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Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disease, has been linked to periodontitis, especially Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) infection. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms and pathways through which P. gingivalis and its virulence factors are involved in AD pathogenesis, aiming to provide the scientific basis for the development of novel prevention and treatment strategies for AD. P. gingivalis can promote AD by exacerbating neuroinflammation, facilitating amyloid beta and Tau deposition, and disrupting the blood-brain barrier. Gingipains, secreted by P. gingivalis, serve as core effector molecules by increasing the blood-brain barrier permeability. The association between P. gingivalis and its effectors and AD pathology has been validated by metagenomic analysis and sample detection, indicating that P. gingivalis may be an environmental susceptibility factor or modifiable risk factor for AD. However, the precise mechanisms by which P. gingivalis influences AD, and its interactions with other potential AD-related factors, remain unclear. Moreover, further research needs to be conducted on the therapeutic potential of P. gingvalis intervention in improving AD.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to develop and validate the Salt Reduction Behavior Scale (SRBS) to measure the behavior of hypertensive Chinese individuals in adhering to salt reduction practices. Methods The SRBS was constructed based on the Health Belief Model, consisting of five constructs: knowledge, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action. Data were collected from 2,082 hypertensive patients in Beijing, China, who completed a questionnaire administered through an online platform. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test was used to assess the adequacy of the sample and the Bartlett’s test of sphericity to examine the factorability of the dataset. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess the structural validity and reliability of the SRBS. Results The KMO analysis yielded a notably elevated value of 0.95, indicating that the data was highly suitable for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Bartlett’s test of sphericity yielded a statistically significant test statistic (P

Summary: Lung parenchyma destruction represents a severe condition commonly found in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Promoting lung regeneration is crucial for achieving clinical improvement. However, no therapeutic drugs are approved to improve the regeneration capacity due to incomplete understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Here, we identify a positive feedback loop formed between adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL)-mediated lipolysis and overexpression of CD36 specific to lung epithelial cells, contributing to disease progression. Genetic deletion of CD36 in lung epithelial cells and pharmacological inhibition of either ATGL or CD36 effectively reduce COPD pathogenesis and promote lung regeneration in mice. Mechanistically, disruption of the ATGL-CD36 loop rescues Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1)-induced cell necroptosis and restores WNT/β-catenin signaling. Thus, we uncover a crosstalk between lipolysis and lung epithelial cells, suggesting the regenerative potential for therapeutic intervention by targeting the ATGL-CD36-ZBP1 axis in COPD.

Grounded on constructivism, mining a complex mix of social and cognitive interrelations is key to understanding collaborative discussion in online learning. A single examination of one of these factors tends to overlook the impact of the other factor on learning. In this paper, we innovatively constructed a socialcognitive engagement setting to jointly characterize social and cognitive aspects. In the online discussion forum, this study jointly characterized students' social and cognitive aspects to investigate interactive patterns of different social-cognitive engagements and social-cognitive engagement evolution across four periods (i.e., creation, growth, maturity, and death). Multi-methods including social network analysis, content analysis, epistemic network analysis, and statistical analysis was applied in this study. The results showed that the interactive patterns of social-cognitive engagement were affected by both social network position and cognitive level. In particular, students' social network position was a vital indicator for the contributions to cognitive level of students, and cognitive level affected the related interactions to some extent. In addition, this study found a nonlinear evolutionary development of students' social-cognitive engagement. Furthermore, maturity is a critical period on which teachers should focus, as the co-occurrence of social-cognitive engagement reaches a maximum level in this period. Based on the results, this multi-perspective analysis including social and cognitive aspects can provide insightful methodological implications and practical suggestions for teachers in conducting in-depth interactive discussions.

Caries is a chronic infectious disease that occurs in the hard tissues of teeth. The interaction of oral microorganisms, host, food and time leads to the occurrence and progression of caries. Free sugar is an important food factor in the occurrence of dental caries. This paper reviews the research progress on the relationship between free sugar and caries in recent years, providing a reference for further clarifying the mechanism of the occurrence and progression of caries caused by free sugar and exploring the methods of caries prevention. The cariogenic mechanism of free sugar is multifaceted. Free sugar can not only be used by oral microorganisms in dental plaque biofilms to produce acid and synthesize intracellular and extracellular polysaccharides but also cause an imbalance in oral microecology and enhance gene expression related to the cariogenic toxicity of oral microorganisms. Based on the correlation between free sugar and caries, it is important to limit the intake amount and frequency of free sugar to prevent caries. This can be achieved mainly by formulating public health policies for reducing sugar, creating a low-sugar family environment with good eating habits, using sugar substitutes and using fluoride. There are few studies on the relationship between free sugar and oral microecology. More research is needed to better understand the effect of free sugar on oral microecology and its mechanism and to validate the caries-preventing effect of various sugar reduction measures. We believe such studies would open up new avenues for the effective prevention of caries.

