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Abstract Background Sport Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (Sport MHC-SF) is an adaptation of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form for athletes. Although validated in Western contexts, its applicability to the Chinese population remains unexplored. This study aims to validate the Chinese adaptation of the Sport MHC-SF in Chinese university athletes, evaluate its reliability and validity, and confirm its factorial structure. Methods A total of 1,025 Chinese university athletes (65% male, mean age 20 ± 1.54 years) were included in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multi-group CFA (MGCFA) were conducted using Mplus 8.0 to evaluate the factorial structure and assess measurement invariance across sports levels. Results Both the three-factor and second-order models demonstrated a good fit for the Chinese adaptation of the Sport MHC-SF. Chi-square values were 262.704 (74) and 262.705 (74), respectively, with a comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.968, a Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.961, a standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) of 0.027, and a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.050 (90% CI: 0.043–0.056). Measurement invariance across ranked and non-ranked athletes was confirmed, with minimal changes in fit indices (ΔCFI ≤ 0.01, ΔTLI ≤ 0.01, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015) from configural to strict invariance. Conclusion The Chinese adaptation of the Sport MHC-SF scale has strong construct validity, reliability, and measurement invariance, making it a reliable tool for future research on the well-being of Chinese athletes. This study fills a critical gap in cross-cultural validation, offering a foundation for future research and practical applications in sports psychology among Chinese athletes.

