while soil pH decreased with RGS and AMF amendments. Sequencing revealed a shift in the fungal community structure. Ascomycota abundance decreased, while Basidiomycota abundance increased with RGS and AMF application. The combined treatment reduced the abundance of pathogenic genera (Fusarium) and enriched beneficial taxa (Chaetomium, Coprinellus, Aspergillus). Pearson correlations supported the hypothesis that soil physicochemical properties influence fungal community composition. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential of co-applying RGS and AMF in continuous cropping systems. It enhances soil physicochemical properties, reduces soil-borne pathogens, and promotes beneficial microbial communities and eggplant yield. This combined approach offers a sustainable strategy to address the challenges associated with eggplant monoculture under plastic tunnels.

Abstract The vertebral foramen, lamina, and vertebral body are three critical components of the spine structure, essential for maintaining spinal connectivity and stability. Accurately segmenting lumbar structures such as the vertebral body, vertebral foramen, and lamina in MRI cross-sections helps doctors better understand and diagnose the pathological causes of spine-related diseases. This study presents a multi-structure semantic segmentation method for vertebral transverse section MRI slices using WGAN with a residual U-Net and clustered Transformer. The generator network was replaced with a combination of a residual U-Net and a clustered Transformer-based segmentation network. The enhanced U-Net encoder, utilizing dilated convolutions and residual structures, improved multi-scale feature extraction capabilities. Meanwhile, the clustered Transformer structure, with reduced progressive linear complexity, ensured the extraction of global positional information. The results of multiple experiments show that the Dice coefficient for vertebral body segmentation increased by 3.1%, the Hausdorff distance decreased by 0.6 mm, mIOU improved by 4.1–96.2%, and PPV increased by 2.0–98.8% compared to mainstream segmentation models. These improvements are statistically significant (p

Abstract Little is known about the long-term effectiveness of risk-based treat-to-target cholesterol-lowering interventions on cardiovascular risk. Here, we show the emulated effectiveness of guideline-recommended low-density and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol-lowering interventions using the absolute risk reduction (ARR) and the restricted mean event-free time-based number needed to treat (NNT). With 5,375 participants, the 29-year risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD), all-cause mortality, and atherosclerotic CVD were 18.6%, 25.6%, and 17.7%, respectively. Long-term treat-to-target interventions showed significant reductions in CVD (ARR −2.3%, 95%CI −3.4% to −0.8%; NNT 115), all-cause mortality (−3.0%, −4.3% to −1.8%; 95), and atherosclerotic CVD (−2.6%, −3.5% to −1.2%; 104). Such effects appear more pronounced in women, smokers, and those with body mass index

Abstract Background Play is an indispensable and meaningful activity in children’s daily life. Research has shown that autistic children often exhibit differences in play development. The core traits of autism, such as distinct patterns in social interaction and communication, focused interests, and repetitive behaviors, frequently manifest in their play. Therefore, play may serve as an insightful measure of these differences. Unlike previous studies focusing on play behaviors only, we explored other behaviors associated with autism during free play, and constructed a clinical prediction model for effectively screening autistic children. Methods Participants, including 123 autistic children and 123 neurotypical children aged 1–6 years, engaged in a 1.5-min free play with fixed toys, which was videotaped. A novel behavior-coding scheme was used to code these videos for 19 autistic behaviors, including play. The coding details of the 19 behaviors were then converted and expanded to 81 digital behavior indicators, including counts, duration, and proportion. Results The autistic children showed less functional play and imaginative play and reduced social communication and interactions, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and vocalizations, compared to the neurotypical children during free play. Furthermore, 5 behavioral indicators were selected for the prediction model through stepwise logistic regression, including 1 on socially oriented vocalizations and 4 on count and duration of functional play. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed a good prediction performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.826, a sensitivity of 85.4%, and a specificity of 68.3%. Conclusion Our findings highlight differences in play performance and social communication and interactions during free play among autistic children. Based on these findings, we constructed a good clinical prediction model, which might be a potential digital tool used by clinicians to effectively screen autistic children.

