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Abstract Hyperglycemia and diabetes are common metabolic disorders. It is considered a safe and effective strategy to screen active ingredients from food and herbs for controlling blood sugar levels. Quinic acid (QA) is a natural polyphenolic acid with various health‐promoting properties. In this study, QA was found to exhibit a potent inhibitory effect on α‐glucosidase activity, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5.46 mM. This inhibitory property surpassed that of three common organic acids including gallic acid, malic acid, and citric acid. A combination of 25% acarbose (0.5 mM) and 75% QA (5 mM) (v/v) exhibited synergistic inhibition of α‐glucosidase activity. Enzyme kinetics, fluorescence spectra, and molecular docking analyses indicated that QA acted as an uncompetitive inhibitor of α‐glucosidase, with hydrogen bonds playing a key role in the intermolecular interactions. Moreover, QA was found to effectively inhibit three major nonenzymatic glycation products including advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), fructosamine, and α‐dicarbonyl in a dose‐dependent manner, outperforming the positive control aminoguanidine (AG) within the tested concentration range. Utilizing a Caco‐2 cell model, QA demonstrated the ability to inhibit the transmembrane absorption of glucose. This study highlighted QA as a promising food functional factor that had been overlooked in the past, offering potential benefits in improving hyperglycemia, diabetes, and associated complications through the inhibition of α‐glucosidase, nonenzymatic glycosylation, and glucose uptake.

Modeling the gravitational field of irregular celestial bodies is a common problem currently faced by the researchers in the fields of Earth science and deep space exploration. This paper reviews the developmental history of gravitational field modeling theory in these two fields. It summarizes research progress in the last decade, focusing on multipole expansion and potential-flow simulation theories. The gravitational field multipole expansion theory introduces the complex algebraic function commonly used in electromagnetism and quantum mechanics to the gravitational field modeling research field, which can express the (internal and external) gravitational field of celestial bodies more concisely. The calculation rules and mathematical tools from the complex function theory make solving the gravitational dynamics problems in Earth and planetary science more convenient. The potential-flow simulation theory is proposed on top of the equivalence of the Earth's external gravitational vector field and the potential-flow velocity field. That is, both are source- and curl-free vector fields. It introduces the numerical algorithms of computational fluid dynamics to model the external gravitational fields of celestial bodies. Because the potential-flow simulation theory is not established based on the perturbation theory, it can overcome the divergence problem of conventional methods, especially when inverting for the gravitational field of an irregularly shaped celestial body. The two theories expand the theoretical research of gravitational field modeling by using seemingly irrelevant knowledge from other research fields, and such methodology is instructive for Earth or deep-space science researchers to make subsequent theoretical improvements. Moreover, we also systematically categorize, compare, and analyze the existing gravitational field modeling methods based on the mathematical definition of the gravitational field, as well as its variants, and summarize their advantages and disadvantages, helping to select proper gravitational field modeling methods for the Earth and deep-space science researchers.

Salmonella is one of the most prevalent foodborne pathogens. This study investigated the impact of HFD on Salmonella infection and the preventive effects of tea-derived polyphenols. Results showed that HFD decreased the survival rate of Salmonella-infected mice, while catechin (C) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) supplementation increased survival rates, with EGCG being more effective. HFD promoted pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibited intestinal epithelial barrier proteins, but catechins, especially EGCG, restored these levels. 16S rDNA sequencing revealed HFD-induced gut microbiota disruptions. Both catechins altered bacterial composition and diversity, with distinct profiles for C and EGCG. The relative abundance of Desulfovibrio and the Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group was modulated by both catechins, and nine bacteria were identified as biomarkers for EGCG treatment. In summary, Salmonella infection is exacerbated by HFD, but catechins, particularly EGCG, offer protective effects, providing valuable insights for controlling pathogenic infections by tea polyphenols or related functional foods.