學術論文發表與被引用次數是高等教育評估大學教師研究影響力的主要測量指標，常被視為教育政策擬定、大學重要決策與資源分配的參照值。目前學術發表影響力之相關研究大多以書目學或引文計量為主，本研究目的有二：一為從學院、系所、個人三個層次，考驗學院領域、系所生師比、個人學術年資、指導研究生畢業人數、職等、國內（或國外）博士學位，以及性別等社會因素與大學教師學術發表影響力的關係；二為考量教育資料之階層結構，應用廣義線性混合效果模型樹分析具有巢套和群集特性之數據，進而釐清各因素與大學教師學術影響力之影響效果，藉此提供高等教育發展和大學機構決策者實證取向之資料為依據，落實扶植與優化國內大學教師學術發表影響力之理念與措施。本研究以臺灣南部某研究型綜合大學之教師為研究對象，從九個學院中抽取50個系所的800名大學教師為樣本。研究發現：一、學院是影響教師學術影響力最重要的因素，相較於人文社會領域，以引文計量為測量指標之學術研究影響力對自然科學領域較為有利；二、系所的生師比僅對自然科學領域學院教師之學術影響力有影響；三、研究生畢業人數與學術年資對不同領域教師之學術發表影響力皆為正向；四、大學教師的學術發表影響力因職等與國內（或國外）學位而有所差異，性別則未呈現顯著差異。 Introduction Academic paper publication and citation count are primary indicators used to assess the research impact of university faculty, serving as benchmarks for educational policy formulation, major university decisions, and resource allocation. Bibliometrics or citation metrics are predominantly used in research on publication impact. Citation-based metrics provide several advantages, particularly with respect to reducing the subjective bias of peer review processes (Sternberg, 2018). These metrics are quantifiable measures that enable a comparative evaluation of scholars’ impact and standing within their respective academic fields (Ruscio et al., 2012). Therefore, metrics such as the h-index (Hirsch, 2005) have gained considerable research attention and serve as essential reference points in assessments of faculty scholarly output in major research databases such as the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Literature Review Various societal, organizational, and institutional factors contribute to the academic productivity and publication impact of university faculty members (Aboagy et al., 2021; Fisher, 2005; Golden & Carstensen, 1992). Despite their professional and research interests, faculty members’ academic research output and impact patterns are often shaped by the opportunities created and the requirements imposed by their affiliated institutions (Way et al., 2019). Consequently, a close connection exists between faculty publication impact and the research environment. A higher graduate student-faculty ratio suggests that faculty members must dedicate more time to teaching activities and student supervision, which may reduce their research productivity (O’Hara et al., 2019; Smeltzer et al., 2016). However, graduate students also serve as valuable human resources for faculty research (Buckner & Zhang, 2021). Therefore, the present study further explored the uncertain relationship between the student-faculty ratio of a department and its faculty publication impact, accounting for the college affiliation of faculty members. Studies have indicated that early involvement in academic work yields benefits in terms of accumulating research output and impact (Mishra & Smyth, 2013; Nosek et al., 2010; Sugimoto et al., 2016). However, Sinatra et al. (2016) discovered that scientific researchers randomly produce highly impactful works instead of following a systematic trajectory from their first publication. Full professors are often in advantageous positions in terms of having research resources and professional networks, which may aid them in accumulating research publications and impact (Colaco et al., 2013). Conversely, assistant or associate professors may be required to dedicate more time and effort to publishing research papers because of the pressures associated with earning promotions and tenure (Hesli et al., 2012). Furthermore, faculty members who earned their doctoral degrees abroad may have more opportunities for academic networking and international collaborations relative to those with domestic doctoral degrees (Huang et al., 2022), potentially leading to higher citation rates and greater visibility for their research works (Bauder, 2020). Faculty members often co-author research papers with their graduate students (Henriksen, 2016). When professors supervise graduate student thesis projects, their active involvement may result in them having co-authorship for the resulting publications, which indicates a potential connection between the publication outcomes of professors and the thesis projects they supervise (Corsini et al., 2022). Gender has also garnered considerable attention in this context because of its effect on faculty members’ publication impact (Abramo et al., 2019; Aguinis et al., 2018; Eloy et al., 2013; Jena et al., 2016). In academia, men often secure key positions, resources, and international collaboration opportunities more frequently than women do (Kwiek & Roszka, 2021), contributing to gender bias in academic research, with the problems and effects related to female representation often overlooked (Abramo et al., 2019). Such underrepresentation may adversely affect female scholars (van Veelenn & Derks, 2022). The present study investigated the influence of several factors on faculty publication at various levels, including college affiliation, the student–faculty ratio, academic seniority, graduate student supervision, academic rank, domestic (or foreign) doctoral degree, and gender. Additionally, given the hierarchical structure of educational data, this study employed generalized linear mixed-effect model tree analysis to examine data with nested and clustered properties. Method The present study enrolled faculty members from a research-intensive comprehensive university in southern Taiwan, establishing a sample of 800 university faculty members selected from 50 departments across 9 colleges (Bioscience and Biotechnology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management, Medicine, Planning and Design, Sciences, and Social Sciences). Data were collected manually from the university websites and the National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan, with information such as the origin of degrees, academic rank, year of first publication, gender, and the number of supervised graduate students extracted. Results College affiliation was identified as the most significant factor in determining the academic research impact of faculty members. Faculty members were classified into two major domains: natural sciences and humanities and social sciences. In the humanities and social sciences domain, the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Planning and Design exhibited similarities, as did the College of Management and the College of Social Sciences. Academic rank was the second most significant factor influencing these two clusters, with significant differences in the h-index being identified between professors and associate professors/assistant professors. In the natural sciences domain, the student-faculty ratio of a department was the second most significant factor after college affiliation. Faculty members were further categorized by the student-faculty ratios of their affiliated departments and their college affiliation. Within clusters such as the College of Medicine and the College of Science, academic rank was positively and significantly correlated with h-index performance. Conversely, in clusters such as the College of Engineering, the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and the College of Life Sciences, h-index performance was additionally influenced by whether a faculty member had a domestic or foreign doctoral degree. Discussion The publication impact of faculty members in the natural sciences domain was significantly higher than that of faculty members in the humanities and social sciences domain. This finding can be attributed to differences in collaborative research and funding. The student-faculty ratio substantially influenced the publication impact of natural sciences faculty, likely because of the prevalence of co-authorship in this domain. Academic seniority and graduate student supervision had varying effects across the clusters. Although full professors generally achieved a higher publication impact, assistant professors from specific departments also achieved excellent performance. Faculty members with foreign doctoral degrees had a higher publication impact, with this being particularlytrue for those in departments with higher student-faculty ratios. No significant gender-related differences were identified within the study sample. Conclusion Full professors from the College of Medicine and the College of Science, which are within the natural sciences domain, achieved the highest publication impact. By contrast, associate professors and assistant professors in the College of Planning and Design and the College of Liberal Arts, which are within the humanities and social sciences domain, are likely to encounter difficulties in building publication impact, according to citation metrics. Therefore, government agencies and universities should avoid directly comparing disparate fields when allocating resources. Additionally, researchers and relevant authorities must account for the potential varying effects of factors such as PhD origin and the number of supervised students across specific domains. Institutions can effectively optimize resource allocation to enhance academic productivity by adopting a nuanced approach to such allocation.

