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Deficits in executive functioning (EF) behaviors are very common following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can linger well after acute injury recovery. Raters from multiple settings provide information that may not be appreciated otherwise. We examined differences between parent and teacher ratings of EF using data examining longitudinal outcomes following pediatric TBI in comparison to orthopedic injury (OI). We used linear mixed models to determine the association of rater type and injury type with scores on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). After controlling for demographic variables, rater type and injury type accounted for a small but significant proportion of the variance in EF. Teachers' ratings on the BRIEF were significantly higher than parent ratings for global EF and metacognition, but not for behavior regulation, regardless of injury type, indicating greater EF concerns. All BRIEF ratings, whether from teachers or parents, were higher for children with TBI than for those with OI. Results suggest that parents and teachers provide unique information regarding EF following traumatic injuries and that obtaining ratings from persons who observe children at school as well as at home can result in a better understanding of situation-specific variability in outcomes.

A genetically valid animal model could transform our understanding of schizophrenia (SCZ) disease mechanisms. Rare heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in GRIN2A, encoding a subunit of the NMDA receptor, greatly increase the risk of SCZ. By transcriptomic, proteomic, and behavioral analyses, we report that heterozygous Grin2a mutant mice show (1) large-scale gene expression changes across multiple brain regions and in neuronal (excitatory and inhibitory) and non-neuronal cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), (2) evidence of hypoactivity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hyperactivity in the hippocampus and striatum, (3) an elevated dopamine signaling in the striatum and hypersensitivity to amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion (AIH), (4) altered cholesterol biosynthesis in astrocytes, (5) a reduction in glutamatergic receptor signaling proteins in the synapse, and (6) an aberrant locomotor pattern opposite of that induced by antipsychotic drugs. These findings reveal potential pathophysiologic mechanisms, provide support for both the "hypo-glutamate" and "hyper-dopamine" hypotheses of SCZ, and underscore the utility of Grin2a-deficient mice as a genetic model of SCZ., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests M.S. is cofounder and SAB member of Neumora Therapeutics and serves on the SAB of Biogen, ArcLight, Vanqua Bio, and Proximity Therapeutics. M.S. is on the advisory board of Neuron. S.A.C. is a member of the scientific advisory boards of Kymera, PTM BioLabs, Seer, and PrognomIQ., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Synaptic dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP). We use quantitative mass spectrometry to carry out deep, unbiased proteomic profiling of synapses purified from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 35 cases of SCZ, 35 cases of BP, and 35 controls. Compared with controls, SCZ and BP synapses show substantial and similar proteomic alterations. Network analyses reveal upregulation of proteins associated with autophagy and certain vesicle transport pathways and downregulation of proteins related to synaptic, mitochondrial, and ribosomal function in the synapses of individuals with SCZ or BP. Some of the same pathways are similarly dysregulated in the synaptic proteome of mutant mice deficient in Akap11, a recently discovered shared risk gene for SCZ and BP. Our work provides biological insights into molecular dysfunction at the synapse in SCZ and BP and serves as a resource for understanding the pathophysiology of these disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests M.S. is a scientific co-founder and senior advisory board member of Neumora Therapeutics and a senior advisory board member of Biogen, Vanqua Bio, ArcLight Therapeutics, and Cerevel Therapeutics., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective This study examined rates and predictors of peer recommendation of resources after disclosure of actual and hypothetical unwanted sexual experiences. Participants: Private university students without a history of college sexual assault were recruited in 2 groups. One was a group of peers who had received an assault disclosure ( N  = 122) and one was a group of peers who had never received an assault disclosure ( N  = 166). Methods: Participants responded to an anonymous online survey and reported on their history of receiving disclosures and related measures such as rape myth beliefs, attitudes toward help-seeking, and social norms. Results: Actual and hypothetical disclosure recipients had similar rates of awareness and helpfulness of resources for sexual assault but different levels of recommendation of resources. Perceived helpfulness, awareness of resources, and social norms emerged as key predictors of recommendations. Conclusions: In addition to prevention programing, training and education are needed for potential disclosure recipients.