ObjectiveThis study aims to identify factors associated with achieving a pathological complete remission (pCR) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).MethodsWe conducted a cohort analysis of 171 LARC patients who underwent curative resection post-nCRT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between January 2015 and December 2021. The data encompassed clinical and pathological information. Univariate and binary logistic regression multivariate analyses were employed to examine the factors influencing pCR achievement after nCRT. Kappa value tests were utilized to compare clinical staging after nCRT with postoperative pathological staging.ResultsPostoperative histopathology revealed that of the 171 patients, 40 (23.4%) achieved TRG 0 grade (pCR group), while 131 (76.6%) did not achieve pCR, comprising 36 TRG1, 42 TRG2, and 53 TRG3 cases. Univariate analysis indicated that younger age (p=0.008), reduced tumor occupation of intestinal circumference (p =0.008), specific pathological types (p=0.011), and lower pre-nCRT CEA levels (p=0.003) correlated with pCR attainment. Multivariate analysis identified these factors as independent predictors of pCR: younger age (OR=0.946, p=0.004), smaller tumor occupation of intestinal circumference (OR=2.809, p=0.046), non-mucinous adenocarcinoma pathological type (OR=10.405, p=0.029), and lower pre-nCRT serum CEA levels (OR=2.463, p=0.031). Clinical re-staging post-nCRT compared to postoperative pathological staging showed inconsistent MRI T staging (Kappa=0.012, p=0.718, consistency rate: 35.1%) and marginally consistent MRI N staging (Kappa=0.205, p=0.001, consistency rate: 59.6%).ConclusionLARC patients with younger age, presenting with smaller tumor circumferences in the intestinal lumen, lower pre-nCRT serum CEA levels, and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma are more likely to achieve pCR after nCRT. The study highlights the need for improved accuracy in clinical re-staging assessments after nCRT in LARC.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has already been stipulated as a “critical” pathogen, emphasizing the urgent need for researching and developing novel antibacterial agents due to multidrug resistance. Bacterial biofilm formation facilitates cystic fibrosis development and restricts the antibacterial potential of many current antibiotics. The capacity of P. aeruginosa to form biofilms and resist antibiotics is closely correlated with quorum sensing (QS). Bacterial QS is being contemplated as a promising target for developing novel antibacterial agents. QS inhibitors are a promising strategy for treating chronic infections. This study reported that the active compound PT22 (1H-pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) isolated from Perenniporia tephropora FF2, one endophytic fungus from Areca catechu L., presents QS inhibitory activity against P. aeruginosa. Combined with gentamycin or piperacillin, PT22 functions as a novel antibiotic accelerant against P. aeruginosa. PT22 (0.50 mg/mL, 0.75 mg/mL, and 1.00 mg/mL) reduces the production of QS-related virulence factors, such as pyocyanin and rhamnolipid, and inhibits biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa PAO1 instead of affecting its growth. The architectural disruption of the biofilms was confirmed by visualization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) indicated that PT22 significantly attenuated the expression of QS-related genes followed by docking analysis of molecules against QS activator proteins. PT22 dramatically increased the survival rate of Galleria mellonella. PT22 combined with gentamycin or piperacillin presents significant inhibition of biofilm formation and eradication of mature biofilm compared to monotherapy, which was also confirmed by visualization through SEM and CLSM. After being treated with PT22 combined with gentamycin or piperacillin, the survival rates of G. mellonella were significantly increased compared to those of monotherapy. PT22 significantly enhanced the susceptibility of gentamycin and piperacillin against P. aeruginosa PAO1. Our results suggest that PT22 from P. tephropora FF2 as a potent QS inhibitor is a candidate antibiotic accelerant to combat the antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa.

The modified coconut shell biochars (MCSBCs) were fabricated and their adsorptions for Pb(II) were evaluated, in which waste coconut shell was used as the raw material, both ZnCl2 and KMnO4 were applied as the inorganic modifiers. FT-IR spectra, TGA, SEM and BET techniques were utilized to characterize their properties. It was spotted that the thermal stability of UCSBC could arrive at 500 °C. The BET specific surface areas of both Zn- and Mn-modified MCSBCs (485.137, 476.734 m2/g) were highly decreased as compared with that of UCSBC (3528.78 m2/g). In contrast, the average pore diameters of both Zn- and Mn-modified MCSBCs (3.295, 3.803 nm) were smaller than that of UCSBC (3.814 nm). These findings reveal that the modification of CSBC didn't change its pore size. Their adsorptions for Pb(II) were performed and some controlling factors involving pH, contact time, starting concentration and temperature were explored. Moreover, the experiment data were fitted via linear and non-linear techniques. It was found that the Langmuir maximal adsorption amounts of un-modified coconut shell biochar (UCSBC), Zn-modified and Mn-modified MCSBCs for Pb(II) could reach 31.653, 86.547 and 93.666 mg/g, respectively. Two-parameter kinetic models exposed that Pb(II) adsorption on UCSBC, Zn-modified and Mn-modified MCSBCs obeyed both the Lagergren first-order (non-linear R2 = 0.990, 0.954, 0.953, respectively) and Avrami fractional-order (non-linear R2 = 0.989, 0.946, 0.945, respectively) kinetic models. Two-parameter and three-parameter isotherm models verified that Pb(II) adsorption on UCSBC, Zn-modified and Mn-modified MCSBCs followed the Langmuir (non-linear R2 = 0.992, 0.997, 0.993, respectively) as well as Sips (non-linear R2 = 0.992, 0.997, 0.992, respectively) isotherm models. The computation of thermodynamic parameters evidenced that the modification of UCSBC via KMnO4 and ZnCl2 can effectively rise its adsorption for Pb(II), exhibiting promising applications in the handling of metal-bearing water.

The impact of Ba-modified peanut shell biochar (Ba-PSB) on Pb(II) removal was studied and BaCl2 was used as a modifier. It was shown that the PSB obtained at 750 °C had the best adsorption effect, and the Ba-PSB had a larger specific surface area and a good adsorption effect on Pb(II). At pH = 5, concentration was 400 mg/L, time was 14 h, and temperature was 55 °C, the loading amount of black peanut shell biochar (BPSB), red peanut shell biochar (RPSB), Ba-BPSB, and Ba-RPSB reached 128.050, 98.217, 379.330, and 364.910 mg/g, respectively. In addition, based on the non-linear fitting, it was found that the quasi-second-order kinetic model, and isothermal model could be applied to describe Pb(II) adsorption on PSB and Ba-PSB. The adsorption behavior of PSB unmodified and modified was a spontaneous process. Moreover, chemical modification of BPSB, RPSB, Ba-BPSB, and Ba-RPSB for hindering of –COOH and –OH groups revealed 81.81, 77.08, 86.90, and 83.65% removal of Pb(II), respectively, which was due to the participation of –COOH, while 17.61, 21.70, 12.77, and 15.06% was from –OH group, respectively. The increase of cation strength (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) will reduce the adsorption capacity of PSB for Pb(II). HIGHLIGHTS Ba-modified PSB was prepared and its adsorption property was examined.; The modification of PSB could greatly improve its loading amount for Pb(II).; The effect of –COOH and –OH groups from PSB on Pb(II) sorption was scrutinized.; Ba-modified PSB was an excellent green adsorbent for Pb(II) removal from water.;