The genus Micrencaustes Crotch, 1876 (Coleoptera, Cucujoidea, Erotylidae, Erotylinae, Encaustini) includes 44 known species worldwide, 11 species having been reported to occur in China. In recent years, species of genus Micrencaustes in China are constantly being discovered, mainly distributed in southern China.A new species, Micrencaustes (Mimencaustes) occulta sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Two species, Micrencaustes (Mimencaustes) divisa Arrow, 1925 and Micrencaustes (Micrencaustes) navicularis Arrow, 1921 are recorded from China for the first time. The morphological characteristics of adults of new species are re-described in detail and illustrated. A key to Chinese species of the genus Micrencaustes is provided. The specimens of new species was collected from Yunnan Province and the specimens of Micrencaustes (Mimencaustes) divisa Arrow, 1925 and Micrencaustes (Micrencaustes) navicularis Arrow, 1921 were collected from Hainan Province and Guangdong Province and deposited in the Museum of Hebei University and Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Abstract Background In evolutionary biology, identifying and quantifying inter-lineage genome size variation and elucidating the underlying causes of that variation have long been goals. Repetitive elements (REs) have been proposed and confirmed as being among the most important contributors to genome size variation. However, the evolutionary implications of genome size variation and RE dynamics are not well understood. Results A total of 35 Ensifera insects were collected from different areas in China, including nine species of crickets and 26 species of katydids. The genome sizes of seven species were then determined using flow cytometry. The RepeatExplorer2 pipeline was employed to retrieve the repeated sequences for each species, based on low-coverage (0.1 X) high-throughput Illumina unassembled short reads. The genome sizes of the 35 Ensifera insects exhibited a considerable degree of variation, ranging from 1.00 to 18.34 pg. This variation was more than 18-fold. Similarly, the RE abundances exhibited considerable variation, ranging from 13.66 to 61.16%. In addition, the Tettigonioidea had larger genomes and contained significantly more REs than did the Grylloidea genomes. Analysis of the correlation between RE abundance and the genome size of 35 Ensifera insects revealed that the abundance of REs, transposable elements (TEs), long terminal repeats (LTRs), and long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) are significantly correlated with genome size. Notably, there is an inflection point in this correlation, where species with increasingly large genomes (e.g., > 5–10 pg) have repeats that contribute less to genome expansion than expected. Furthermore, this study revealed contrasting evolutionary directions between the Tettigonioidea and Grylloidea clades in terms of the expansion of REs. Tettigonioidea species exhibit a gradual increase in ancestral genome size and RE abundance as they diverge, while Grylloidea species experience sustained genome contraction. Conclusions This study reveals extensive variation in genome size and RE abundance in Ensifera insects, with distinct evolutionary patterns across two major groups, Tettigonioidea and Grylloidea. This provides valuable insights into the variation in genome size and RE abundance in Ensifera insects, offering a comprehensive understanding of their evolutionary history.

Abstract EEG-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to decode visual information. Recently, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been used to classify EEG signals evoked by visual stimuli. However, methods using ANNs to extract features from raw signals still perform lower than traditional frequency-domain features, and the methods are typically evaluated on small-scale datasets at a low sample rate, which can hinder the capabilities of deep-learning models. To overcome these limitations, we propose a hybrid local-global neural network, which can be trained end-to-end from raw signals without handcrafted features. Specifically, we first propose a reweight module to learn channel weights adaptively. Then, a local feature extraction module is designed to capture basic EEG features. Next, a spatial integration module fuses information from each electrode, and a global feature extraction module integrates overall time-domain characteristics. Additionally, a feature fusion module is proposed to extract efficient features in high sampling rate settings. The proposed model achieves state-of-the-art results on two commonly used small-scale datasets and outperforms baseline methods on three under-studied large-scale datasets. Ablation experimental results demonstrate that the proposed modules have a stable performance improvement ability on multiple datasets across different sample rates, providing a robust end-to-end learning framework.

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry a variety of bioactive molecules and are becoming a promising alternative to cell therapy. Scale-up EV isolation is necessary for their functional studies and biological applications, while the traditional methods are challenged by low throughput, low yield, and potential damage. Herein, we developed an ion osmolarity-driven sequential concentration-enrichment strategy (IOSCE) for the EV isolation. IOSCE is composed of a novel superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) for EV concentration and a charged polymer for EV enrichment. Based on the driving force of ionic osmotic pressure, IOSCE can isolate EVs on a large scale from cell culture medium. The saturated water absorption capacity of IOSCE is 13.62 times higher than that of commercial SAPs. Compared with the ultracentrifugation method, IOSCE exhibited a 2.64 times higher yield (6.33 × 108 particles/mL). Moreover, the mesenchymal stem cell-derived EVs isolated using IOSCE demonstrate strong biological activity and can reduce neuroinflammation by affecting RNA metabolism and translation processes. IOSCE provides a cost-effective, high-throughput, and low-damage method for the scale up EV isolation, which is promising for disease diagnosis and treatment. Graphical Abstract

