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Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are commonly used in neonatal intensive care units for extended intravenous nutrition and therapy. The selection of PICCs insertion sites can significantly influence insertion outcomes and neonatal safety. Aim: This study aimed to determine the most suitable insertion site in the lower extremities for neonatal PICCs. Study Design: A retrospective case note review was conducted on PICCs inserted through lower extremity (LE) sites in a 40‐bed tertiary‐level neonatal intensive care unit at a university teaching hospital. The dates when data were accessed for research purposes were from June 2019 to June 2022. In total, 223 neonates were identified as having had PICCs, with 254 catheters inserted in the lower extremities. The STROBE checklist guided the reporting of this study. Results: Neonates underwent PICC insertion via the LE vein, with an overall complication rate of 13.4% and a one‐attempt success rate of puncture of 86.2%. The rates of complications, catheter occlusion, and catheter‐related infection in the PICC group with insertion through the great saphenous vein were significantly lower than those in the femoral vein group (p <.05). The success rate was significantly higher than that in the femoral vein group (p <.05). Additionally, the incidence of total complications and catheter occlusion complications with PICC insertion via the right LE was significantly lower than that with insertion via the left LE (p <.05). Conclusion: Our study suggested that, when feasible, the saphenous vein in the right LE could be the most suitable insertion site for neonatal PICCs. Relevance to Clinical Practice: These findings provide insights into the complications, indwelling time, and safety of neonatal PICCs in different LE sites, serving as a valuable reference for clinical practice. This study was retrospective in nature, and all staff involved obtained approved access to patient clinical data. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University (registry number 2022010001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the increasing use of technology-driven multimodal pedagogies in second-language writing education, there is a dearth of studies investigating the value and design of multimodal text feedback. Based on Chong's (Chong, S. W. 2019. "College Students' Perception of e-Feedback: A Grounded Theory Perspective." Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 44 (7): 1090–1105. ) tripartite conceptualization of written feedback, this article examines the effectiveness of the multimodal text feedback approach by exploring its influence on the technical, socio-emotional, and personal aspects of feedback. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted in a second-tier university in southeastern China. The researchers collected 57 participants' responses to a questionnaire survey regarding the effectiveness of multimodal text feedback and then conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 participants. Findings: Qualitative and quantitative analysis confirms multiple positive impacts of multimodal text feedback, such as improving technical features of students' writing and enhancing teacher-student relationships. Originality/value: The findings not only inform language-writing instructors with regard to the process-based design of multimodal text feedback but also lead to the proposal of a comprehensive conceptual framework for evaluating the interplay between different aspects of feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic stress is a common cause of hair loss, involving inflammatory responses and changes in cellular signaling pathways. This study explores the mechanism of action of the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling axis in chronic stress-induced hair loss. The research indicates that SDF-1 promotes hair follicle growth through the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. Transcriptome sequencing analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes in the skin of normal and stressed mice, with key genes SDF-1/CXCR4 selected through machine learning and a protein-protein interaction network established. A chronic stress mouse model was created, with injections of SDF-1 and AMD3100 administered to observe hair growth, weight changes, and behavioral alterations and validate hair follicle activity. Skin SDF-1 concentrations were measured, differentially expressed genes were screened, and pathways were enriched. Activation of the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways was assessed, and siRNA technology was used in vitro to inhibit the expression of SDF-1 or CXCR4. SDF-1 promoted hair follicle activity, with the combined injection of SDF-1 and AMD3100 weakening this effect. The activation of the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways was observed in the SDF-1 injection group, confirmed by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Silencing SDF-1 through siRNA-mediated inhibition reduced cell proliferation and migration abilities. SDF-1 promotes hair growth in chronic stress mice by activating the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT pathways, an effect reversible by AMD3100. The SDF-1/CXCR4 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for