The rotes of attempted and completed suicide among adolescents are increasing globally. Social support can help decrease the risk of adolescent suicide, but this aspect has been rarely studied in China. The present study aimed to use the Delphi methodology to establish a set of guidelines for the development of social support resources, with the goal of collectively reducing suicide risks among adolescents in Shanghai. We commenced the study in April 2021, established a research team, searched the keywords using Web of Science from 2016 to 2021 and ultimately designed a pre-evaluation index. Next, following Donabedian’s Structure–Process-Outcome model, the research developed a questionnaire comprising 3 level-1, 12 level-2, and 73 level-3 indicators. Ten experts were enlisted to conduct three rounds of e-mail inquiries in order to finalize the indicator system, resulting in 2 level-1, 11 level-2, and 52 level-3 indicators, as well as expert consensus. Our findings indicate that the social support systems should include parents, schools, psychiatric hospitals, social organizations, and government departments, with the government sector being the most important ((M = 9.4). Furthermore, our study revealed that school counselors and psychologists play similar roles to psychiatrists within the interdisciplinary team (M ± S = 9.2 ± 1.1). As per the expert consensus, social support systems should strengthen government-led and interdisciplinary collaboration, prioritize suicide prevention in schools and encourage greater involvement from social organizations.

IntroductionThere have been studies indicating that children’s unsociability was associated with poorer socio-emotional functioning in China. Although some researchers have found that parenting behavior would influence the relationship between children’s unsociability and adjustment, the role of parental psychological control has not been explored. This study aimed to investigate the moderating effect of parental psychological control on the relationship between unsociability and socio-emotional functioning in Chinese children.MethodsA total of 1,275 students from Grades 3 to 7 (637 boys, Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.55 years) were selected from four public schools in Shanghai to participate in this study. Data of unsociability, peer victimization and social preference were collected from peer-nominations, and data of parental psychological control, depressive symptoms and social anxiety were collected from self-reports.ResultsThere were positive associations between unsociability and peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety, as well as a negative association between unsociability and social preference. Parental psychological control moderated these associations, specifically, the associations between unsociability and peer victimization, social preference, and depressive symptoms were stronger, and the association between unsociability and social anxiety was only significant among children with higher level of parental psychological control.DiscussionThe findings in the current study highlight the importance of parental psychological control in the socio-emotional functioning of unsociable children in the Chinese context, enlightening educators that improving parenting behavior is essential for children’s development.

ObjectivesFrom the perspective of person-centered research, the present study aimed to identify the potential profiles of solitude among late adolescents based on their solitary behavior, motivation, attitude, and time alone. In addition, to echo the paradox of solitude, we further explored the links between solitude profiles and adjustment outcomes.MethodsThe participants of the study were 355 late adolescents (56.34% female, Mage = 19.71 years old) at three universities in Shanghai, China. Measures of solitary behavior, autonomous motivation for solitude, attitude toward being alone, and time spent alone were collected using adolescents' self-report assessments. The UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Basic Psychological Needs Scales were measured as indices of adjustment.ResultsLatent profile analysis revealed four distinct groups: absence of the aloneness group (21.13%), the positive motivational solitude group (29.01%), the negative motivational solitude group (38.03%), and the activity-oriented solitude group (11.83%). Differences emerged among these four groups in terms of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and basic needs satisfaction, with adolescents in the negative motivational solitude group facing the most risk of psychological maladjustment.ConclusionFindings revealed the possible heterogeneous nature of solitude among Chinese late adolescents and provided a theoretical basis for further understanding of adolescents' solitary state.

IntroductionAs individuals enter adolescence, their preference for solitude (PFS) increases with age, which may be a result of balancing the need for social affiliation and the need for autonomy and independence. These needs are shaped by the social-cultural contexts, and thus the growth rate of PFS may differ across social-cultural contexts.This study examined to what extent the developmental trajectory of PFS differed between urban and rural Chinese adolescents.MethodsAdolescents in urban (n = 326,168 boys, Mage =12.00 years, SD = 0.61) and rural (n = 449, 198 boys, Mage =11.82 years, SD = 0.58) regions in China reported their PFS and shyness each year from Grade 6 to Grade 8. Longitudinal measurement invariance of PFS was established between the urban and rural samples. Location and gender differences in the intercept and the slope of PFS were examined using a latent growth model, while controlling for shyness at each time point.ResultsThe analyses revealed that adolescents in both urban and rural regions showed an increasing trajectory of PFS. Although urban and rural adolescents did not differ in the initial level of PFS at Grade 6, urban adolescents’ PFS increased faster than that of the rural adolescents. The urban-rural difference in the slope of PFS remained significant after controlling for the associations between the intercept and the slope of PFS and shyness at each time point. In addition, in the rural region, boys showed a faster increase of PFS than girls, yet gender differences in the initial level of PFS and the developmental trajectory in the urban region were nonsignificant.DiscussionThe findings reveal a normative increasing trend of PFS during early adolescence and faster increase for urban than rural adolescents. To promote adolescents’ psychological well-being, parents, teachers and practitioners need to help adolescents establish a good balance between social interaction and solitude. When deciding what is a good balance, it is important to consider the social-cultural context.