In the field of learning analytics, mining the regularities of social interaction and cognitive processing have drawn increasing attention. Nevertheless, in MOOCs, there is a lack of investigations on the combination of social and cognitive behavioral patterns. To fill in this gap, this study aimed to uncover the relationship between social interaction, cognitive processing, and learning achievements in a MOOC discussion forum. Specifically, we collected the 3925 participants' forum data throughout 16 weeks. Social network analysis and epistemic network analysis were jointly adopted to investigate differences in social interaction, cognitive processing between two achievement groups, and the differences in cognitive processing networks between two types of communities. Finally, moderation analysis was employed to examine the moderating effect of community types between cognitive processing and learning achievements. Results indicated that: (1) the high- and low-achieving groups presented significant differences in terms of degree, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality; (2) the stronger cognitive connections were found within the high-achieving group and the instructor-led community; (3) the cognitive processing indicators including insight, discrepancy, and tentative were significantly negative predictors of learning achievements, whereas inhibition and exclusive were significantly positive predictors; (4) the community type moderated the relationship between cognitive processing and learning achievements.

Studying the networked nature of social and cognitive aspects of learner interactions is the key to understanding how successful collaborative learning occurs in asynchronous online discussion forums (AODFs). Guided by network science and multiplex network analysis, this study compared the differences of network structure and properties between the social (learners as nodes and commenting on the others' contributions as edges) and cognitive (learners as nodes and explicitly quoting the others' contributions as edges) networks within an AODF. It additionally examined the differences of individual measures between these two monolayer networks and their integrated two multiplex networks. The two multiplex networks were respectively framed in superimposed and unfold approaches. Moreover, correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between individual measures and learning performance across the four networks. Results showed key differences at the network and individual levels between the social and cognitive networks. The two networks had different compositions of participants, and students in the cognitive network occupied more central positions in general. Besides, certain individual measures in the multiplex networks were relatively higher and more related to learning performance than those in the monolayer networks. These results indicate that integrating multi-aspect information of collaboration may be more conducive to unveiling learners' interaction patterns in asynchronous online discussions.

Periodontitis is a multifactorial infectious and inflammatory disease occurring in tooth-supporting tissues. In recent decades, many studies have reported a potential relationship between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease, and periodontal pathogens are an important factor linking periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. In this review, we summarize updated preclinical studies and epidemiological evidence on the association of these two diseases. Moreover, possible mechanisms accounting for such links are introduced, including bacteremia and direct invasion of pathogens, endotoxemia caused by virulence factors of periodontal pathogens leading to systemic inflammation, abnormal lipid metabolism and oxidative stress, which further affect the inflammatory states of the cardiovascular system. The molecular mimicry theory and the intrinsic correlation of apolipoprotein E between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease require further study. Combined with existing studies, it is reasonable to assume that periodontal treatment and oral hygiene can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with periodontitis. More studies are needed to focus on the molecular mechanism linking periodontal pathogens and cardiovascular diseases. These studies will provide evidence that periodontal pathogens directly invade the cardiovascular system or indirectly invade host cells as well as isolate and culture bacteria from the tissues of lesions. Studies should also explore how the local inflammatory state, periodontal pathogens and their products directly influence cardiovascular disease-related biomarkers (C-reactive protein, vascular endothelial growth factor, heat shock protein, etc.) and the mechanism. This information may provide a reference for the effective prevention and treatment of periodontitis and cardiovascular disease in the future.