The role of PPM1D mutations in de novo gliomagenesis has not been systematically explored. Here we analyze whole genome sequences of 170 pediatric high-grade gliomas and find that truncating mutations in PPM1D that increase the stability of its phosphatase are clonal driver events in 11% of Diffuse Midline Gliomas (DMGs) and are enriched in primary pontine tumors. Through the development of DMG mouse models, we show that PPM1D mutations potentiate gliomagenesis and that PPM1D phosphatase activity is required for in vivo oncogenesis. Finally, we apply integrative phosphoproteomic and functional genomics assays and find that oncogenic effects of PPM1D truncation converge on regulators of cell cycle, DNA damage response, and p53 pathways, revealing therapeutic vulnerabilities including MDM2 inhibition., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Prokaryotic Argonautes (pAgo) are an increasingly well-studied class of guided endonucleases, and the underlying mechanisms by which pAgo generate nucleic acid guides in vivo remains an important topic of investigation. Recent insights into these mechanisms for the Argonaute protein from Thermus thermophilus has drawn attention to global sequence and structural feature preferences involved in oligonucleotide guide selection. In this work, we approach the study of guide sequence preferences in T. thermophilus Argonaute from a functional perspective. Screening a library of 1,968 guides against randomized single- and double-stranded DNA substrates, endonuclease activity associated with each guide was quantified using high-throughput capillary electrophoresis, and localized sequence preferences were identified which can be used to improve guide design for molecular applications. The most notable preferences include: a strong cleavage enhancement from a first position dT independent of target sequence; a significant decrease in activity with dA at position 12; and an impact of GC dinucleotides at positions 10 and 11. While this method has been useful in characterizing unique preferences of T. thermophilus Argonaute and criteria for creating efficient guides, it could be expanded further to rapidly characterize more recent mesophilic variants reported in the literature and drive their utility toward molecular tools in biology and genome editing applications., Competing Interests: At the time of this work, the authors were employed by New England Biolabs, Inc., which funded this work and is the manufacturer of reagents used in this manuscript, including Thermus thermophilus Argonaute. Even though the authors were employed and funded by New England Biolabs, Inc., this did not detract from the objectivity of data generation or its interpretation., (Copyright © 2021 Hunt, Tamanaha, Bonanno, Cantor and Tanner.)

Synchrotron radiation x-ray topography (XRT) in a transmission configuration based on the Borrmann effect (BE) was carried out to observe characteristic dislocation structures and three-dimensional distribution and propagation of dislocations in β-Ga2O3 grown via the edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method. Substrates with a range of surface orientations of (001), (010), and (2 ¯ 01) , cut perpendicular or parallel to the ⟨010⟩ growth direction of the EFG, were observed to understand the whole picture of dislocations distributed in the bulk crystals. Using the (001)-oriented substrate, we found characteristic dislocation structures such as dislocation helices, damage-related (001)-plane dislocation networks, and tangled dislocation complexes, which exist universally in EFG crystals but have rarely been reported before. A careful measurement of the dislocation length in BE-XRT images taken with different g-vectors allows us to determine the crystal plane on which a dislocation lies. The BE-XRTs taken from the (010)-oriented and (2 ¯ 01) -oriented substrates suggested that the dislocations propagating along the [010] growth direction were dominant. Most of these b-axis threading dislocations had a Burgers vector of [010] or [001], and they tended to align in the (100) plane. The BE-XRT observations in this study provide valuable knowledge for understanding the structure and character of dislocations in β-Ga2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T7 RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is a widely used enzyme with recent applications in the production of RNA vaccines. For over 50 years denaturing sequencing gels have been used as key analysis tools for probing the nucleotide addition mechanisms of T7 RNAP and other polymerases. However, sequencing gels are low-throughput limiting their utility for comprehensive enzyme analysis. Here, we report the development of HiKER; (High-throughput Kinetics using Capillary Electrophoresis and Robotics) a high-throughput pipeline to quantitatively measure enzyme kinetics. We adapted a traditional polymerase misincorporation assay for fluorescent detection at scale allowing rapid estimates of RNAP misincorporation in different experimental conditions. Using this platform with an OT-2 robotics system, ~1500 time points were collected in a single workday. T7 RNAP exhibited dramatic differences in both observed rate constant and amplitude depending on the mismatch examined. An average misincorporation frequency of ~45 misincorporations per million bases was estimated using HiKER and is consistent with previous studies. Misincorporation time courses for T3 RNAP and Sp6 RNAP were also collected and appeared similar to T7 RNAP suggesting conserved kinetic mechanisms. However, differences between the RNAPs were observed in extension from base mismatch experiments. This platform is affordable, open-source, and broadly applicable to many enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The titanium porous transport layer (PTL) is a key component in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs), facilitating efficient water supply to the catalyst layer while rapidly removing oxygen bubbles. However, in the highly anodic operating environment of PEMWEs, the Ti PTL suffers from degradation, limiting the lifetime of the device. To gain deeper insights into Ti PTL degradation, here we monitor the potential/time-resolved Ti dissolution rates by coupling a PEMWE with an online inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results show that the dissolution of the Ti PTL is a complex and dynamic (electro)chemical event. Initiated by the decreased interfacial pH (even at pH < 1) due to proton accumulation during PEMWE operation, Ti dissolution intensifies with increasing bias potential. However, the dissolved Ti ions are simultaneously hydrolyzed, forming surface Ti oxides that slow down the dissolution rate. Coating the Ti PTL surface