In the realm of automated apple picking operations, the real-time monitoring of apple maturity and diameter characteristics is of paramount importance. Given the constraints associated with feature detection of apples in automated harvesting, this study proposes a machine vision-based methodology for the accurate identification of Fuji apples’ maturity and diameter. Firstly, maturity level detection employed an improved YOLOv5s object detection model. The feature fusion section of the YOLOv5s network was optimized by introducing the cross-level partial network module VoVGSCSP and lightweight convolution GSConv. This optimization aimed to improve the model’s multiscale feature information fusion ability while accelerating inference speed and reducing parameter count. Within the enhanced feature fusion network, a dual attention mechanism combining channel and spatial attention (GAM) was introduced to refine the color and texture feature information of apples and to increase spatial position feature weights. In terms of diameter determination, the contours of apples are obtained by integrating the dual features of color and depth images within the target boxes acquired using the maturity detection model. Subsequently, the actual area of the apple contour is determined by calculating the conversion relationship between pixel area and real area at the current depth value, thereby obtaining the diameter of the apples. Experimental results showed that the improved YOLOv5s model achieved an average maturity level detection precision of 98.7%. Particularly noteworthy was the detection accuracy for low maturity apples, reaching 97.4%, surpassing Faster R-CNN, Mask R-CNN, YOLOv7, and YOLOv5s models by 6.6%, 5.5%, 10.1%, and 11.0% with a real-time detection frame rate of 155 FPS. Diameter detection achieved a success rate of 93.3% with a real-time detection frame rate of 56 FPS and an average diameter deviation of 0.878 mm for 10 apple targets across three trials. Finally, the proposed method achieved an average precision of 98.7% for online detection of apple maturity level and 93.3% for fruit diameter features. The overall real-time inference speed was approximately 56 frames per second. These findings indicated that the method met the requirements of real-time mechanical harvesting operations, offering practical importance for the advancement of the apple industry.

The literature has established that the capability of visuomotor adaptation decreases with aging. However, the underlying mechanisms of this decline are yet to be fully understood. The current study addressed this issue by examining how aging affected visuomotor adaptation in a continuous manual tracking task with delayed visual feedback. To distinguish separate contributions of the declined capability of motor anticipation and deterioration of motor execution to this age-related decline, we recorded and analyzed participants' manual tracking performances and their eye movements during tracking. Twenty-nine older people and twenty-three young adults (control group) participated in this experiment. The results showed that the age-related decline of visuomotor adaptation was strongly linked to degraded performance in predictive pursuit eye movement, indicating that declined capability motor anticipation with aging had critical influences on the age-related decline of visuomotor adaptation. Additionally, deterioration of motor execution, measured by random error after controlling for the lag between target and cursor, was found to have an independent contribution to the decline of visuomotor adaptation. Taking these findings together, we see a picture that the age-related decline of visuomotor adaptation is a joint effect of the declined capability of motor anticipation and the deterioration of motor execution with aging.

ObjectivesThe goal of the present study was to examine the moderating effect of classroom sociable norm on the relations between unsociability and internalizing problems (the indicators included depression, loneliness and self-esteem) in Chinese adolescents.MethodsParticipants were N = 1,160 adolescents in Grade 4–8 from Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. They completed questionnaires about unsociability, sociability, and social preference via peer nominations, while depression, loneliness, and self-esteem were collected via self-report.ResultsIt was found that unsociability was positively associated with depression and loneliness, and negatively associated with self-esteem. Moreover, the relations between unsociability and indicators of internalizing problems were moderated by classroom sociable norm. More specifically, the significant positive associations between unsociability and depression and loneliness were stronger in classrooms with high sociable norm, and the negative association between unsociability and self-esteem was only significant in such classrooms.ConclusionThe findings suggest that classroom sociable norm plays an important role in unsociable adolescents’ psychological adjustment in China. Researchers should focus more on the influence of classroom environment on adolescents’ development in future.

ObjectiveThis study investigated age and gender differences in the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress facial expressions according to situational demands, known as expressive flexibility (EF), as well as its relationship with depressive symptoms in adolescents.MethodsThe participants included 766 Chinese high school students aged between 12 and 18 years (mean age = 14.96 years, standard deviation = 2.04; 52.2% female). Data on EF and depressive symptoms were collected using self-report questionnaires.ResultsGirls scored higher on enhancement abilities than boys, but with no significant gender difference in suppression abilities. There were also no significant age-related differences in enhancement and suppression abilities. Only enhancement ability was negatively associated with depressive symptoms.ConclusionThe development of EF abilities was stable among adolescents, with varying effects in terms of gender, and the importance of EF and enhancement abilities in reducing depressive symptoms in adolescents was highlighted.