stress-induced hair loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of the COVID-19, great changes have taken place in China's economic structure and market subjects and college students are facing difficulties in employment. By carrying out collaborative innovation between schools and enterprises, cultivating high-quality talents to meet social needs has become an important way to solve difficulties. Based on the input-process-output principle, a performance evaluation index system for collaborative innovation is constructed, which includes 3 primary indicators and 22 secondary indicators. The weights of each indicator are determined using improved AHP. A mathematical model for evaluating the performance of school enterprise collaborative innovation is established using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The evaluation value of the innovation and entrepreneurship education case project is 0.82, indicating that the overall operation is in good condition. The cooperation between schools and enterprises has created a favorable atmosphere and accumulated rich experience for carrying out innovation and entrepreneurship education. Good results have been achieved in talent cultivation and scientific and technological output, but there are also problems such as low conversion rates of scientific and technological achievements. Based on the evaluation results, the article proposes suggestions to improve the performance of collaborative innovation between schools and enterprises. The research results provide theoretical reference for the performance evaluation of school enterprise collaborative innovation and the practice of innovation and entrepreneurship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct conversion of specific C−H bonds to C−Si bonds in alkanes or aromatics via catalytic methods has attracted growing research interest. Herein, we report the preparation of a new iridium catalyst supported on a naphthyridine‐based porous organic polymer and its successful application in the dehydrogenative silylation of 2‐arylphenols or alcohol and hydrosilanes to access ring‐fused oxasilacycles. The synthetic method exhibits broad substrate scope and good functional group compatibility while avoiding the use of hydrogen acceptors. In addition, this organic polymer supported iridium catalyst could be easily recovered from the reaction system and reused for at least seven times without apparent deactivation. This research provides new insights for the further design of heterogeneous nanocatalysts and contributes to the synthesis of silicon‐substituted functional molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Task-Grabbing System on operating room efficiency. Based on the competition-driven concept of the 'Uber' app, an Task-Grabbing System was designed for task allocation and quality assessment. We implemented the Task-Grabbing System in our hospital operating room and compared the differences in consecutive operation preparation time, turnover time, and task completion time performed by surgical technicians for tasks such as patient pick-up, operating room cleaning, medical equipment recovery, three-piece set delivery, as well as blood gas analysis and intraoperative specimen submission before (October 2019) and after (December 2019) the implementation of the Task-Grabbing System. After the implementation of the Task-Grabbing System, the consecutive operation preparation time was reduced from the average of 43.56–38.55 min (P < 0.05), and the turnover time was decreased from the average of 14.25–12.61 min (P < 0.05). And the respective time consuming of surgical technicians for patients picking up, operating room cleaning, medical facilities recovering, the three-piece set delivering, blood gas analysis sending and intraoperative specimen submitting was significantly shortened (P < 0.05). The Task-Grabbing System could improve the operating room efficiency and effectively mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of the surgical technicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The shortage of nurses has been a global human resources problem. A good professional growth environment is essential to developing potential nursing students and attracting nurses to join, and it has great significance in reducing nurse turnover. However, nurses' comprehensive perceptions of professional growth have not yet been examined. Methods: A cluster sampling method was used to conduct a professional growth questionnaire survey on young nursing talents from a large Chinese public tertiary A hospital in March 2022. Results: The score of professional growth among 243 young nursing talents was 57.92 ± 9.607, with a scoring rate of 77.23%. The scores for dimensions of professional growth, from lowest to highest, were rehabilitation growth, promotion speed, professional goal progress, and professional ability development. Attitudes towards participating in training, service as the quality manager or clinical teacher, self-efficacy, professional title, work-family support, education, and organizational commitment of young nursing talents were significantly associated with professional growth. Conclusion: The professional growth of young nursing talents was at a moderate level and needed to be strengthened. Nursing leaders and managers are