with Pt and IrO2 effectively reduces Ti dissolution, albeit at a higher cost, but they are also susceptible to dissolution during operation. Interestingly, the dissolution profiles of Pt and IrO2 deposited on the Ti PTL differ significantly from their conventional behavior, which requires further investigation for reliable prediction and optimization of new PTL designs for practical implementation in PEMWEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Foot pain can be a significant burden for patients. Custom foot orthoses (CFOs) have been a mainstay in podiatry treatment for foot pain management and improving foot function. However, little is known about podiatrists' experience of prescribing CFOs or patient experience of using foot orthoses (FOs), including CFOs, for foot pain. Methods: A focus group (FG) discussion with three FOs users (Female = 2 and Male = 1) was conducted in November 2022 within a private podiatry practice. This group represented non‐experts from the general local population of individuals with existing or previous foot pain who have personally experienced using either over‐the‐counter FOs or CFOs. An online FG discussion with five musculoskeletal (MSK) specialist podiatrists (Female = 2 and Male = 3) was also conducted in December 2022. This group represented podiatrists with specialist knowledge in foot biomechanics and clinical experience in CFO provision. The FG discussions were recorded and lasted 49 and 57 min respectively. Transcribed data was manually coded, and a thematic analysis was undertaken to identify patterns within the collected data. Results: The participants in the patient FG detailed mixed experiences of the prescription process and CFOs received, with reports of limited involvement/input in their prescription, the need for frequent adjustments and high costs. The impact on footwear choices, replicability and transferability of CFOs into different types of shoes and technologies to aid design were also highlighted. In the podiatrist FG, lack of confidence in design and manufacture processes, prescription form language, relationship and communication building with manufacturers, variability in the CFOs issued and the need for better student education in CFO provision emerged as key themes. Conclusion: Patients and podiatrists shared similar views on CFO provision, namely poor communication with manufacturers leading to dissatisfaction with the CFOs prescribed causing negative impacts on patient experiences. Podiatrists called for greater education at registration level to increase new graduate podiatrist knowledge in CFO design and manufacture and better collaboration with manufacturing companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is a clear demand for innovative therapeutics for bipolar disorder (BD). Methods We integrated the largest BD genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset (N Case = 41 917, N Control = 371 549) with protein quantitative trait loci from brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and plasma. Using a range of integrative analyses, including Mendelian randomization (MR), Steiger filter analysis, Bayesian colocalization, and phenome-wide MR analysis, we prioritized novel drug targets for BD. Additionally, we incorporated data from the UK Biobank (N Case = 1064, N Control = 365 476) and the FinnGen study (N Case = 7006, N Control = 329 192) for robust biological validation. Results Through MR analysis, we found that in the brain, downregulation of DNM3 , MCTP1 , ABCB8 and elevation of DFNA5 and PDF were risk factors for BD. In cerebrospinal fluid, increased BD risk was associated with increased levels of FRZB , AGRP , and IL36A and decreased CTSF and LRP8. Plasma analysis revealed that decreased LMAN2L , CX3CL1 , PI3 , NCAM1 , and TIMP4 correlated with increased BD risk, but ITIH1 did not. All these proteins passed Steiger filtering, and Bayesian colocalization confirmed that 12 proteins were colocalized with BD. Phenome-wide MR analysis revealed no significant side effects for potential drug targets, except for LRP8. External validation further underscored the concordance between the primary and validation cohorts, confirming MCTP1 , DNM3 , PDF , CTSF , AGRP , FRZB , LMAN2L , NCAM1 , and TIMP4 are intriguing targets for BD. Conclusions Our study identified druggable proteins for BD, including MCTP1 , DNM3 , and PDF in the brain; CTSF , AGRP , and FRZB in cerebrospinal fluid; and LMAN2L , NCAM1 , and TIMP4 in plasma, delineating promising avenues to development of novel therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is a wide-bandgap oxide semiconductor, with a bandgap of ∼4.9 eV, making it a promising material for power device applications. This study focuses on the effect of hydrochloric acid addition on the growth rate in homoepitaxial growth of β-Ga2O3 using a mist chemical vapor deposition method. For homoepitaxial growth on a (001) β-Ga2O3 substrate, we introduced different concentrations of HCl into the source solution to assess its impact on the growth rate, crystal structures, and surface morphologies of the films. At a growth temperature of 900 °C, HCl addition linearly increased film thickness, enhancing the growth rate by 4.8 times with 9.09 vol. % HCl. No peaks associated with other phases were exhibited by each sample, indicating pure homoepitaxial growth. When comparing samples with similar film thicknesses, the root-mean-square (rms) roughness was enhanced by 1/7 with an increase in the HCl concentration. However, at 800 °C, an increasing solution concentration caused pronounced step bunching and elevated rms roughness, in contrast with the minimal effect observed at 900 °C. In experiments with hydrochloric acid addition at 900 °C, we observed a striped morphology, which maintained consistent rms roughness despite higher temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by elevated motor activity, impulsivity, and attention deficit. Approximately 5% of the population suffers from this disorder. Among the key explanations of ADHD, executive functions play an important role in understanding the symptomatology present in this disorder and in determining the main treatment strategies for affected patients. We present a systematic review that seeks to identify the treatment methods developed to support executive functions in individuals with ADHD. Methods: Articles were analyzed in the SCOPUS, PUBMED, and Science Direct databases. Initially, 739 articles were found. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 articles remained and were included in the data extraction process. Results: Among the primary treatments identified, 14 studies propose psychological training for executive functions, 9 studies recommend medication, 5 studies suggest digital interventions, and 1 study advocates for sports as beneficial for executive functions. Conclusions: The data are discussed around the need to develop new proposals to enhance the executive functions of individuals with ADHD, thereby improving their performance in educational, personal, social, and family activities impacted by this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Doctoral programs play a crucial role in promoting innovation and technology transfer in universities. To design these programs effectively and with a co-design perspective, it is essential to consider all stakeholders involved in the process, including teachers, students and employers. The main objective of this study is to enhance postgraduate programs to improve students' employability. Design/methodology/approach: This empirical study was conducted over a three-year period and employed semi-structured interviews as its primary research methodology. In the first phase, 21 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers from various sectors. The second phase involved 20 interviews, and the final phase of the study included 18 interviews with the same managers from previous phases. Findings: The study's main results revealed that the international networks, language proficiency and analytical skills of doctoral students were highly valued by employers. The main findings come from companies with doctoral students. Therefore, the skills were identified during the learning experience of the PhD graduates in the companies. Practical implications: The study's results can guide improvements in postgraduate program curricula and design to enhance students' employability. Originality/value: This research presents a novel approach to its findings. On the one hand, the study's conclusions may provide valuable insights for business agents, encouraging them to hire PhD students. On the other hand, it aims to drive necessary changes that promote more PhD students' focus on non-academic careers, creating significant value for research and innovation in the private sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclopropane fragments, which widely exist in marketed drugs and natural products, can confer special pharmacological properties to small-molecule drugs. Therefore, developing methods to construct cyclopropanes is of great significance. Nevertheless, the introduction of cyclopropane primarily relies on already-formed cyclopropyl groups, which significantly restricts the diversity of cyclopropane skeletons. Late-stage direct cyclopropanation is still a challenging task. Herein, a photo-induced intermolecular deoxycyclopropanation reaction that employs alcohols as substrates, and 1 mol.% of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-1,4-dicyanobenzene (4CzTPN) as organophotocatalyst is reported. This method proceeds with high transformation efficiency (up to 98% yield) and exhibits broad functional group tolerance, such as primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols as well as various activated β-halogenated alkenes. This process is mild, easy to operate, and has low equipment requirements. The power of this technology is demonstrated by the late-stage functionalization of five marketed drugs and five natural products., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Producers in many sectors, including food, are seeking to convert chemical compounds into value. Turkey is in the midst of a 'quality turn' in its olive oil sector, as producers seek ways to capture value through what I describe here as processes of qualification. Based on fieldwork with olive oil producers and others in the sector in Turkey, I show how the qualities of 'high-quality' olive oil are made through labour, technique and technology, remaking the chemistry of the oil. The work of stabilizing and standardizing the experiences of taste and smell to align with international norms involves harvesters, producers, laboratories, international standards, terminologies, infrastructures, equipment, and consumers. Such oil is relatively unfamiliar in Turkey, however, necessitating the formation of a market for it through the economization of its qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dislocations are major structural defects in semiconductor materials, and they have negative impacts on the performance and reliability of electronic devices. The Burgers vector (b →) of a dislocation is one of the most important characteristics that determines its behavior in an operating device. In this study, we used synchrotron x-ray topography (XRT) to perform systematic observations of dislocations in β-Ga2O3, which is a promising wide-bandgap semiconductor for power device applications. By applying the g → ⋅ b → invisibility criterion to dislocation contrasts in XRTs taken at multiple reciprocal lattice vectors g → , we identified 12 types of Burgers vectors, including 11 types theoretically predicted by Yamaguchi et al. [Superlattice Microst. 99, 99 (2016)] and b → = ⟨ 100 ⟩. Some of these Burgers vectors, such as b → = ⟨ 10 1 ¯ ⟩ , 1 2 ⟨ 132 ⟩ , 1 2 ⟨ 1 3 ¯ 2 ⟩ , ⟨ 001 ⟩ , and ⟨ 100 ⟩ , were confirmed experimentally for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covering: from 2000 up to the very early part of 2023 S-Adenosyl- L -methionine (SAM) is a naturally occurring trialkyl sulfonium molecule that is typically associated with biological methyltransfer reactions. However, SAM is also known to donate methylene, aminocarboxypropyl, adenosyl and amino moieties during natural product biosynthetic reactions. The reaction scope is further expanded as SAM itself can be modified prior to the group transfer such that a SAM-derived carboxymethyl or aminopropyl moiety can also be transferred. Moreover, the sulfonium cation in SAM has itself been found to be critical for several other enzymatic transformations. Thus, while many SAM-dependent enzymes are characterized by a methyltransferase fold, not all of them are necessarily methyltransferases. Furthermore, other SAM-dependent enzymes do not possess such a structural feature suggesting diversification along different evolutionary lineages. Despite the biological versatility of SAM, it nevertheless parallels the chemistry of sulfonium compounds used in organic synthesis. The question thus becomes how enzymes catalyze distinct transformations via subtle differences in their active sites. This review summarizes recent advances in the discovery of novel SAM utilizing enzymes that rely on Lewis acid/base chemistry as opposed to radical mechanisms of catalysis. The examples are categorized based on the presence of a methyltransferase fold and the role played by SAM within the context of known sulfonium chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jansen‐de Vries syndrome (JdVS) is a neurodevelopmental condition attributed to pathogenic variants in Exons 5 and 6 of PPM1D. As the full phenotypic spectrum and natural history remain to be defined, we describe a large cohort of children and adults with JdVS. This is a retrospective cohort study of 37 individuals from 34 families with disease‐causing variants in PPM1D leading to JdVS. Clinical data were provided by treating physicians and/or families. Of the 37 individuals, 27 were male and 10 female, with median age 8.75 years (range 8 months to 62 years). Four families document autosomal dominant transmission, and 32/34 probands were diagnosed via exome sequencing. The facial gestalt, including a broad forehead and broad mouth with a thin and tented upper lip, was most recognizable between 18 and 48 months of age. Common manifestations included global developmental delay (35/36, 97%), hypotonia (25/34, 74%), short stature (14/33, 42%), constipation (22/31, 71%), and cyclic vomiting (6/35, 17%). Distinctive personality traits include a hypersocial affect (21/31, 68%) and moderate‐to‐severe anxiety (18/28, 64%). In conclusion, JdVS is a clinically recognizable neurodevelopmental syndrome with a characteristic personality and distinctive facial features. The association of pathogenic variants in PPM1D with cyclic vomiting bears not only medical attention but also further pathogenic and mechanistic evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Markerless motion capture system and X-ray fluoroscopy as two markerless measurement systems were introduced the application method in sports biomechanical areas. An overview of the technological process, data accuracy, suggested movements, and recommended body parts were explained. The markerless motion capture system consists of four parts: camera, body model, image feature, and algorithms. Even though the markerless motion capture system seems promising, it is not yet known whether these systems can be used to achieve the required accuracy and whether they can be appropriately used in sports biomechanics and clinical research. The biplane fluoroscopy technique analyzes motion data by collecting, image calibrating, and processing, which is effective for determining small joint kinematic changes and calculating joint angles. The method was used to measure walking and jumping movements primarily because of the experimental conditions and mainly detect the data of lower limb joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a new type of structural defect in β-Ga2O3 homoepitaxial thin films grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, which we have dubbed as "sympetalous defects." These consist of a line defect (for example, a nanotube defect) in the underlying substrate combined with a multi-faceted inverted polycrystalline pyramid in the epitaxial film, which may also be decorated with twinned polycrystalline grains. In plan-view atomic force, scanning electron, or optical microscopies, the sympetalous defects appear similar in shape to polygonal etch pits observed for single crystals. Photoluminescence microscopy exposed spots of polarization-dependent luminescence at these defects, different from the single crystal films' luminescence. Furthermore, some of the defects exhibited circular dichroism in their luminescence that we correlated with partial helices formed within the pits by the arrangement of linearly dichroic polycrystalline grains. Finally, the density of sympetalous defects agrees with the etch pit densities of the substrates. Understanding and controlling these defects will be of importance as they modify the local properties of films, affect fabricated device yields, and influence characterization experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform arrays of submicron hexagonal InGaN pyramids with high morphological and material homogeneity, reaching an indium composition of 20%, are presented in this work. The pyramids were grown by selective area metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy and nucleated from small openings in a SiN mask. The growth selectivity was accurately controlled with diffusion lengths of the gallium and indium species, more than 1 µm on the SiN surface. High material homogeneity of the pyramids was achieved by inserting a precisely formed GaN pyramidal seed prior to InGaN growth, leading to the growth of well-shaped InGaN pyramids delimited by six equivalent {1011} facets. Further analysis reveals a variation in the indium composition to be mediated by competing InGaN growth on two types of crystal planes, {1011} and (0001). Typically, the InGaN growth on {1011} planes is much slower than on the (0001) plane. The formation of the (0001) plane and the growth of InGaN on it were found to be dependent on the morphology of the GaN seeds. We propose growth of InGaN pyramids seeded by {1011}-faceted GaN pyramids as a mean to avoid InGaN material grown on the otherwise formed (0001) plane, leading to a significant reduction of variations in the indium composition in the InGaN pyramids. The InGaN pyramids in this work can be used as a high-quality template for optoelectronic devices having indium-rich active layers, with a potential of reaching green, yellow, and red emissions for LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programmable nucleases are the most important tool for manipulating the genes and genomes of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Since the end of the 20th century, many approaches were developed for specific modification of the genome. The review briefly considers the advantages and disadvantages of the main genetic editors known to date. The main attention is paid to programmable nucleases from the family of prokaryotic Argonaute proteins. Argonaute proteins can recognize and cleave DNA sequences using small complementary guide molecules and play an important role in protecting prokaryotic cells from invading DNA. Argonaute proteins have already found applications in biotechnology for targeted cleavage and detection of nucleic acids and can potentially be used for genome editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using bright-field x-ray topography based on anomalous transmission (AT), we have demonstrated the first large-area total-thickness imaging of dislocations in β-Ga2O3 at the substrate scale. The dislocation images were acquired from the entire 10 mm × 15 mm × 680 μm (001)-oriented substrate prepared by edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) by stitching together hundreds of topographic images, each recorded with the forward-diffracted beam in the Laue geometry for g =020, 0–20, 022, and 400, under the conditions in which AT