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global cause of premature mortality. While multiple studies propose CVD mortality prediction models based on regression frameworks, incorporating causal understanding through causal inference approaches can enhance accuracy. This paper demonstrates a methodology combining evidence synthesis and expert knowledge to construct a causal model for premature CVD mortality using Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). The process involves three phases: (1) initial DAG development based on the Evidence Synthesis for Constructing Directed Acyclic Graphs (ESC-DAGs) framework, (2) validation and consensus-building with 12 experts using the Fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), and (3) application to data analysis using population-based survey data linked with death records. Expert input refined the initial DAG model, achieving consensus on 45 causal paths. The revised model guided selection of confounding variables for adjustment. For example, to estimate the total effect of diabetes on premature CVD mortality, the suggested adjustment set included age, dietary pattern, genetic/family history, sex hormones, and physical activity. Testing different DAG models showed agreement between expert ratings and data accuracy from regression models. This systematic approach contributes to DAG methodology, offering a transparent process for constructing causal pathways for premature CVD mortality.

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cell function is regulated by a balance of activating and inhibitory signals. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is an inflammatory cytokine ubiquitous across homeostasis and disease, yet its role in regulation of NK cells remains unclear. Here, we find upregulation of the immune checkpoint protein, T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (Tim3), is a biomarker of TNF signaling in NK cells during Salmonella Typhimurium infection. In mice with conditional deficiency of either TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) or TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2) in NK cells, we find TNFR1 limits bacterial clearance whereas TNFR2 promotes it. Mechanistically, via single cell RNA sequencing we find that both TNFR1 and TNFR2 induce the upregulation of Tim3, while TNFR1 accelerates NK cell death but TNFR2 promotes NK cell accumulation and effector function. Our study thus highlights the complex interplay of TNF-based regulation of NK cells by the two TNF receptors during inflammation.