Abstract Background Early diagnosis of prostate cancer improves its prognosis, while it is essential to upgrade screening tools. This study aimed to explore the value of a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, namely amide proton transfer (APT)-weighted MRI, combined with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels to differentiate malignant prostate lesions from benign prostate lesions. Methods Data of patients who underwent prostate examinations at Chongqing University Cancer Hospital between July 2019 and March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), APT, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. Two radiologists analyzed the images independently. The ability of the quantitative parameters alone or in different combinations in differentiating malignant prostate lesions from benign prostate lesions were compared by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. According to the DeLong test, the combined parameters were significantly different from the corresponding single parameter (P 0.05). APTmax and APTmean had the high values of area under the ROC curve (AUC), which were 0.780 and 0.710, respectively. APTmax had a high sensitivity, and APTmean had a high specificity. The combination of APTmax, APTmean, ADCmean, and PSAD had the highest AUC value (AUC: 0.880, sensitivity: 86.540, specificity: 78.260). Conclusion APTmax, APTmean, ADCmean, ADCmin, tPAD, FPSA, and PSAD showed to have a high value in differentiating malignant prostate lesions from benign prostate lesions in the separate assessment of indexes. The combination of APTmax, APTmean, ADCmean, and PSAD had the highest diagnostic value.

The design of social learning analytics (SLA) tools has become a practical means to make available learning information with a goal to improve students' regulation, reflection, and engagement in online learning. This design-based research uses the multi-method analytics to iteratively design, implement, and modify the SLA tool that makes available social, topic, and cognitive information to students in online discussions. This tool demonstrates students' online discussions from social, sematic, and cognitive aspects. This research further uses online questionnaire and interview methods to investigate students' perceptions about the tool's usefulness and usability. After experiencing this tool, students proposed critical feedback for tool improvement from the network visualization, peer reference, and explanation support perspectives. Overall, the SLA tool is a beneficial tool to foster students' awareness of their own learning and peer learning process to improve students' regulation and reflection of learning and eventually improve student engagement in online discussions.

Unlike the other studies on emotional design in multimedia learning, the present study differentiated the two confounding variables of visual interface design and structured content to manipulate the instructional material. Specifically, we investigated how the visual aesthetics of positive emotional interface design influenced learners' cognitive processes, emotional valences, learning outcomes, and subjective experience. Eighty-one college students took part in the experimental study. They were divided into the three experimental groups: a holistic layout of positive emotional design group (HPED), a local layout of positive emotional design group (LPED), and a neutral emotional design group (ND). By using a mixed approach of questionnaires and eye tracking, we further explored the differences among the three groups in cognitive processing, learning outcomes, and subjective experience. Results indicated that the LPED group invested higher cognitive effort, put more attentional focus in the relevant knowledge content module, and achieved better learning performance (i.e., retention and transfer tests) in contrast to the HPED group and the ND group. However, no significant difference in dynamic changes of emotional state among the three groups was detected. The analytical results can provide researchers and practitioners with valuable insights into the positive emotional design of multimedia learning, which allows for the facilitation of mental engagement, learning outcomes and subjective perception.

Salivary exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a diameter of 30-50 nm in saliva. With the development of technology in recent years, many studies have revealed that salivary exosomes play an important role in the occurrence and development of various oral diseases. For example, salivary exosomal CD9 and CD81 promote tumor cell metastasis by regulating the cell adhesion and movement, salivary exosomal miR-24-3p promotes the tumor cell proliferation by acting on PER1, and salivary exosomal programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) mRNA inhibits the destruction of inflammatory tissue, which can be biomarkers for the diagnosis of oral cancer, periodontitis and other oral diseases. Therefore, salivary exosomes can be used as potential prognostic and diagnostic markers for oral diseases. In addition to oral diseases, such as oral cancer, periodontitis, oral lichen planus, Sjogren’s syndrome, etc., salivary exosomes are closely related to distant tumors, such as pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and systemic diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. It is of great significance to study the role of salivary exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of oral and systemic diseases and to develop the potential of salivary exosomes as biomarkers for disease diagnosis.