occurred. Dislocations distributed over the entire crystal volume were imaged as long as their Burgers vectors (b) were not orthogonal to the g-vectors. The results of the g·b analysis of the dislocation contrasts clearly revealed three major dislocation types that were numerically dominant in the EFG crystal: (i) b-axis screw-type dislocations with b∥ξ∥[010] (ξ is the unit vector of line direction), (ii) b-axis edge-type dislocations with b∥[001] and ξ∥[010], and (iii) curved mixed-type dislocations lying on the (001) planes with b∥[010]. Based on their b- and ξ-vectors, types (i) and (ii) were attributed to dislocations that propagated during EFG pulling up along the [010] direction, while type (iii) was attributed to dislocations generated through glide in the [010](001) slip system under stress. The extent to which AT can manifest itself is explained by using the effective absorption coefficient calculated for the above g-vectors based on dynamical x-ray diffraction theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Information Fluency Framework (IFF) has been collaboratively developed by teacher librarians in the NSW Department of Education. It is a learning outcome framework mapped to curriculum outcomes through the lens of information use. The IFF enables teacher librarians to be expert practitioners using the various aspects of information use and creation as the core to learning. It can also be used in consideration with new and emerging pedagogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(001) β-Ga2O3 homoepitaxy on commercially available large-size (001) β-Ga2O3 substrates remains a significant challenge for the wide bandgap semiconductor community. In this Letter, high-quality homoepitaxial (001) β-Ga2O3 films were grown via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with the assistance of an in situ indium surfactant, where the growth modes and mechanisms were also elucidated. During the growth of β-Ga2O3, an etching process occurred by the desorption of the suboxide Ga2O, resulting in rough surface morphology with streaky grooves oriented along the [010] direction. It is postulated that the parallel grooves were associated with the surface desorption and anisotropic diffusion characteristics of β-Ga2O3. To suppress the desorption, indium surfactant was introduced into the growth environment. A 2D-like growth feature was prompted subsequently by the coadsorption of In and Ga atoms, accompanied by relatively smooth surface morphology. The crystal quality had no degradation despite the incorporation of indium in the epitaxial film. The O II peak of the β-Ga2O3 film shifted ∼0.5 eV toward higher binding energy due to an increasing number of oxygen vacancies originating from the indium incorporation. This work provides a systemic investigation on the growth of high-quality (001) β-Ga2O3 homoepitaxial films by MOCVD, which is critical for the development of β-Ga2O3 electronic devices for future power switching and RF applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed Borrmann effect x-ray topography (XRT) to observe dislocations and other structural defects in a thick β-Ga2O3 (001) substrate. The Borrmann effect was realized by working in a symmetrical Laue geometry (g = 020). Anomalous transmission occurred under the exact Bragg condition, producing a strong diffraction beam that allowed us to image defects across the entire thickness of the substrate. The analysis clearly revealed straight b-axis screw-type and curved dislocations and allowed assessing the corresponding behaviors. Other structural defects, including pipe-shaped voids and dislocation loops produced by mechanical damage, were also observed. Finally, we compared Borrmann effect transmission topography and conventional reflection topography and explained the appearance of some characteristic defects in the two modes. Our results show that Borrmann effect XRT is a powerful and effective technique to study the spatial distribution and structural properties of defects in highly absorbing β-Ga2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic biosensing is a label-free detection method that is commonly used to measure various biomolecular interactions. However, one of the main challenges in this approach is the ability to detect biomolecules at low concentrations with sufficient sensitivity and detection limits. Here, 2D ferroelectric materials are employed to address the issues with sensitivity in biosensor design. A plasmonic sensor based on Bi 2 O 2 Se nanosheets, a ferroelectric 2D material, is presented for the ultrasensitive detection of the protein molecule. Through imaging the surface charge density of Bi 2 O 2 Se, a detection limit of 1 fM is achieved for bovine serum albumin (BSA). These findings underscore the potential of ferroelectric 2D materials as critical building blocks for future biosensor and biomaterial architectures., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: Previous research shows that adolescents who experience dating violence most often disclose their victimization to a peer or friend, more so than to other sources of support. However, surprisingly little research has explored how adolescents respond to peer disclosures of dating violence. Addressing this gap, the present study assessed variations in adolescents' perceptions of blame, interpretations of the incident as violence, and intentions to respond across physical, psychological, sexual, cyber-psychological, and cyber-sexual dating violence scenarios., Methods: As part of a national research project across Canada, 663 high school adolescents (432 girls, 65.2%) between the ages of 14-17 were randomly assigned to complete a questionnaire which included one of five different hypothetical dating violence scenarios. Next, participants responded to questions about their perceptions of the incident, as well as victim and perpetrator blame and responsibility, and their intentions to respond., Results: Results indicated that the type of dating violence experienced and the age and gender of participants all played a role in perceptions of blame, understandings of violence, and intentions to respond., Conclusions: As one of the first studies to explore how adolescents perceived and responded to dating violence, considering both in-person and cyber forms of dating violence, this study fills an important gap in the literature. Findings underscore the uniqueness of cyber forms of dating violence and how pre/intervention programs must address the specific contexts and issues unique to each type of dating violence., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Adolescence published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Foundation for Professionals in Services to Adolescents.)