Abstract It is widely known that the inertial technique of the heavy-ball method can accelerate its convergence speed. In this paper, by embedding the inertial technique in the famous PRP conjugate gradient method, we propose a modified PRP conjugate gradient method with inertial extrapolation (PRPCG-IE) for sparse signal reconstruction. Its direction satisfies the sufficient descent property, which is independent of any line search. Global convergence of PRPCG-IE is established under some standard conditions. PRPCG-IE is applied to two sparse signal reconstruction problems with noise, and preliminary experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of PRPCG-IE.

Abstract Little is known about how the epigenomic states change during development and evolution in a 3D genome context. Here we use Drosophila pseudoobscura with complex turnover of sex chromosomes as a model to address this, by collecting massive epigenomic and Hi-C data from five developmental stages and three adult tissues. We reveal that over 60% of the genes and transposable elements (TE) exhibit at least one developmental transition of chromatin state. Transitions on specific but not housekeeping enhancers are associated with specific chromatin loops and topologically associated domain borders (TABs). While evolutionarily young TEs are generally silenced, old TEs more often have been domesticated as interacting TABs or specific enhancers. But on the recently evolved X chromosome, young TEs are instead often active and recruited as TABs, due to acquisition of dosage compensation. Overall we characterize how Drosophila epigenomic landscapes change during development and in response to chromosome evolution, and highlight the important roles of TEs in genome organization and regulation.

The challenge in high-strength non-oriented silicon steel is the synergistic enhancement of both strength and magnetic properties, which are both significantly influenced by microstructure and texture of the steel. To address this, a novel high magnetic field annealing was employed to modify the microstructure and texture of the steel, aiming for a concurrently optimization of these properties. The results indicated that both the iron loss and strength decreased with increasing annealing temperature, whereas the magnetic induction intensity increased firstly and then decreased. The application of a high magnetic field meaningfully enhanced the magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel, whereas the strength of the steel was significantly decrease at 750 °C, but this decrease was reduced at higher temperature. The application of magnetic field reduced the Gibbs free energy of the system during the recrystallization process resulting in a facilitation of recrystallization. During low-temperature annealing (750–800 °C) in the high magnetic field, the dislocation density decreased, and internal stress was reduced, leading to a significant reduction in hysteresis loss and an improvement in magnetic properties. However, the reduction in dislocation density resulted in a substantial deterioration of strength at low temperature. With increasing annealing temperature, the enhanced grain growth with the application of magnetic field lead to an increase in magnetic induction intensity, whereas the grain boundary strengthening contribution decreased, resulting in a decrease in strength. Furthermore, the optimal comprehensive properties were achieved by annealing at 850 °C with a high magnetic field, which yielded a magnetic induction intensity B5000 of 1.679 T, a high-frequency iron loss P1.0/400 of 21.44 W/Kg, and a yield strength of 508 MPa, are well-suited for utilization in the drive motors of new energy vehicles.

Background Improving the level of benefit finding can help alleviate the high prevalence of negative emotional problems and promote mental health in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, so the research group has constructed a benefit finding promotion program for MHD patients based on the PERMA flourish model in the earlier stage, which is urgently needed to be applied in clinical practice. Objective To explore the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of benefit finding promotion program for MHD patients, and provide reference for psychological intervention of them. Methods Using purposive sampling method, 12 healthcare workers and 9 MHD patients in the hemodialysis unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Naval Medical University were selected as the study subjects from March to May 2023, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with them using the phenomenological research method, and the results of the interviews were analyzed in terms of the three dimensions of change, change recipients, and the organizational environment based on the i-PARIHS framework, and the responses to the obstacle factors were developed. Results Barriers to the application of the program at the change level include lack of detail, high professionalism, and cultural differences in the program content; at the recipient level include cognitive differences in the team, lack of psychosocial training for healthcare workers, low motivation of patients to participate, and inconsistent acceptance; at the organizational environment level, the lack of incentives in the ward, and the lack of a suitable place for the intervention. Factors facilitating the implementation of the program include, on the change side, interventions derived from high-quality research, richness and variety of program content, etc., on the receiver side, strong support from the ward leadership, positive cooperation from team members, etc., and on the organizational environment side, the ward has a certain base of psychological interventions, and changes are in line with national and health policies. Conclusion The application of benifit finding promotion program for MHD patients is affected by a variety of factors, the need to comprehensively analyze the barriers and facilitators, and to take specific action strategies to promote the program to the ground, so that it is orderly and efficient in the clinical implementation of the application.