Abstract Background Sporting success relies not only on athletes’ physical qualities but also involves psychological, technical, and environmental factors. Given the lack of effective tools to comprehensively measure sporting success in the Chinese context, this study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Sport Success Scale (SSS-C). Methods A total of 604 adolescent basketball players, comprising 301 (49.8%) males and 303 (50.2%) females aged between 12 and 19 (M = 15.53, SD = 1.42), were recruited from secondary schools across 17 cities in Shandong Province, China, to answer the questionnaire, which measured their views on 29 items through a six-point Likert scale. The SSS was translated into Chinese language (SSS-C) using forward-backward translation techniques. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed using Mplus 8.0 software to assess the structural validity of SSS-C. The reliability and convergent validity were also evaluated. Results CFA results demonstrated an excellent fit to the hypothesized six-factor model based on the fit indices (CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.016 [90% CI: 0.005, 0.022], SRMR = 0.018). All items displayed significant factor loadings above 0.40, supporting the robustness of the model. The SSS-C exhibited high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.95 to 0.96; Composite Reliability ranged from 0.95 to 0.96) and strong convergent validity (Average Variance Extracted values > 0.50). Conclusion The SSS-C with 29 items was a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensively assessing sport success among Chinese adolescent athletes. The multidimensional approach of the SSS-C provides a new perspective for understanding the psychological factors contributing to athletes’ success, which can inform the development of targeted interventions.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature mortality worldwide. Despite existing research on CVD risk factors, the study of premature CVD mortality in Malaysia remains limited. This study employs survival analysis to model modifiable risk factors associated with premature CVD mortality among Malaysian adults. Method We utilised data from Malaysia’s National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) conducted in 2006, 2011, and 2015, linked with mortality records. The cohort comprised individuals aged 18 to 70 during the NHMS interview. Follow-up extended to 2021, focusing on CVD-related premature mortality between ages 30 and 70. We employed six survival models: a semi-parametric Cox proportional hazard (PH) and five parametric survival models, which were Exponential, Weibull, Gompertz, log-normal and log-logistic distributions using R software. The age standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of premature CVD mortality was calculated per 1000 person-years. Results Among 63,722 participants, 886 (1.4%) experienced premature CVD mortality, with an ASIR of 1.80 per 1000 person-years. The best-fit models (based on AIC value) were the stratified Cox model by age (semi-parametric) and the log-normal accelerated failure time (AFT) model (parametric). Males had higher risk (Hazard Ratio, HR = 2.68) and experienced 49% shorter survival time (Event Time Ratio, ETR = 0.51) compared to females. Compared to Chinese ethnicity, Indians, Malays, and other Bumiputera had higher HR and lower survival times. Rural residents and those with lower education also faced increased HRs and reduced survival times. Diabetes (diagnosed: HR = 3.26, ETR = 0.37; undiagnosed: HR = 1.63, ETR = 0.63), hypertension (diagnosed: HR = 1.84, ETR = 0.53; undiagnosed: HR = 1.46, ETR = 0.68), and undiagnosed hypercholesterolemia (HR = 1.31, ETR = 0.80) increased risk and decreased survival times. Additionally, current smoking and abdominal obesity elevated risk (HR = 1.38, 1.60) and shortened survival (ETR = 0.81, 0.71). Conclusion The semi-parametric and parametric survival models both highlight the considerable impact of socioeconomic status and modifiable risk factors on premature CVD mortality, underscoring the imperative for targeted interventions to effectively mitigate these effects.

Abstract MYCN amplification predicts poor prognosis in childhood neuroblastoma. To identify MYCN oncogenic signal dependencies we performed N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis on the germline of neuroblastoma-prone TH-MYCN transgenic mice to generate founders which had lost tumorigenesis. Sequencing of the mutant mouse genomes identified the Ring Finger Protein 121 (RNF121 WT ) gene mutated to RNFM158R associated with heritable loss of tumorigenicity. While the RNF121WT protein localised predominantly to the cis-Golgi Complex, the RNF121 M158R mutation in Helix 4 of its transmembrane domain caused reduced RNF121 protein stability and absent Golgi localisation. RNF121WT expression markedly increased during TH-MYCN tumorigenesis, whereas hemizygous RNF121 WT gene deletion reduced TH-MYCN tumorigenicity. The RNF121WT-enhanced growth of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells depended on RNF121WT transmembrane Helix 5. RNF121WT directly bound MYCN protein and enhanced its stability. High RNF121 mRNA expression associated with poor prognosis in human neuroblastoma tissues and another MYC-driven malignancy, laryngeal cancer. RNF121 is thus an essential oncogenic cofactor for MYCN and a target for drug development.

Purpose: This study explores the extent of undergraduate students' engagement in interdisciplinary learning experiences across their academic journey and its potential correlation with elevated levels of self-efficacy in learning. Furthermore, the research investigates how the clarity of career decisions and future goals contributes to the perception of relevance, value and alignment of interdisciplinary learning experiences among undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire in a longitudinal survey administered annually to undergraduate students at a university in northern Taiwan over four waves from 2018 to 2021. The sample analyzed for this study consisted of 123 undergraduate students who willingly and continuously participated in the research throughout the specified period. Findings: The results showed that self-efficacy within interdisciplinary learning experiences could be classified into three clusters: high efficacy, moderate efficacy and fluctuating efficacy. The determinants influencing these clusters include career decisions and years spent in university. Undergraduate students who have determined their career decisions and are in their latter two years of undergraduate studies demonstrate higher self-efficacy in interdisciplinary learning. Conversely, students who have yet to determine their career decisions exhibit a fluctuating pattern of self-efficacy across the three interdisciplinary learning categories. Research limitations/implications: Two key limitations of this research include a small sample size and a confined university-specific context, potentially constraining the applicability of the results to a broader population. Originality/value: This study contributes to the interdisciplinary learning experience in higher education by explaining the significance of undergraduates' self-efficacy and career-related factors. Whereas most research has focused on the effects of self-efficacy, this study investigated the factors that influence undergraduates' self-efficacy.