This article presents an explainable fuzzy theoretic nonparametric deep model for an analysis of heart rate variability in application to stress assessment. We are concerned with the development of a model that evaluates and explains a short-time (3–5 min long) heartbeat interval sequence of an individual to estimate the level of acute perceived stress on a numerical scale from 0 to 100 via monitoring the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. The salient features of the approach are the following. 1) A deep model, consisting of a nested composition of mappings, discovers layers of increasingly abstract heartbeat interval data representation. 2) An analytical solution of the deep model's learning problem facilitates inducing a mapping from the noninterpretable heartbeat-interval-data-space onto another interpretable domain spanned by a stress index. A given noninterpretable R– R interval feature vector is explained by: 1) estimating the corresponding stress value; 2) providing the weights which must be assigned to the subjective ratings of stress; and 3) providing various information about the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities of autonomic nervous system by analyzing R-R interval sequence in frequency domain at different abstraction levels. The proof-of-concept is provided by experimentation on a previously studied dataset of 50 subjects and a new dataset of 100 subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article outlines the development of the department's Information Fluency Framework and considers its future possibilities. Topics discussed include information on Information Skills Process (ISP), the information literacy model to implementing information literacy in New South Wales (NSW) public schools; demand from business for creativity, emotional intelligence, problem solving and collaboration skills; and teaching practice of a teacher librarian.

In this paper, we reflect on the evolution of place-based governance from a long-term (15 year) study of rural development initiatives undertaken in a region of Poland as part of its accession to the European Union. We decompose the recursive process of institutional learning arising from initiatives for heritage preservation and rural economic development. In our analysis, we elaborate a typology of unavoidable development dilemmas that must be explicitly managed in order to allow place-based governance to effectively harness the cultural value, social context, and developmental needs of certain locales or landscapes. Although creating and sustaining local value remain contingent on broader realities of governance, proactive management of these dilemmas can help prevent many of the usual contestations around goals and identity from becoming intractable in later periods. Our proposed approach to enabling place-based governance emphasizes conflict recognition and engagement as important complements to more common prescriptive models of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Soter: Journal of Religious Science / Religijos Mokslo Žurnalas is the property of Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Theology-Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. The plantar soft tissue plays a critical role in absorbing shocks and attenuating excessive stresses during walking. Plantar soft tissue property and plantar pressure are critical information for footwear design and clinical assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plantar soft tissue hardness and plantar pressure during walking. Methods. 59 healthy volunteers (27 males and 32 females, aged 20 to 82) participated in this study. The plantar surface was divided into five regions: lateral rearfoot, medial rearfoot, lateral midfoot, lateral forefoot, and medial forefoot, and the plantar tissue hardness was tested using Shore durometer in each region. Average dynamic pressures in each region were analyzed for the five regions corresponding to the hardness tests. The relationship between hardness and average dynamic pressure was analyzed in each region. Results. The average hardness of the plantar soft tissue in the above five regions is as follows: lateral rearfoot (34.49 ± 6.77), medial rearfoot (34.47 ± 6.64), lateral midfoot (27.95 ± 6.13), lateral forefoot (29.72 ± 5.47), and medial forefoot (28.58 ± 4.41). Differences of hardness were observed between age groups, and hardness of plantar soft tissues in forefoot regions increased with age (P < 0.05). A negative relationship was found between plantar soft tissue hardness and pressure reduction at lateral rearfoot, medial rearfoot, and lateral midfoot (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The hardness of plantar soft tissues changes with age in healthy individuals, and there is a trend of increasing hardness of the plantar soft tissue with age. The plantar soft tissue hardness increases with plantar pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racemases and epimerases catalyse changes in the stereochemical configurations of chiral centres and are of interest as model enzymes and as biotechnological tools. They also occupy pivotal positions within metabolic pathways and, hence, many of them are important drug targets. This review summarises the catalytic mechanisms of PLP-dependent, enolase family and cofactor-independent racemases and epimerases operating by a deprotonation/reprotonation (1,1-proton transfer) mechanism and methods for measuring their catalytic activity. Strategies for inhibiting these enzymes are reviewed, as are specific examples of inhibitors. Rational design of inhibitors based on substrates has been extensively explored but there is considerable scope for development of transition-state mimics and covalent inhibitors and for the identification of inhibitors by high-throughput, fragment and virtual screening approaches. The increasing availability of enzyme structures obtained using X-ray crystallography will facilitate development of inhibitors by rational design and fragment screening, whilst protein models will facilitate development of transition-state mimics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) commonly disclose their experiences to friends or family members, or within other