expected to develop management practices to enhance young nursing talents' professional growth in combination with the related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed a process for the [2+1+3] cyclization of 2‐methylbenzothiazole salts, aldehydes and amidine hydrochlorides, which allows rapid synthesis of 1,3‐diazaphenothiazines with moderate to good yields. The use of ethanol as solvent, oxygen as the terminal oxidant, mild reaction conditions, good functionality tolerance show the promising application in organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While laparoscopic assistance is often entrusted to less experienced individuals, such as residents, medical students, and operating room nurses, it is important to note that they typically receive little to no formal laparoscopic training. This deficiency can lead to poor visibility during minimally invasive surgery, thus increasing the risk of errors. Moreover, operating room nurses and medical students are currently not included as key users in structured laparoscopic training programs. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the laparoscopic skills of OR nurses, clinical medical postgraduate students, and residents before and after undergoing virtual reality training. Additionally, it aimed to compare the differences in the laparoscopic skills among different groups (OR nurses/Students/Residents) both before and after virtual reality training. Methods: Operating room nurses, clinical medical postgraduate students and residents from a tertiary Grade A hospital in China in March 2022 were selected as participants. All participants were required to complete a laparoscopic simulation training course in 6 consecutive weeks. One task from each of the four training modules was selected as an evaluation indicator. A before-and-after self-control study was used to compare the basic laparoscopic skills of participants, and laparoscopic skill competency was compared between the groups of operating room nurses, clinical medical postgraduate students, and residents. Results: Twenty-seven operating room nurses, 31 clinical medical postgraduate students, and 16 residents were included. The training course scores for the navigation training module, task training module, coordination training module, and surgical skills training module between different groups (operating room nurses/clinical medical postgraduate/residents) before laparoscopic simulation training was statistically significant (p < 0.05). After laparoscopic simulation training, there was no statistically significant difference in the training course scores between the different groups. The surgical level scores before and after the training course were compared between the operating room nurses, clinical medical postgraduate students, and residents and showed significant increases (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings show a significant improvement in laparoscopic skills following virtual surgery simulation training across all participant groups. The integration of virtual surgery simulation technology in surgical training holds promise for bridging the gap in laparoscopic skill development among health care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a method for the synthesis of thiazinopyrrole fused ring derivatives utilizing a ring‐opening recombination strategy with benzothiazole salts. Thiazolium salts, aldehydes, and amines undergo a cascade cyclization reaction in a one‐pot under the solvent conditions of ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An increasing number of studies persistently demonstrate that prone position ventilation can significantly improve the oxygenation index and blood oxygen saturation for most patients (70–80%) with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Studies have also shown that the awake prone position was both safe and effective in helping patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) breathe spontaneously. However, the prone position is not widely adopted when treating patients with COVID‐19 or ARDS from other causes. Basic knowledge, positive attitudes, and correct practices among the nursing staff are necessary to increase the use of prone positions, reduce the incidence of complications associated with prone positions, and improve the quality and safety of health care. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of prone positioning of patients among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses working in COVID‐19 units and provide suggestions for improvement. Study design: ICU nurses were recruited from two designated tertiary hospitals for COVID‐19 treatment in Shanghai, China, in April 2022, using convenience sampling. A questionnaire survey focusing on the dimensions of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of the prone position with 42 items, was conducted. Results: A total of 132 ICU nurses participated. The scores on the overall questionnaire and the dimensions of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of prone position were 167.28 (95% CI, 161.70–172.86), 78.35 (95% CI, 76.04–80.66), 32.08 (95% CI, 31.51–32.65), and 56.85 (95% CI, 52.42–61.28) respectively. The overall average score was 79.66% (95% CI, 0.77–0.82). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that prior experience in treating patients with COVID‐19 and professional titles were related to the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of prone position. Conclusions: The ICU nurses strongly believed in the effectiveness of prone positioning, but their knowledge and practice levels need improvement. The experience in treating patients with COVID‐19 and professional titles were related to the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of prone position. Nursing managers should ensure that ICU nurses are well trained in prone positioning and help enhance the knowledge and attitudes toward prone positioning to promote its widespread use. Relevance to clinical practice: Clinical guidelines and in‐service training modules need to be developed to promote the use of prone positioning and reduce prone position‐related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper distinguishes whether the shocks of various uncertainties on oil-stock correlation are alike from a time-frequency perspective. Specifically, using data from December 1997 to April 2021, the effects of EPU, VIX, and GPR on the interaction between Brent oil prices and stock indices in the G7 and BRIC countries are examined. The results reveal that the influence of EPU, VIX, and GPR on the oil-stock co-movement is dependent upon investment horizons. In developed markets, the most influential uncertainty index is the VIX, followed by EPU and GPR. In emerging markets, the interactions between oil prices and stock indices in Brazil and India are more susceptible to the VIX, followed by GPR and EPU. For China, the co-movement relation is more sensitive to EPU. Moreover, better prediction power on the stock market is obtained by combining oil prices and EPU or VIX. Our findings provide a crucial reference for financial risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to reduce the setting time of yogurt, improve the texture of yogurt and evaluate the effect of pea peptides on the quality of coagulated yogurt. Methods: Different amounts(0, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, 1.25%, 1.50%) of pea peptides were added into milk powder to prepare pea peptide yogurt, and then the setting time, titer acidity, and texture properties of the yogurt were investigated. Results: The results showed that when the amount of pea peptides added was less than or equal to 1.25%, the yogurt setting time could be significantly shortened. When the amount of pea peptide added was 1 %, the effect was significant by shortening the coagulation time for 32 min. The addition of pea peptides significantly increased the acidity of yogurt. When the addition amount of pea peptides was less than 1 %, the springiness and chewiness of the yogurt were significantly reduced, and the gumminess, cohesiveness, and resilience were significantly increased, which improved the textural properties of the yogurt. Conclusion: The addition of pea peptides to the yogurt fermentation substrate can shorten the fermentation period and enhance the quality of the final product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the diversity-oriented aromatization of cyclic hydrocarbons via potassium ethyl xanthogenate (EtOCS2K)/NH4I-mediated methylthiyl radical addition and thioether elimination was investigated under transition-metal-free conditions. The methylthiyl radical species were generated in situ via the NH4I-mediated decomposition of DMSO following which EtOCS2K promoted the breaking of carbon–sulfur bonds of thioether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid metabolism is closely linked to adiposity. Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a typical genetic disorder causing obesity; however, the distinct lipidomic profiles in PWS children have not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, serum lipidomics analyses were simultaneously explored in PWS, simple obesity (SO), and normal children (Normal). Results indicated that the total concentration of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in the PWS group were significantly deceased compared with both the SO and the Normal group. In contrast, compared with the Normal group, there was an overall significant increase in triacylglycerol (TAG) levels in both the PWS and the SO groups, with the highest found in SO group. Thirty-nine and 50 differential lipid species were screened among 3 groups: between obesity (PWS and SO) and the Normal group. Correlation analysis revealed distinct profiles in PWS that was different from other 2 groups. Notably, PC (P16:0/18:1), PE (P18:0-20:3), PE (P18:0-20:4)) showed significant negative correlation with body mass index (BMI) only in the PWS group. PE (P16:0-18:2) showed a negative association with BMI and weight in the PWS group, but significant positive correlation in the SO group; no statistically significant association was found in the Normal group. We also found a significant negative correlation between Blautia genus abundance and several significantly changed lipids, including LPC (14:0), LPC (16:0), TAG (C50:2/C51:9), TAG (C52:2/C53:9), TAG (C52:3/C53:10), and TAG (C52:4/C53:11), but no significant correlation in the Normal group and the SO group. Similarly, in the PWS group, the Neisseria genus was significantly negatively associated with acylcarnitine (CAR) (14:1), CAR (18:0), PE (P18:0/20:3), and PE (P18:0/20:4), and extremely positively associated with TAG (C52:2/C53:9); no obvious correlations were observed in the Normal group and the SO group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, soy isoflavones-loaded nanoparticles were prepared using rice proteins (RPs) hydrolyzed by four types of enzyme (alcalase, neutrase, trypsin, and flavorzyme). After optimizing the preparation conditions, the encapsulation efficiency (EE) of the nanoparticles ranged from 61.16% ± 0.92% to 90.65% ± 0.19%. The RPs that were hydrolyzed by flavorzyme with a molecular weight of <5 KDa showed better characters on the formation of nanoparticles, and the formed nanoparticles had the highest EE and loading capacity (9.06%), the smallest particle size (64.77 nm), the lowest polymer dispersity index (0.19), and the lowest zeta potential (−25.64 mV).The results of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, X-ray diffraction, and fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the nanoparticles were successfully encapsulated. The study of interaction showed that the formation of nanoparticles may depend mainly on hydrogen bonds, but other interactions, such as hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions, cannot be ignored. After encapsulation, the pH stability, temperature stability, ionic stability, and oxidation resistance of the nanoparticles were enhanced. Moreover, the in vitro release experiment showed that the encapsulated nanoparticles had a certain protective effect on soybean isoflavones. In summary, rice protein hydrolysates are promising carriers for soybean isoflavones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of psychological resilience that people show in coping with stress and adversity is prominent, but few studies have used rigorous bibliometric tools to analyze the knowledge structure and distribution of psychological resilience research. Objective: The purpose of this study was to sort out and summarize the previous studies on psychological resilience by using bibliometrics. Specifically, the time distribution of psychological resilience research was determined by publication trend, the power distribution was determined by the distribution of countries, authors, institutions and journals, the hot research spots were analyzed according to the results of keyword cluster analysis, and the research frontier was explored according to the results of burst keywords. Methods: CiteSpace5.8.R3 was used to analyze the literatures on psychological resilience collected in Web of Science core Collection database from January 1, 2010, to June 16, 2022. Results: A total of 8462 literatures were included after screening. Research on psychological resilience has been on the rise in recent years. The United States had made a high contribution in this field. Robert H Pietrzak, George A Bonanno, Connor KM and others were highly influential. J Pers Soc Psychol has the highest citation frequency and centrality. The research hot spots focus on five aspects: study on psychological resilience related to COVID-19 pandemic, influencing factors of psychological resilience, psychological resilience related to PTSD, study on psychological resilience of special population, and the molecular biology and genetic basis of psychological resilience. Psychological resilience related to COVID-19 pandemic was the most cutting-edge research aspect. Conclusion: The current situation and trend of psychological resilience research were found in this study, which may be used to identify more hot issues and explore new research directions in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient three‐component cascade coupling reaction of 3‐haloisoquinolines, haloalkanes, and sp3‐carbon nucleophiles (acetophenone or nitromethane) led to a series of structurally novel 1,2‐disubstituted‐3‐isoquinolinones through the formation of C(sp3)−C(sp2), C−N, and C=O bonds. The NaOAc‐promoted reaction described in this work is simple to operate, environment friendly, and highly selective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and practical method for the synthesis of 2‐methylenebenzothiazoles via the coupling of a benzothiazole salts and 4‐hydroxycoumarins have been described herein. The reaction showed a good substrate range and functional compatibility under mechanochemical conditions, and proceeded without catalysts or solvents. The 2‐methylenebenzothiazoles products were achieved via the formation of a C=C double bond and exhibited strong luminescence and typical aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) properties, indicating their potential for use as fluorescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the status and associations of nursing practice environments in intensive care units of tertiary hospitals and provide suggestions for improvement. Background: Nursing shortage is an urgent global problem and a concern in China. Intensive care unit nurses have been reported to have one of the highest rates of burnout; however, their comprehensive perceptions of nursing practice environments have not yet been examined. Methods: The Nursing Practice Environment Scale was used to conduct a questionnaire‐based survey of 1,523 intensive care unit nurses from 22 tertiary hospitals in China. The data collection was conducted in 2020. Results: The overall score