ABSTRACT Drug-resistant bacteria have been raising serious social problems. Bacterial biofilms and different virulence factors are the main reasons for persistent infections. As a conditioned pathogen, Chromobacterium violaceum has evolved a vast network of regulatory mechanisms to modify and fine-tune biofilm development, contributing to multidrug resistance. However, there are few therapies to combat drug-resistant bacteria. Quorum sensing (QS) inhibitors (QSIs) are a promising strategy to solve antibiotic resistance. Our previous work suggested that 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (TBQ) is a potent QSI. In this study, the combination of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and TBQ (ZnO-TBQ) was investigated for the treatment of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 infection. ZnO-NPs attach to cell walls or biofilms, and the local dissolution of ZnO-NPs can lead to increased Zn2+ concentrations, which could destroy metal homeostasis, corresponding to disturbances in amino acid metabolism and nucleic acid metabolism. ZnO-NPs significantly improved the efficiency of TBQ in inhibiting the QS-related virulence factors and biofilm formation of C. violaceum ATCC 12472. ZnO-TBQ effectively reduces the expression of genes related to QS, which is conducive to limiting the infectivity of C. violaceum ATCC 12472. Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes treated with ZnO-TBQ presented a significant improvement in the survival rate by 46.7%. Overall, the combination of ZnO-NPs and TBQ offers a new strategy to attenuate virulence factors and biofilm formation synergistically in some drug-resistant bacteria. IMPORTANCE The combination of ZnO-NPs and TBQ (ZnO-TBQ) can compete with the inducer N-decanoyl-homoserine lactone (C10-HSL) by binding to CviR and downregulate genes related to the CviI/CviR system to interrupt the QS system of C. violaceum ATCC 12472. The downstream genes responding to cviR were also downregulated so that virulence factors and biofilm formation were inhibited. Furthermore, ZnO-TBQ presents multiple metabolic disturbances in C. violaceum ATCC 12472, which results in the reduced multidrug resistance and pathogenicity of C. violaceum ATCC 12472. In an in vivo assay, C. elegans nematodes treated with ZnO-TBQ presented a significant improvement in the survival rate by 46.7% by limiting the infectivity of C. violaceum ATCC 12472. In addition, ZnO-TBQ inhibited the generation of virulence factors and biofilm formation 2-fold compared to either ZnO-NPs or TBQ alone. The combination of ZnO-NPs with TBQ offers a potent synergistic strategy to reduce multidrug resistance and pathogenicity.

Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF) refers to parents’ ability to understand their children’s behavior in light of underlying mental states such as thoughts, desires, and intentions. This study aimed to investigate whether maternal meta-emotion philosophies (i.e., emotion coaching, emotion dismissing) mediated the relation between maternal RF and child emotion regulation (ER). Additionally, children’s genders and ages were examined as moderators of the associations between maternal RF and maternal meta-emotion philosophies. The sample comprises 667 Chinese mothers of children aged 4–6 years. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing their reflective functioning, emotion coaching and dismissing, and child emotion regulation. Results indicated both a direct link between maternal RF and child emotion regulation, as well as indirect pathways mediated by emotion coaching and dismissing. A child’s gender and age also moderated the relations between maternal RF and meta-emotion philosophies. Specifically, the negative association between maternal pre-mentalizing modes and emotion coaching was stronger for mothers of girls than boys; whereas the negative association between maternal certainty of mental states and emotion dismissing, as well as the positive association between maternal interest and curiosity and emotion coaching were both stronger for mothers of younger children than older children. The findings suggest that emotion coaching and dismissing mediate the relation between maternal PRF and the emotion regulation of children.

L-theanine (N-ethyl-γ-glutamine) is the main amino acid in tea leaves. It not only contributes to tea flavor but also possesses several health benefits. Compared with its sedative and calming activities, the immunomodulatory effects of L-theanine have received less attention. Clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that L-theanine reduces immunosuppression caused by strenuous exercise and prevents colds and influenza by improving immunity. Numerous cell and animal studies have proven that theanine plays an immunoregulatory role in inflammation, nerve damage, the intestinal tract, and tumors by regulating γδT lymphocyte function, glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and the secretion of cytokines and neurotransmitters. In addition, theanine can be used as an immunomodulator in animal production. This article reviews the research progress of L-theanine on immunoregulation and related mechanisms, as well as its application in poultry and animal husbandry. It is hoped that this work will be beneficial to future related research.

The COVID-19 outbreak triggered dramatic changes to family life. Parents, especially mothers, were found to experience more psychological distress during the pandemic, which may have had an impact on their children's mental health. The primary goal of this study was to examine the potential protective role of adolescents' self-compassion in the relationship between maternal anxiety and adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 5,720 adolescents (48.9% girls; Mage = 11.60, SDage = 1.36) and their mothers from Zhengzhou city, Henan province, in Mainland China. Adolescents reported their level of self-compassion, PTSD symptoms, and negative affect during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers reported their own anxiety symptoms and their children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Results indicated that older female adolescents reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and negative affect and lower levels of self-compassion than their counterparts. Maternal anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently positively associated with adolescents' psychological maladjustment. These associations were buffered by adolescents' self-compassion. Specifically, adolescents with higher levels of self-compassion were found to be less psychologically affected by their mothers' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlighted the possibility of improving adolescents' mental health through fostering their self-compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (CNP) is one of the most prevalent diseases in human males worldwide. In 2005, the prostate-gut axis was first proposed to indicate the close relationship between the prostate and the intestine. This study investigated CNP-induced changes of the gut microbiota, gene expression and DNA methylation in a rat model by using multi-omics analysis. Firstly, 16S rDNA sequencing presented an altered structure of the microbiota in cecum of CNP rats. Then, transcriptomic analysis revealed that the expression of 185 genes in intestinal epithelium was significantly changed by CNP. These changes can participate in the immune system, digestive system, metabolic process, etc. Finally, methylC-capture sequencing (MCC-Seq) found 73,232 differentially methylated sites (DMSs) in the DNA of intestinal epithelium between control and CNP rats. A combined analysis of methylomics and transcriptomics suggested an epigenetic mechanism for CNP-induced differential expression genes correlated with intestinal barrier function, immunity, metabolism, enteric infectious disease, etc. More importantly, the transcriptomic, methylomic and gut microbial changes were highly correlated with multiple processes including intestinal immunity, metabolism and epithelial barrier function. In this study, disrupted homeostasis in the gut microbiota, gene expression and DNA methylation were reported in CNP, which supports the existence of the gut-prostate axis.