Abstract Background Phytoremediation is affected by physical and chemical properties of the soil such as soil pH, moisture, and nutrient content. Soil pH is a key element influencing Cd bioavailability and can be easily adjusted in agricultural practices. The soil pH level may relate to the effectiveness of phytoremediation; however, this has not been extensively investigated. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of Cd contamination level (0.56 and 0.92 mg/kg) and soil pH (5, 6, and 7) on Cd accumulation and allocation in Artemisia argyi, a fast-growing perennial crop. Results Our results indicated that higher soil Cd concentrations reduce A. argyi biomass, and the loss of the root mass was particularly significant. Higher soil pH decreased Cd content in stems and roots of A. argyi cultivated in moderately Cd-polluted soil, and increased Cd content in stems and roots of the plant grown in low Cd-polluted soil. Higher soil pH decreased the percentage of Cd distributed in the soluble fraction and cell walls and increased the percentage of Cd in the organelles of leaf cells for moderate soil Cd levels. The bioconcentration and translocation factor exceeded 4.0 and 1.0, respectively, across all tested treatments, indicating that A. argyi is a promising candidate for phytoremediation. Notably, the effects of soil pH on Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution in A. argyi differed between low and moderately Cd-contaminated soils. Conclusion Adjustments to soil pH based on the degree of Cd contamination can enhance Cd extraction by A. argyi, thereby reducing the overall remediation cycle of cadmium-polluted paddy fields of South China. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Serum neurofilament light chain (sNFL) is a biomarker for axonal injury. Previous studies have linked sNFL levels to cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, but its association with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the association between sNFL and CVD and evaluates its predictive value. Utilizing NHANES 2013–2014 data, this study included 2,035 participants aged ≥ 20 years with measured sNFL quantified using a Siemens immunoassay. CVD was self-reported and included myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, or angina. Logistic regression models assessed the association between sNFL levels and CVD. The predictive value of sNFL for CVD was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) and DeLong test. Participants with higher sNFL levels were typically older, male, non-Hispanic white, smokers, and had lower socioeconomic status, higher CVD, hypertension, and diabetes prevalence. Higher sNFL levels were significantly associated with increased odds of CVD (adjusted OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.05–1.88). The association was significant in non-hypertensive individuals (OR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.61–4.62) but not in hypertensive individuals (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.81–1.56). sNFL addition to traditional risk models improved predictive accuracy, especially in non-hypertensive individuals (AUC from 0.827 to 0.856). sNFL levels are significantly associated with CVD in the general population, with a strong predictive value in non-hypertensive individuals. Future longitudinal studies should validate sNFL’s efficacy in various populations and explore the underlying mechanisms of its relationship with hypertension and CVD.

Abstract This research investigates a specific type of irregularly shaped inclusions in steel, which are typically considered detrimental. A comparative study of two steels, treated with different inclusion modification methods by oxide metallurgy technology, reveals that spherical inclusions with complex structures can provide beneficial multipoint trap sites for hydrogen, thereby reducing the risk of hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC). Notably, irregular stripe-shaped silicate-oxide inclusions with sharp tips, due to their hot-soft characteristics during the process of hot-rolling, do not exacerbate cracks but instead mitigate local stresses. Conversely, large single-phase hard inclusions are detrimental to HIC resistance. This investigation provides insights into the mechanisms behind why certain irregular inclusions do not trigger HIC crack after the NACE TM 0284-2016 standard test.

Raindrop size distribution （RSD） is fundamental in understanding the precipitation microphysics and quantitative precipitation estimation， especially in complex terrain with complicated rainfall mechanism and high spatial and temporal variability.In this paper， the RSD characteristics of different rainfall rates and rain types in the mountainous and plain areas of the Ili River Valley during the summer of 2020 -2022 are investigated using Parsivel2 disdrometer.The results show that the precipitation in the mountainous and plain areas is mainly composed of small raindrops， and medium raindrops are the largest contribution to the rainfall rate R.Precipitation in the mountainous and plain areas mainly occurs during the late afternoon and early evening， and the concentration of large and medium-sized raindrops is higher in the mountainous areas in all time periods.The spectral width and the concentration of drops with diameters increase with increasing rainfall rate.The number concentration of medium and large particles in the mountainous areas is obviously higher than that in the plain areas during light rain and heavy rain.For the same rainfall rate and rain type， precipitation in the mountainous areas has higher mass-weighted mean diameter （Dm） and lower normalized intercept parameter （log10Nw）.In addition， the convective rain spectrum in the mountainous and plain areas of the Ili River Valley tend to be “continental-like convective cluster”.It is found that there are also significant differences in the μ-Λ relationship and Z-R relationship of precipitation between the two areas， and the empirical relationship of Z =300R1.40 clearly overestimates precipitation.The results reveal the microphysical characteristics of precipitation under different terrain conditions in the Ili River Valley， and provide a reliable factual basis for the subsequent retrieval of precipitation using radar data.