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely used self-report measure of subjective well-being, but studies of its measurement invariance across a large number of nations remain limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset-with data collected between 2020 and 2022 -to assess measurement invariance of the SWLS across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups (N = 56,968). All participants completed the SWLS under largely uniform conditions. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that configural and metric invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional SWLS model has universal applicability. Full scalar invariance was achieved across gender identities and age groups. Based on alignment optimisation methods, partial scalar invariance was achieved across all but three national groups and across all languages represented in the BINS. There were large differences in latent SWLS means across nations and languages, but negligible-to-small differences across gender identities and age groups. Across nations, greater life satisfaction was significantly associated with greater financial security and being in a committed relationship or married. The results of this study suggest that the SWLS largely assesses a common unidimensional construct of life satisfaction irrespective of respondent characteristics (i.e., national group, gender identities, and age group) or survey presentation (i.e., survey language). This has important implications for the assessment of life satisfaction across nations and provides information that will be useful for practitioners aiming to promote subjective well-being internationally.

The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport-52) is a tool developed to measure the frequency of stress associated through recovery activities with strong theoretical foundations. The study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of RESTQ-Sport-52 using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). A cross-sectional study with purposive sampling method was employed. There were 617 undergraduate university students in Malaysia participated in the study with mean age of 20 years old (SD = 1.5). The majority of the participants were female (66.1 %), Malay (76 %) and participated in at least one sport or exercise. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M consisted of 52 items with two main sections; (1) general stress and recovery scales and (2) sport-specific stress and recovery scales. Mplus 8.3 was used to perform the CFA and ESEM analysis to examine the construct validity and reliability of RESTQ-Sport-52-M. For measurement model assessment using CFA, the final model of general-stress/recovery and sport-specific stress/recovery indicated a fit based on several fit indices. However, in the measurement model assessment using ESEM, the fit indices for model of general-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.935, SRMR = 0.037, RMSEA = 0.045) and sport-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.923, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.044) were generally improved. The construct reliability for measurement models of RESTQ-Sport-52-M ranged from 0.76 to 0.89. The ESEM approach yielded a better fit indices compared to the CFA approach for both scales. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M (50 items) were considered a more valid and reliable questionnaire to measure recovery and stress in sports for Malaysian sample.

Barramundi or Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer, is an important food fish species in tropical aquaculture, but intensive farming is associated with increased susceptibility to various bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. Recent findings suggest that functional diets provide a broader advantage over the pathogen-specific protection of vaccines by improving growth performance, gut health, and immunity in teleosts. In this study, we conducted a six-week feeding trial in juvenile L. calcarifer (50.1 ± 0.0 g) whereby growth and production performance on a diet containing 0.5 % of a synergistic blend of organic acids, monoglycerides esters of organic acids and phytobiotics (OMGP) was compared with a control diet (CTRL), using quadruplicate 500 L tanks with 30 fish per tank. At the end of six weeks, juveniles were injected with Poly(I:C) to evaluate if the OMGP blend feed additive stimulates anti-viral immune responses based on a comparative RNAseq study 24 hour (24 h) and 72 h post-challenge. Juveniles fed with the OMGP blend exhibited an 8 % higher average final body weight (147.5 ± 6.9 vs. 136.5 ± 4.6 g) and a 6 % higher overall final biomass (4087 ± 107 vs. 3855 ± 149 g) compared to CTRL group (P

This study aims to investigate the relationship between sustainability reporting and corporate performance moderated by the internationalization level of the firms. The sample for this empirical study is collected from the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE)100 firms listed on Bursa Malaysia for a period of nine years from 2011 to 2019. We examine the sustainability reporting based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard with the G4 guideline, in which a content analysis method has been employed to obtain the Sustainability Reporting Index (SRI). The moderating variable for this study is the internationalization level, which is proxied by foreign sales generated. The findings demonstrate that sustainability reporting disclosure has no effect on corporate performance. However, internationalization improves corporate performance but serves no moderation role in the relationship between sustainability reporting and corporate performance. We conclude that there is no evidence to substantiate the claim that companies that disclose more in their sustainability reporting perform better, and this may be because Malaysian corporations are still new to non-financial reporting. We believe that although sustainability reporting is costly, sustainability reporting is able to enhance the reputation of firms in the international market. Sequentially, a highly internationalized firm with more sustainability reporting disclosures may bring wealth to the company in the long run.