Literature has well-documented the relation of family socio-economic status (SES) to children’s problem behaviors, yet the complex mechanisms underlying the relation are not well understood. Therefore, the primary goal of this one-year longitudinal study was to explore the mediating role of children’s sense of coherence and the moderating role of perceived maternal warmth in the association between family SES and externalizing and internalizing problems in Chinese children. The sample consisted of 913 children (493 boys; Mage = 11.50 years, SD = 1.04) in fourth to sixth grades in an urban area in mainland China. Data were obtained from multiple sources, including child self-reports, parental reports, and teacher ratings. The results indicated that children’s sense of coherence mediated the association between family SES and internalizing problem behaviors, but not externalizing problem behaviors. This mediating role was also moderated by maternal warmth and specifically, family SES was negatively associated with internalizing problem behaviors via the sense of coherence for children who perceived high maternal warmth. Generally, these results highlighted the possible roles of a sense of coherence and maternal warmth in the longitudinal implications of family SES for Chinese children’s internalizing problems.

Objective We examined if the links between adolescents' parental attachment and depressive symptoms are mediated by emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and identified which mediator has a stronger mediation effect. Method The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the “Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression Scale” were distributed to 1955 Chinese adolescents (about 50% boys; 49% in senior high school; aged 10–20-years, M = 14.85 ± 2.86-years) from seven provinces. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, regression analyses, and mediation analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results The results showed that cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression partially mediated the associations between paternal and maternal attachment and depressive symptoms after controlling for grade and sex. Further, the indirect effects of parental attachment through cognitive reappraisal were stronger than those through expressive suppression. Conclusions These findings suggest that adolescents with secure parental attachment (vs. insecure) have a lower risk of developing depressive symptoms and that increasing use of cognitive reappraisal and decreasing use of expressive suppression may help adolescents reduce their depressive symptoms.

For the supersonic flow field with large density fluctuation, an effective method to obtain the beam path is solving ray equation. Generally, when the refractive index distribution is arbitrary, obtaining the ray equation analytic solution is difficult. Cellular Automata (CA) ray tracing algorithm is proposed in this paper for aero-optical calculation in flow field near the optical window of the optical dome. Different from numerically solving the ray equation (NSRE), the coordinate value and the offset angle are calculated according to the position and direction transformation rules in CA algorithm. Then the refractive index field is integrated along the beam path to obtain the optical path length (OPL). The optical path difference (OPD) is calculated from OPL. The OPDrms results quantitatively verify the calculation accuracy. Then the time complexity verifies high efficiency of CA. The results show that CA algorithm is applicable to ray tracing and can simplify the calculation in 3D aero-optical flow field.

Previously, we found that three types of Tieguanyin tea (Tgy-Q, Tgy-N and Tgy-C) extracts could alleviate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in a mouse model among which Tgy-C was more effective. In this study, APP/PS1 transgenic mice were used to investigate the metabolomic changes in the feces of mice treated with Tieguanyin tea extracts. Results showed that the profile of fecal metabolites was obviously changed in AD mice. Metabolomics analysis found the effects of Tgy-C, especially its decreasing effect on the fecal metabolites in AD mice—132 of the 155 differential metabolites were decreased. KEGG enrichment revealed that differential metabolites could participate in functional pathways including protein digestion and absorption, biosynthesis of amino acids and ABC transporters. Further comparisons of the metabolites between groups showed that although Tgy-N and Tgy-Q exerted a decreasing effect on the fecal metabolites, Tgy-C was more effective. Moreover, correlation analysis found that the levels of the fecal metabolites were highly correlated with the contents of functional components in tea extracts. Finally, 16S rDNA sequencing presented that Tieguanyin extracts modified the gut microbiota by targeting diverse bacteria. In this study, we investigated the differences of three types of Tieguanyin tea extracts on the fecal metabolites as well as the bacterial community of the gut microbiota in AD mice. The identified differential metabolites and the changed intestinal bacteria might provide potential diagnostic biomarkers for the occurrence and progression of AD.