Fusobacterium nucleatum, a gram‐negative anaerobic bacterium abundantly found in the human oral cavity, is widely recognized as a key pathobiont responsible for the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases due to its remarkable aggregative capabilities. Numerous clinical studies have linked F. nucleatum with unfavorable prognostic outcomes in various malignancies. In further research, scholars have partially elucidated the mechanisms underlying F. nucleatum's impact on various types of cancer, thus gaining a certain comprehension of the role played by F. nucleatum in cancer. In this comprehensive review, we present an in‐depth synthesis of the interplay between F. nucleatum and different cancers, focusing on aspects such as tumor initiation, metastasis, chemoresistance, and modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy. The implications for cancer diagnosis and treatment are also summarized. The objective of this review is to enhance our comprehension of the intricate relationship between F. nucleatum and oncogenic pathogenesis, while emphasizing potential therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smart classroom environment has drawn worldwide attention, however, there is still a lack of studies that can explore and analyse potential factors, which affect students' satisfaction with smart classrooms in higher education. Objectives: To assess students' satisfaction with smart classrooms in higher education, this study proposed the smart classroom environment satisfaction model based on TAM and ACSI models. Methods: A sample of 1979 Chinese college students who studied in a smart classroom environment completed a survey assessing student satisfaction with the smart classroom environment. And a structural equation modelling analysis was used to further analyse students' preferences for smart classroom environments. Results and conclusions: The results showed that student satisfaction with smart classroom environment is significantly correlated with subjective perception factors after use, such as students' perceived value (PV), user experience and perceived expectations (PE). It indicated that user experience indirectly affected overall satisfaction (OS) through its positive impact on PV, while PE indirectly affected OS through its positive impact on user experience. Second, user experience had the greatest impact on student satisfaction, followed by PV and PE. This study is a theoretical supplement to future research on smart classroom environment in higher education, and can also provide reference for relevant government departments, universities and enterprises to build and manage smart classroom environment. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Smart classrooms can combine technology with the goal of providing students with the highest educational services.This technology‐rich smart classroom environment provides unique opportunities for students to search, acquire, analyse and apply digital learning resources and tools in autonomous learning, collaborative learning, and exploratory learning activities.Although smart classrooms have played a certain role in the above aspects, it has invested a large amount of money to build the most advanced facilities, without considering student perspectives. What the paper adds?: This study investigates the satisfaction factors and preferences of 1979 college students to evaluate the smart classroom environment supported by technology.This study proposed the smart classroom environment satisfaction model, and a structural equation modelling analysis was used to further analyse students' preferences for smart classroom environmentsStudent satisfaction with smart classroom environment is significantly correlated with subjective perception factors after use, such as students' perceived value, user experience and perceived expectations. Implications for practice and/or policy: In order to improve students' satisfaction with the smart classroom environment, more attention needs to be paid to improving their actual user experience.Whether students can receive timely learning support and whether there is interaction in the classroom is worth special consideration to improve their user experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic fracturing has been a common treatment to enhance well productivity, especially in tight oil and gas reservoirs. Studying the pressure response characteristics of fractured reservoir has been a hot topic due to the significant contribution of fractures to conductivity enhancement. Because of the difficulty in describing the flow problems in vertical fractured well and the lack of related literatures, a novel method to determine the bottom‐hole pressure of a vertical well with multiple fractures based on Newman product method is proposed in this paper. First, the physical model and corresponding mathematical model are established. Then, the solution of bottom‐hole pressure can be obtained through Laplace transformation. Sequentially, the validations of computational method and computational codes contain are presented. From the view of curve fitting and interpretation results, the calculations in this paper are in good agreement with the previous numerical results and our computation method is reliable. Next, a group of typical curves are generated to analyze the flow regimes. And a series of curves are generated to demonstrate effects of key parameters on curve shape. The results indicate that increasing the fracture wings, fracture intersection angle, and fracture length uniformity can enhance the well productivity. Lastly, a case study is exhibited to show the application of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity of the antifungal drug arsenal highlights an urgent need to develop alternative treatments for candidiasis caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans). As pH is closely associated with C. albicans infection, it could be an essential target in a novel approach for designing antifungal therapy. In this study, a novel intelligent antifungal monomer, dodecylmethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEM), with a pH-responsive tertiary amine group and a methacrylate-derived C＝C double bond group is developed. It is uncovered that the two functional groups of DMAEM contribute to a dual mode of action. Under acidic pH, the tertiary amine of DMAEM protonates into a cationic fungicide, sharing similar structural and functional characteristics with quaternary ammonium salts, which exerts fungicidal activity by targeting the CHK1 two-component system in C. albicans. At neutral pH, the methacrylate-derived C＝C double bond group contributes to anti-virulence activity by blocking hyphal formation. In addition, it is also identified that DMAEM suppresses filamentation by altering the extracellular vesicles of C. albicans. These findings support that the novel intelligent pH-responsive monomer could be a therapeutic candidate for treating candidiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]