Abstract Background Cholangiocarcinoma is a highly heterogeneous tumor with bile acid metabolism involving in its development. The aim of this study was to characterize bile acid metabolism and identify specific subtypes to better stratify cholangiocarcinoma patients for individualized treatment and prognostic assessment. Methods A total of 30 bile acids were quantified using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Using Consensus clustering, the molecular subtypes related to bile acid metabolism were identified. The prognosis, clinicopathologic characteristics, immune landscape, and therapeutic response were compared between these subtypes. The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis and preliminary cell experiment were also conducted to verify our findings. Results The altered bile acid profile and genetic variation of bile acid metabolism-related genes in cholangiocarcinoma were demonstrated. The cholangiocarcinoma was categorized into bile acid metabolism-active and -inactive subtypes with different prognoses, clinicopathologic characteristics, tumor microenvironments (TME) and therapeutic responses. This categorization was reproducible and predictable. Specifically, the bile acid metabolism-active subtype showed a poor prognosis with an immunosuppressive microenvironment and an inactive response to immunotherapy, while the bile acid metabolism-inactive subtype showed the opposite characteristics. Moreover, the scRNA-seq revealed that immunotherapy altered bile acid metabolism in TME of cholangiocarcinoma. Finally, a prognostic signature related to bile acid metabolism was developed, which exhibited strong power for prognostic assessment of cholangiocarcinoma. Consistently, these results were verified by immunohistochemistry, cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis assays. Conclusion In conclusion, a novel cholangiocarcinoma classification based on bile acid metabolism was established. This classification was significant for the estimation of TME and prognosis.

Abstract People readily change their behavior to comply with others. However, to which extent they will internalize the social influence remains elusive. In this preregistered electroencephalogram (EEG) study, we investigated how learning from one’s in-group or out-group members about facial attractiveness would change explicit attractiveness ratings and spontaneous neural representations of facial attractiveness. Specifically, we quantified the neural representational similarities of learned faces with prototypical attractive faces during a face perception task without overt social influence and intentional evaluation. We found that participants changed their explicit attractiveness ratings to both in-group and out-group influences. Moreover, social conformity updated spontaneous neural representation of facial attractiveness, an effect particularly evident when participants learned from their in-group members and among those who perceived tighter social norms. These findings offer insights into how group affiliations and individual differences in perceived social norms modulate the internalization of social influence.

Abstract Background Congenital rib deformity is a common thoracic deformity that has a potentially far-reaching impact on the growth and lung function development of young children. Early diagnosis and accurate assessment of congenital rib deformity is of great importance. This study was to retrospectively analyze the number, location, and types of deformities, imaging features as well as clinical symptoms of children with congenital rib deformities. Methods Children who were diagnosed with congenital rib deformities between October 2019 and October 2021 in our hospital were included in this study. The rib deformities were analyzed according to the imaging results of chest X-ray and 3D volume rendering multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Results A total of 472 male and 186 female children with rib deformities were detected in this study, with a male to female ratio of approximately 2.54:1. Of the deformed ribs, 417 (63.4%) were located on the right side, usually single and unilateral. The most common type of the detected rib deformity were bifid ribs (95.14%). Rib deformity was most common in the fourth rib (46.62%). The majority (76.16%, n = 428) of rib deformities were incidental findings and asymptomatic. Conclusions Congenital rib deformities in pediatric patients included in our hospital were more frequently observed in males than females, more frequently detected on the right than on the left side. The most common type of rib deformity is the bifid rib. MDCT examination are of great value in the diagnosis of rib deformity and can help guide clinical treatment.