On 8 April 2020, the Chinese government lifted the lockdown and opened up public transportation in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. After 76 days in lockdown, Wuhan residents were allowed to travel outside of the city and go back to work. Yet, given that there is still no vaccine for the virus, this leaves many doubting whether life will indeed go back to normal. The aim of this research was to track longitudinal changes in motivation for self-isolating, life-structured, indicators of well-being and mental health after lockdown was lifted. We have recruited 462 participants in Wuhan, China, prior to lockdown lift between 3 and 7 April 2020 (Time 1), and have followed up with 292 returning participants between 18 and 22 April 2020 (Time 2), 284 between 6 and 10 May 2020 (Time 3), and 279 between 25 and 29 May 2020 (Time 4). This four-wave study used latent growth models to examine how Wuhan residents' psychological experiences change (if at all) within the first two months after lockdown was lifted. The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this submission received in-principle acceptance (IPA) on 2 June 2020. Following IPA, the accepted Stage 1 version of the manuscript was preregistered on the OSF at https://osf.io/g2t3b. This preregistration was performed prior to data analysis. Generally, our study found that: (i) a majority of people still continue to value self-isolation after lockdown was lifted; (ii) by the end of lockdown, people perceived gradual return to normality and restored structure of everyday life; (iii) the psychological well-being slightly improved after lockdown was lifted; (iv) people who used problem solving and help-seeking as coping strategies during lockdown had better well-being and mental health by the end of the lockdown; (v) those who experienced more disruptions in daily life during lockdown would display more indicators of psychological ill-being by the end of the lockdown.

Dictionary construction is a key factor for the sparse representation- (SR-) based algorithms. It has been verified that the learned dictionaries are more effective than the predefined ones. In this paper, we propose a product dictionary learning (PDL) algorithm to achieve synthetic aperture radar (SAR) target configuration recognition. The proposed algorithm obtains the dictionaries from a statistical standpoint to enhance the robustness of the proposed algorithm to noise. And, taking the inevitable multiplicative speckle in SAR images into account, the proposed algorithm employs the product model to describe SAR images. A more accurate description of the SAR image results in higher recognition rates. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed algorithm are validated by the moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) database.

Self- and group orientations represent distinct ways of perceiving the relations between the world and the self and are relevant to adolescents' development. Most of the existing studies in this area are cross-sectional, providing little information about how self- and group orientations develop. This 3-year longitudinal study examined the developmental patterns of self- and group orientations and their relations with adjustment among Chinese adolescents. The participants included 1,257 students (648 boys, initial M[subscript age] = 13.37 years, SD = 0.63 years). Data on self- and group orientations and social and behavioral adjustment were obtained from multiple sources, including self-reports, peer nominations, and teacher ratings. The results showed that self-orientation increased, and group orientation decreased during early adolescence. Moreover, an increase (slope) in self-orientation was positively associated with subsequent assertive behavior, whereas a slower decrease in group orientation was positively associated with subsequent prosocial behavior and peer preference. The initial level (intercept) of self-orientation was positively associated with later externalizing problems, and the initial level of group orientation was negatively associated with later internalizing problems. The intercepts of self- and group orientations were higher for boys than girls. No significant gender differences were found in the slopes of self- and group orientations or in the associations of intercepts and slopes with adjustment outcomes. The results indicated different developmental patterns of self- and group orientations and their different implications for adjustment in Chinese adolescents.

This study examined relations of affinity for solitude with social-behavioral, academic, and psychological adjustment in Chinese children and adolescents. The participants included 3,417 students (1,714 boys) in fourth, sixth, and eighth grades (M[subscript ages] = 10, 12, and 14 years, respectively) in China. Data on affinity for solitude were collected from students' self-reports and data on adjustment were collected from multiple sources. The results showed that whereas affinity for solitude was negatively associated with social competence and academic achievement and positively associated with behavioral problems in Grade 4, the associations were weaker or nonsignificant in Grade 6. Moreover, affinity for solitude was positively associated with academic achievement and negatively associated with behavioral problems in Grade 8. Affinity for solitude was negatively associated with psychological adjustment in general, but the associations were weaker in higher grades. The results indicate that the functional meaning of affinity for solitude may differ across developmental periods. Parents, teachers, and professionals should be aware of the different implications of affinity for solitude in childhood and adolescence and use different strategies to support children and adolescents who display affinity for solitude.

Pathogen-induced infectious diseases pose great threats to public health. Accordingly, many studies have investigated effective strategies targeting pathogenic infections. We previously reported the preventive effects of Lactobacillus plantarum ZS2058 (ZS2058) and L. rhamnosus GG (LGG) against Salmonella spp. in a murine model. Here, we compared the mechanisms underlying the preventive effects of these Lactobacillus strains in vivo. Notably, reduced C-reactive protein levels were observed with both ZS2058 and LGG, which suggests abrogated anti-infection and inflammatory responses. ZS2058 more efficiently reduced the pathogenicity of Salmonella by increasing the level of propionic acid in feces and production of mucin 2 in the mouse colon and activity through the interleukin (IL)-23/IL-22 and IL-23/IL-17 pathways. Meanwhile, LGG more strongly alleviated gut inflammation, as indicated by changes in the levels of tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-10 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in infected mice. Moreover, both ZS2058 and LGG restored the levels of interferon (INF)-γ, a cytokine suppressed by Salmonella, albeit through different pathways. Our results demonstrate that ZS2058 and LGG prevent Salmonella infection via different mechanisms.

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between child perceptions of parental autonomy-support and peer preference in mainland China. Participants were N = 758 children (50.8% boys; Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.03 at Wave 1; Mage = 11.72 years, SD = 1.11 at Wave 2; Mage = 12.65 years, SD = 0.95 at Wave 3) from elementary and middle schools in Shanghai, P.R. China. Children were followed over three years from Grades 4–6 to Grades 6–8. Each year, children reported their perceived maternal/paternal autonomy-support and peer preference (being well-liked among peers) was measured via peer nominations. Among the results, peer preference positively predicted later perceptions of maternal and paternal autonomy-supportive parenting, whereas autonomy-supportive parenting did not significantly predict later peer preference. Results are discussed in terms of the interactions between parental autonomy-supportive parenting and children’s peer relationships in Chinese culture.