personal relationships. Disclosure recipients' responses to these disclosures are associated with victims' mental health. Previous research has separately measured both actual responses to IPV/SA and anticipated responses to IPV/SA (e.g., response to a hypothetical scenario) from the perspective of disclosure recipients. Yet, little research has described the association between disclosure recipients' anticipated and actual responses. The aim of the current paper was to use a prospective design to examine the association between disclosure recipients' anticipated and actual responses to IPV/SA, including positive and negative social reactions, perceptions of victim responsibility, empathy, and confusion and ineffectiveness about how to respond. Participants (N = 126 college students aged 18–23; 70.6% women) answered questions about their anticipated responses to a hypothetical IPV/SA disclosure scenario, and then six months later answered the same questions about their actual responses to an actual disclosure of IPV/SA. Although most anticipated and actual responses were significantly associated, associations were moderate in size. Some associations were stronger for participants with a closer relationship to the victim, for participants who had their own victimization history, for women, and for men. Individuals can predict their responses to some degree, but are not totally accurate in doing so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot orthoses have been used for decades despite uncertainty surrunding their therapeutic efficacy. Orthoses have been used exclusively to affect neuro-biomechanical input and outcome variables, however, there is emerging evidence that therapeutic efficacy may be affected by a psychological stimulus. Critical appraisal of the literature highlights that there is no holistic model upon which foot orthosis practice is taught, practised nor investigated. This paper introduces a conceptual model of foot orthosis practice (Value Based Foot Orthosis Practice (VALUATOR) model) that embraces a broader range of factors that are pertinent to orthosis practice, incorporating contemporary health service behaviours and values into orthosis practice for the first time. Within the VALUATOR model, foot orthosis design and clinical value is considered along a bio-psycho-social-digital continuum that reflects the reality of foot orthosis practice. The model contextualises the variable outcomes that are observed in research and practice within 6 key areas: 1) value, 2) person-centered approach, 3) zone of optimal bio-psycho-social stress, 4) bio-psycho-social assessment, 5) monitoring, 6) primary and secondary clinical strategies. The VALUATOR model is targeted at students, lecturers, scientists and practitioners and includes carefully chosen terminology to support a robust basis for educational and scientific discussion. It is believed that it provides a contemporary viewpoint and a structured conceptual metaphor that builds on existing evidence from a wide range of sources, invites constructive intellectual debate, and is anchored in the experiences of practitioners too. Stress testing the VALUATOR model will help determine its model and support further developments and evolution of orthotic practice in a evidence based way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO materials exhibit a rich family of nanostructures, which show great potential for the sensitivity improvement of optical detection systems. In this work, ∼350 nm ZnO nanowires (ZnO-NWs) were electrochemically deposited on ZnO and an indium tin oxide coated glass (ZnO-NWs/ZnO/ITO/glass) substrate. ZnO-NWs were modified with N-(3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) for covalent bovine serum albumin (BSA) immobilization. The studies were performed using a spectroscopic total internal reflection ellipsometry (TIRE) setup based on the Kretschmann configuration. The refractive index dispersion of ZnO-NWs in the air was obtained from the optical model applying a Bruggeman effective medium approach. It was determined that the ZnO-NWs effective layer consists of 30% ZnO and 70% void. Reflectance difference before and after ZnO-NWs modification with BSA was 6.6 times higher than in the case of the plain ZnO layer. The Δ kinetics of covalent BSA immobilization on the APTES/ZnO-NWs/ZnO/glass substrate contains two phases. Evaluation of the diffusion coefficient for BSA in PBS filled APTES/ZnO-NWs/ZnO/ITO/glass was performed using numerical calculation, and the obtained diffusion coefficient was 2.4 × 10−17 m2 s−1. Simulation of BSA immobilization on a flat ZnO layer and on a ZnO-NWs modified surface showed that 13 times higher sensitivity was observed for the substrate with ZnO-NWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of fuzzy theory to deep learning is limited, 1) under the realm of deep neural networks, 2) to the parametric form of modeling, and 3) relying on gradient-descent-based numerical algorithms for optimization because of lack of analytical solutions. This article fills this gap by providing an analytical nonparametric deep modeling solution based on the mathematical analysis of membership functions assigned to model variables. The nonparametric approach is based on the concept of representing the unknown mappings (between input and output variables) through a fuzzy set with Student-t type membership function, such that the dimension of membership function increases with an increasing data size. This concept of function representation is referred to as Student-t fuzzy-mapping in this article. The most significant feature of this article is to analytically derive the mathematical expressions for membership functions (which quantify uncertainties regarding the values of variables) using variational optimization such that the degree-of-belongingness of given data to the considered data-model is maximized. This article focuses on the modeling of image features, where a layer of the deep-model first projects the feature vector onto a lower dimensional subspace, and then construct the output feature vector through Student- $t$ fuzzy-mappings. Numerous image classification experiments are provided to support the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]