Abstract Ligusticum sinense cv. Chuanxiong (L. Chuanxiong), one of the widely used traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), is currently facing the problem of excessive cadmium (Cd) content. This problem has significantly affected the quality and safety of L. Chuanxiong and become a vital factor restricting its clinical application and international trade development. Currently, to solve the problem of excessive Cd, it is essential to research the response mechanisms of L. Chuanxiong to Cd stress. However, there are few reports on its physiological and biochemical responses under Cd stress. In this study, we conducted the hydroponic experiment under 25 μM Cd stress, based on the Cd content of the genuine producing areas soil. The results showed that 25 μM Cd stress not only had no significant inhibitory effect on the growth of L. Chuanxiong seedlings but also significantly increased the chlorophyll a content (11.79%) and root activity (51.82%) compared with that of the control, which might be a hormesis effect. Further results showed that the absorption and assimilation of NH4 + increased in seedlings under 25 μM Cd stress, which was associated with high photosynthetic pigments. Here, we initially hypothesized and confirmed that Cd exceedance in the root system of L. Chuanxiong was due to the thickening of the root cell wall, changes in the content of the cell wall components, and chelation of Cd by GSH. There was an increase in cell wall thickness (57.64 %) and a significant increase in cellulose (25.48%) content of roots under 25 μM Cd stress. In addition, L. Chuanxiong reduced oxidative stress caused by 25 μM Cd stress mainly through the GSH/GSSG cycle. Among them, GSH-Px (48.26%) and GR (42.64%) activities were significantly increased, thereby maintaining a high GSH/GSSG ratio. This study preliminarily reveals the response of L. Chuanxiong to Cd stress and the mechanism of Cd enrichment. It provides a theoretical basis for solving the problem of Cd excessive in L. Chuanxiong. Graphical Abstract Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of L. Chuanxiong seedlings under Cd stress.

Abstract CD36, also known as glycoprotein IV, is classified into two distinct subgroups based on the presence or absence of its expression on monocytes. The CD36 gene spans approximately 50,000 base pairs. Historically, research has focused on identifying CD36 mutations through Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS), with limited exploration of haplotypes. In this study, we collected blood samples from donors with type I and type II CD36 deficiencies as well as from healthy controls, and employed single-molecule long-read sequencing (also known as Third-Generation Sequencing) of genomic DNA to analyze the genetic basis of CD36. The study identified 180 genetic variants, 12 of which were found to alter the amino acid sequence. Notably, four of these mutations (c.220 C > T; c.329_330delAC; c.430-1 G > C; c.1006 + 2 T > G) are premature termination mutations that lead to protein truncation. Using Fisher’s exact test, we statistically analyzed a specific haplotype, c.-132A > C and c.329_330delAC, along with their clinical phenotypes, revealing a strong association between these variants in the 5’ block and type I CD36 deficiency. We analyzed the CD36 gene sequences in platelet donors and patients with PTR (platelet transfusion refractoriness) and FNAIT (fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia), conducting a detailed haplotype analysis associated with type I CD36 deficiency and FNAIT.

Abstract This study aimed to identify predictive factors for the prognosis of acute-on-chronic liver disease (AoCLD) due to both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and alcohol and to develop prognostic models to improve treatment management. AoCLD patients with HBV and alcohol as etiological factors were selected from two multicenter prospective cohorts (NCT02457637,NCT03641872) and included in separate training and validation cohorts (n = 180 and n = 148). In the training cohort, the CATCH-LIFE A nomogram (based on age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, serum sodium, and hepatic encephalopathy score) and CATCH-LIFE B nomogram (based on age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, serum albumin, white blood cell, platelet count, and hepatic encephalopathy score) had discriminatory ability for predicting 28-day (c-indexes of 0.910 and 0.899) and 90-day mortality (c-indexes of 0.878 and 0.887, respectively). The area under the curve values for 28-day and 90-day mortality prediction by the CATCH-LIFE A nomogram were 0.922 (95% CI : 0.874, 0.971) and 0.905 (0.856, 0.956), respectively, while those for the CATCH-LIFE B nomogram were 0.916(0.861,0.972) and 0.915 (0.866,0.964), respectively. Similar performance results were observed in the validation cohort. Optimal cut-off scores for each nomogram could be used for patient stratification in high- and low-risk groups, and the high-risk groups showed shorter survival times than the low-risk groups in both the training and validation cohorts. Two nomograms constructed from the first short-term follow-up data from patients with AoCLD due to combined HBV infection and alcohol exposure showed good predictive performance for 28-day and 90-day mortality and might be used to guide clinical management.