Background: Choline (Ch) deprivation causes kidney injury and dysfunction, and diabetic nephropathy is also known to be a complication of diabetes; thus, this interplay could potentially aggravate diabetic kidney disease. Aim: This study aims to examine the effect of Ch-deprivation on the severity of kidney injury in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (C), nondiabetic Ch-deprived (CD), diabetic (DM), and diabetic Ch-deprived (DM + CD). Diabetes was induced by the intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg body weight STZ; Ch-deprivation was induced through a choline-deficient diet. Rats were euthanized at week 5 of the study. Biochemical tests, renal histopathology, immunohistochemistry of the kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) expression were assessed. Results: DM + CD and DM groups demonstrated significant increases in glucose levels and in the homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA IR). Creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels significantly increased in the DM + CD group compared to the control, and homocysteine levels were higher in the CD group. Kidney histopathology revealed that renal tubular necrosis, mesangial matrix expansion, and renal fibrosis substantially increased in the DM + CD group compared to all other groups, and KIM-1 and VEGF-A expressions were most pronounced in the DM + CD and DM groups, respectively. Conclusions: Ch deprivation affected kidney function and structure in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Choline deficiency and diabetes seem to have a synergistic effect, as evidenced by kidney biochemistry, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. These findings could highlight the important role of choline in therapeutic strategies for the treatment and, potentially, prevention of chronic diabetic kidney disease.

The complexities of including students with autism in schools throughout Australia has resulted in the increased necessity for collaboration between stakeholders. For included students with autism, secondary school presents a variety of subjects, teachers and peers that have the potential to increase anxiety levels compared to their primary experience. Communication between important stakeholders is critical in alleviating issues for students with autism before they escalate. In this paper, researchers report and reflect on the implementation of a co-design process as a rigorous practice-based research methodology that provided an empathy focussed platform to explore possibilities in designing a prototype digital solution to support students with autism. The project was designed to identify communication issues associated with the secondary experience of students with autism and to create solutions via the development of a rapid prototype communication app. Findings from this project suggest that involving diverse stakeholders in co-designing and exploring possibilities in complex school environments had two benefits: stakeholders had the opportunity to see the challenge from other parties' perspectives, and the process promoted creativity and flexibility in generating people-based solutions.

This study assesses the effects of three forms of concrete: geopolymer concrete, reactive powder concrete (RPC), and ready-mix concrete (RMC) on the environment, the economy, and sustainability. Evaluating their cost-effectiveness for construction, embodied energy (EE), and embodied carbon (EC) is the aim. The research method employed involves calculating the EE, EC, and cost of materials used during the production stage only. The results show that although RMC gives ease at a high carbon emission cost, RPC delivers great strength at a high cost and emissions. Utilizing waste resources, geopolymer concrete lowers emissions while providing sustainability. Reusing waste materials improves the performance of concrete and lowers pollution. The study emphasizes that, especially when waste is used well, strength need frequently translate into expense. RMC has a major negative influence on the environment while guarantees consistent quality. Despite its strength, RPC has issues with cost and material availability. The strength and emission reduction of geopolymer concrete are excellent. In geopolymers, alkali activators and steel fibers are the source of EE and EC, whereas cement and steel fibers are the reason for their high levels in RMC and RPC. Overall, the research indicates that favorable, ecologically friendly results are feasible obtained by improving the composition of concrete. To provide cost-effective and sustainable concrete compositions and enable well-informed decision-making in building projects, ongoing research and innovation are crucial.

Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES-C) and confirm its measurement invariance across gender identities. Methods In this study, 502 university students (29.68% male, 70.32% female) with a mean age of 19.93 years (SD = 1.64) voluntarily participated. The Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASE) was utilized as a unidimensional measure of students’ learning efficacy. The English version of ASES was translated into Chinese using a forward-backward translation procedure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and invariance testing were conducted with the single-factor model of ASES. Composite reliability (CR) and internal consistency were calculated based on Cronbach’s alpha. Results Upon re-specification of the model, CFA results for the hypothesized single-factor model with eight items indicated an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.959, TLI = 0.943, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.065). Cronbach’s alpha and CR values were 0.785 and 0.880, respectively. Multi-group CFA results demonstrated measurement equivalence for the Chinese version of ASES across gender identities. The findings supported the measurement invariance of ASES-C for both male and female participants. Conclusion The ASES-C, consisting of one factor and eight items, is a reliable instrument for assessing Chinese university students’ self-efficacy in learning. Furthermore, it is suitable for making meaningful comparisons across gender identities.

Summary: Background: Given the rapidly growing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asia, this study forecasts the CVD burden and associated risk factors in Asia from 2025 to 2050. Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study was used to construct regression models predicting prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to CVD and risk factors in Asia in the coming decades. Findings: Between 2025 and 2050, crude cardiovascular mortality is expected to rise 91.2% despite a 23.0% decrease in the age-standardised cardiovascular mortality rate (ASMR). Ischaemic heart disease (115 deaths per 100,000 population) and stroke (63 deaths per 100,000 population) will remain leading drivers of ASMR in 2050. Central Asia will have the highest ASMR (676 deaths per 100,000 population), more than three-fold that of Asia overall (186 deaths per 100,000 population), while high-income Asia sub-regions will incur an ASMR of 22 deaths per 100,000 in 2050. High systolic blood pressure will contribute the highest ASMR throughout Asia (105 deaths per 100,000 population), except in Central Asia where high fasting plasma glucose will dominate (546 deaths per 100,000 population). Interpretation: This forecast forewarns an almost doubling in crude cardiovascular mortality by 2050 in Asia, with marked heterogeneity across sub-regions. Atherosclerotic diseases will continue to dominate, while high systolic blood pressure will be the leading risk factor. Funding: This was supported by the NUHS Seed Fund (NUHSRO/2022/058/RO5+6/Seed-Mar/03), National Medical Research Council Research Training Fellowship (MH 095:003/008-303), National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Junior Academic Fellowship Scheme, NUHS Clinician Scientist Program (NCSP2.0/2024/NUHS/NCWS) and the CArdiovascular DiseasE National Collaborative Enterprise (CADENCE) National Clinical Translational Program (MOH-001277-01).

Abstract The dystrophin protein has well‐characterized roles in force transmission and maintaining membrane integrity during muscle contraction. Studies have reported decreased expression of dystrophin in atrophying muscles during wasting conditions, and that restoration of dystrophin can attenuate atrophy, suggesting a role in maintaining muscle mass. Phosphorylation of S3059 within the cysteine‐rich region of dystrophin enhances binding between dystrophin and β‐dystroglycan, and mimicking phosphorylation at this site by site‐directed mutagenesis attenuates myotube atrophy in vitro. To determine whether dystrophin phosphorylation can attenuate muscle wasting in vivo, CRISPR‐Cas9 was used to generate mice with whole body mutations of S3059 to either alanine (DmdS3059A) or glutamate (DmdS3059E), to mimic a loss of, or constitutive phosphorylation of S3059, on all endogenous dystrophin isoforms, respectively. Sciatic nerve transection was performed on these mice to determine whether phosphorylation of dystrophin S3059 could attenuate denervation atrophy. At 14 days post denervation, atrophy of tibialis anterior (TA) but not gastrocnemius or soleus muscles, was partially attenuated in DmdS3059E mice relative to WT mice. Attenuation of atrophy was associated with increased expression of β‐dystroglycan in TA muscles of DmdS3059E mice. Dystrophin S3059 phosphorylation can partially attenuate denervation‐induced atrophy, but may have more significant impact in less severe modes of muscle wasting.