The present study examined relations between concern for mianzi, or the social perception of one's prestige and standing in the group, and adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Participants were seventh- and ninth-grade students in rural and urban regions of China (n = 794, M[subscript age] = 14 years). Data were obtained from multiple sources including peer assessments, teacher ratings, self-reports, and school records. The results showed that concern for mianzi was associated with social competence, leadership, academic achievement, as well as aggression and mixed peer relationships in rural adolescents. In contrast, concern for mianzi was associated with comprehensive social, school, and psychological adjustment problems in urban adolescents. The results indicate the role of context in shaping the relations between adolescents' concern for mianzi and adjustment.

Research Findings: Despite the fact that the universal two-child policy had a significant impact on family structure and parenting behaviors, there is still a paucity of study on the mechanisms underlying this policy's effects. This study explored the role of social competence and sibling presence in the relationship between maternal warmth and prosocial behaviors. Participants were 203 children aged 5-6 years (M[subscript age] = 48.47 months, SD = 3.74;104 boys) and their mothers in China. Maternal warmth was assessed through the observation of mother-child interaction. Child social competence and prosocial behaviors were assessed by teacher. The results showed that:(1) only children had more prosocial behaviors than children with siblings; (2) maternal warmth (T1) was positively correlated with child prosocial behaviors at Time1 and Time2; (3) Social competence (T2) mediated the longitudinal association between maternal warmth (T1) and child prosocial behaviors (T2); (4) The sibling presence moderated the relationship between maternal warmth (T1) and child prosocial behaviors (T2). Specifically, maternal warmth was only associated with subsequent prosocial behaviors for children in one-child families. Practice or Policy: These results revealed the influence of family structure and maternal warmth on child prosocial behaviors especially for children with siblings.

The goal of this longitudinal study was to examine developmental trajectories of emotional school engagement among Chinese elementary school children. In addition, we sought to explore the role of early peer relationships and academic achievement as predictors of these trajectories. Participants at the outset of the study were N = 1,136 second-grade students (582 boys; M[subscript age] = 8.59 years) in mainland China. At Time 1, peers provided nominations of peer preference and victimization, and teachers rated children's academic achievement. Longitudinal data on self-reported emotional engagement were then collected annually for four years. Among the results, two distinct trajectories of emotional school engagement were identified: High-Decreasing and Low-Increasing. Children at Time 1 with more positive peer relationships and higher academic achievement were more likely to be in the High-Decreasing trajectory. Children with higher academic achievement also displayed a more rapid decrease in their emotional engagement in the High-Decreasing subgroup and a lower increase in their emotional engagement in the Low-Increasing subgroup. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of emotional engagement in the Chinese cultural context.

A series of zwitterionic hybrid membranes were prepared via the ring opening of 1,3-propanesultone with the amine groups in the chains of TMSPEDA and a subsequent sol-gel process. Their kinetic models for strontium removal were investigated using three two-parameter kinetic equations (i.e., Lagergren pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and Elovich models). Adsorption mechanism was evaluated using intraparticle diffusion model, diffusion-chemisorption model, and Boyd equation. It was found that the adsorption of strontium ions on these zwitterionic hybrid membranes fitted well with the Lagergren pseudo-second order model. Mechanism insights suggested that diffusion-chemisorption was one of the main adsorption mechanisms. Boyd equation exhibited that film-diffusion mechanism might be the control process during the starting period. These findings are very useful in strontium removal from the stimulated radioactive wastewater.

Water pollution caused by the lead(II) from the spent liquor has caught much attention. The research from the theoretical model to application fundaments is of vital importance. In this study, lead(II) adsorption isotherms are investigated using a series of hybrid membranes containing mercapto groups (–SH groups) as the hybrid adsorbents. To determine the best fitting equation, the experimental data were analyzed using six two-parameter isotherm equations (i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R), Temkin, Harkins-Jura, and Halsey isotherm models). It was found that the lead(II) adsorption on these samples followed the Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R), and Halsey isotherm models. Moreover, the mean free energy of adsorption was calculated using Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm model and it was confirmed that the adsorption process was physical in nature. These findings are very meaningful in the removal of lead(II) ions from water using the hybrid membranes as adsorbents.

The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal links between interpersonal competences and loneliness in Chinese college students. Participants were N = 623 undergraduate students (M.sub.age = 20.34 years, SD.sub.age = 1.28 years; 42.5% males) from Shanghai, P.R. China, which were followed over two years, with half a year apart. The Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale were used to measure interpersonal competences and loneliness at each time point. Results indicated that as compared with the unidirectional model, the bidirectional model represented the best fit for the data. Within this model, after controlling for the stability of the variables, interpersonal competences directly contributed to later decreases in loneliness and loneliness directly led to decreases in interpersonal competences from Time 1 to Time 3, but not from Time 3 to Time 4. There is a bidirectional relationship between college students' interpersonal competences and loneliness. Higher interpersonal competences can mitigate later loneliness, and higher loneliness can also weaken later interpersonal competences., Author(s): Ren Lijie [sup.1] , Mo Bibo [sup.2] , Li Dan [sup.2] , Liu Junsheng [sup.3] [sup.4] , Amanda Bullock [sup.3] , Yuan Muzi [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.496803.0, 0000 [...]