Abstract Despite a rapid expansion of Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) sublineage 8.7 over recent years, very little is known about the patterns of virus evolution, dispersal, and the factors influencing this dispersal. Relying on a national PRRSV surveillance project established over 20 years ago, we expand the available genomic data of sublineage 8.7 from China. We perform independent interlineage and intralineage recombination analyses for the entire study period, which showed a heterogeneous recombination pattern. A series of Bayesian phylogeographic analyses uncover the role of Guangdong as an important infection hub within Asia. The spatial spread of PRRSV is highly linked with a composite of human activities and the heterogeneous provincial distribution of the swine industry, largely propelled by the smaller-scale Chinese rural farming systems in the past years. We sequence all four available modified live vaccines (MLVs) and perform genomic analyses with publicly available data, of which our results suggest a key “leaky” period spanning 2011–2017 with two concurrent amino acid mutations in ORF1a 957 and ORF2 250. Overall, our study provides an in-depth overview of the evolution, transmission dynamics, and potential leaky status of HP-PRRS MLVs, providing critical insights into new MLV development.

Abstract Pampus argenteus is a highly commercial marine fish whose population is declining sharply. Here, we generated a female P. argenteus genome, spanning 536.33 Mb with contig N50 of 1.79 Mb; 24070 genes (99.50% of 24,182) were functionally annotated. To improve quality of it, we assembled a 553.79 Mb genome of male fish with contig N50 of 24.75 Mb through HiFi and ultra-long ONT sequence technologies; 550.82 Mb were anchored onto 24 gap-free chromosomes; 22,892 genes (98.1% of 23,346) were functionally annotated; the QV value was 51.55 with 98.9% of BUSCO and 99.39% coverage of Illumina reads. Finally, we compared this genome with previous published one, revealing 37,301 SVs. 52.82 Mb and 18.05 Mb SDs were characterized in our and published assemblies, respectively, and 48.96 Mb PURs were constructed. Thus, this genome assembly exhibits excellent completeness, continuity and accuracy comparing to the published one, which can be current preferred reference genome. Overall, these works help aquaculture and wild resources recovery of P. argenteus and provide a valuable genetic resource for study.

Abstract As most traditional drugs used to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases have a single therapeutic target, many of them cannot treat complex diseases or diseases whose mechanism is unknown and cannot effectively reverse the root changes underlying CNS diseases. This raises the question of whether multiple functional components are involved in the complex pathological processes of CNS diseases. Organelles are the core functional units of cells, and the replacement of damaged organelles with healthy organelles allows the multitargeted and integrated modulation of cellular functions. The development of therapies that target independent functional units in the cell, specifically, organelle-based therapies, is rapidly progressing. This article comprehensively discusses the pathogenesis of mitochondrial homeostasis disorders, which involve mitochondria, one of the most important organelles in CNS diseases, and the machanisms of mitochondrion-based therapies, as well as current preclinical and clinical studies on the efficacy of therapies targeting mitochondrial to treat CNS diseases, to provide evidence for use of organelle-based treatment strategies in the future. Graphical Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article summarizes the applications of biosensors and biomimetic sensors in the detection of residues in dairy products. Biosensors use biological molecules, such as enzymes or antibodies, to detect residual substances in dairy products, demonstrating high specificity and sensitivity. Biomimetic sensors, inspired by biosensors, use synthetic materials to mimic biological sensing mechanisms, enhancing stability and reproducibility. Both sensor types have achieved notable success in detecting pesticide residues, veterinary drugs, bacteria, and other contaminants in dairy products. The applications of biological and biomimetic sensors not only improve the efficiency of residue detection in dairy products but also have the potential to reduce the time and cost of traditional methods. Their specificity and high sensitivity make them powerful tools in the dairy industry, thus contributing to ensuring the quality and safety of dairy products and meeting the growing consumer demands for health and food safety.

Abstract This study investigated how resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) predicts antidepressant response in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Eighty-seven medication-free MDD patients underwent baseline resting-state functional MRI scans. After 12 weeks of escitalopram treatment, patients were classified into remission depression (RD, n = 42) and nonremission depression (NRD, n = 45) groups. We conducted two analyses: a voxel-wise rsFC analysis using sgACC as a seed to identify group differences, and a prediction model based on the sgACC rsFC map to predict treatment efficacy. Haufe transformation was used to interpret the predictive rsFC features. The RD group showed significantly higher rsFC between the sgACC and regions in the fronto-parietal network (FPN), including the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and bilateral inferior parietal lobule (IPL), compared to the NRD group. These sgACC rsFC measures correlated positively with symptom improvement. Baseline sgACC rsFC also significantly predicted treatment response after 12 weeks, with a mean accuracy of 72.64% (p

Abstract Dopamine (DA) neurons play a crucial role in the development and manifestation of depression, as well as in response to antidepressant treatments. While the function of the predominantly distributed DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is well established, the contribution of a small fraction of DA neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) during depression remains unclear. In this study, we found that chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induces depression-related behaviors and decreases spontaneous firing rates, excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents of DA neurons in the DRN associated with reduced excitatory synaptic transmission in male and female mice. The chemogenetic inhibition of DA neurons in the DRN produces depressive phenotypes. Conversely, their activation completely reversed the anhedonic and despair behaviors induced by CUS. Furthermore, we showed that a DRN dopaminergic projecting to the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dBNST) selectively controls depressive behaviors by influencing the neural activity and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) mediating EPSC of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II+ (CaMKII+) target neurons by regulating dopamine neurotransmitter and dopamine receptor 2 (DR2) in the dBNST. Overall, these findings highlight the essential role of the DRNDA → dBNSTCaMKII+ neural circuit in bi-directionally mediating stress-induced depression-related behaviors. Our findings indicate that DRN DA neurons are a key component of the neural circuitry involved in regulating depression-related behaviors, making them a potential therapeutic target for depression.

Objective: The study involved 17 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), 21 with ADHD, 30 with both (ASD + ADHD), and 28 typically developing children (TD). Methods: The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) was measured as a regional brain function index. Intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) was also analyzed using the region of interest (ROI) identified in ALFF analysis. Statistical analysis was done via one-way ANCOVA, Gaussian random field (GRF) theory, and post-hoc pair-wise comparisons. Results: The ASD + ADHD group showed increased ALFF in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG.L) compared to the TD group. In terms of global brain function, the ASD group displayed underconnectivity in specific regions compared to the ASD + ADHD and TD groups. Conclusion: The findings contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying ASD + ADHD. "(J. of Att. Dis. 2024; 28(5) 834-846)"

This study explores online self-regulated learning skills among high school students in three schools in China's EAST City Y using questionnaires. Results reveal the online self-regulated learning skills of high school students are positioned at an intermediate level, showcasing noteworthy disparities across distinct cohorts of high school students. Specifically, female students, urban residents, high-achieving students, and senior students (Grade 12) manifest distinct advantages in terms of online self-regulated learning aptitude. Conversely, male students, rural residents, students with comparatively lower academic achievements, as well as students in Grade 10 and Grade 11, evince limitations in online self-regulated learning skills. Additionally, Moderate internet use enhances high school students' online self-regulated learning; excessive or insufficient use hampers skill development. Future research should expand the sample to diverse regions and cultures to enhance generalizability.

With the widespread implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures during the pandemic, online classes have become a normal and indispensable part of college students' lives. Analysis of the factors affecting college students' behavioural intention towards online classes will help improve online class quality. This paper sets up a model to analyse the factors that may affect such intentions . The results show that social influence, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have a significant positive effect on college students' behavioural intention, and enabling environment(i.e. the infeasibility of offline teaching due to the pandemic)has a significant negative effect on it. Gender and voluntariness, as moderator variables, also clearly influence behavioural intention. Based on pandemic prevention and control measures, along with education reform and modernisation, this paper offers valuable suggestions to online learning platform and education administrators.

The extant research evidence indicates that sensible exercise has a beneficial impact on the prevention and treatment of cancer. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of the field of sports oncology. Its objective is to synthesize and analyze the impact of exercise training on cancer, as well as to elucidate the mechanisms through which exercise affects cancer progression. Additionally, it offers valuable insights for advancing fundamental and clinical research in sports oncology. Firstly, this paper provides a summary of the relationship between exercise and various aspects of tumor progression, including tumor size, weight, metastasis, tumor vascularity, myokine production, immune response, and the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy. Secondly, due to the diversity of tumor properties, we also explore the fact that the specificity of exercise prescription should be tailored to the different tumor types and patient profiles. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of considering individual differences when determining the type of exercise, intensity, intervention, and duration of exercise. Finally, this paper emphasizes the necessity of evaluating the interaction between exercise and conventional or novel immunotherapies and pharmacodynamics in future preclinical studies.