for the nursing practice environment was 77.042 ± 19.682 (where 100 was the highest possible score). The three highest scoring dimensions were quality management, clinical nursing professionalism and professional improvement, whereas the three lowest‐scoring dimensions were hospital management participation, remuneration package and social status. Educational background, position, gender and hospital type were significantly associated with nurses' satisfaction with the working environment. Conclusion: Chinese nurses in the intensive care units of tertiary hospitals reported relatively satisfactory nursing practice environments, but the scale scores in dimensions such as hospital management participation, remuneration package and social status remained low. Implications for nursing management: Understanding the status and associations of the nursing practice environment in intensive care units provides evidence that new policies are needed. Furthermore, managers are responsible for supervising and ensuring that nursing practice environments meet the criteria necessary to improve job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A copper‐catalyzed acylhalogenation reaction of 3‐methylanthranils with acid halides, which utilizes the acyl halide as both the acylating and halogenating source, is described. This process involves N−O/C−H/C−X bond cleavages and C−N/C−X bond formations to furnish N‐(2‐(2‐haloyl)phenyl)amides. Furthermore, this difunctional conversion using the N−O bond and oxygen as oxidants displays good tolerance for different functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently raging all over the world. COVID-19 can be transmitted among humans. To control the spread of the epidemic and meet the learning needs of students, Chinese universities have used a variety of multimedia forms to conduct online teaching. However, the influence of different teaching methods on the learning effects of nursing students has not been conclusive, and few studies have directly compared the differences in the effects of different teaching methods. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of different teaching methods on students' learning effects. Methods: A total of 119 participants from the graduating class of 2022 performed 4 validated classes (fundamental nursing, medical nursing, surgical nursing, and paediatric nursing) through network teaching. A total of 126 participants from the graduating class of 2021 used the traditional teaching method and were enrolled as a control group. All participants completed a questionnaire, which was designed by the school for teaching evaluation, and took a test after the courses. Results: A total of 245 nursing undergraduates were ultimately enrolled. The analysis of the academic performance and the student evaluations from the four courses showed no significant difference between the network teaching group and the traditional teaching group for nursing undergraduates (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: Through the convenience of network teaching, teachers and students can choose the time and place of both their teaching and learning independently. Moreover, such use effectively prevents the spread of the epidemic. After the epidemic concludes, the continued use of the network teaching method can help improve teaching efficiency by being combined with the traditional teaching method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one‐pot protocol for constructing 1,4‐difunctionalized quinoline/pyridine derivatives via the reaction of N‐heteroaromatics, alkyl halides, and active methylene/methyl compounds was developed. The transformation involves dearomative functionalization of an in situ‐activated N‐heteroaromatic to construct new C−N and C=C bonds. This reaction has a broad substrate scope and functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To visualize and analyze the impact of uncertainty on the geological subsurface, on the term of the geological attribute probabilities (GAP), a vector parameters-based method is presented. Perturbing local data with error distribution, a GAP isosurface suite is first obtained by the Monte Carlo simulation. Several vector parameters including normal vector, curvatures and their entropy are used to measure uncertainties of the isosurface suite. The vector parameters except curvature and curvature entropy are visualized as line features by distributing them over their respective equivalent structure surfaces or concentrating on the initial surface. The curvature and curvature entropy presented with color map to reveal the geometrical variation on the perturbed zone. The multiple-dimensional scaling (MDS) method is used to map GAP isosurfaces to a set of points in low-dimensional space to obtain the total diversity among these equivalent probability surfaces. An example of a bedrock surface structure in a metro station shows that the presented method is applicable to quantitative description and visualization of uncertainties in geological subsurface. MDS plots shows differences of total diversity caused by different error distribution parameters or different distribution types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical method for the synthesis of N‐(2‐carbonylaryl) benzenesulfonamides via an iron‐catalyzed electrophilic amination of sodium sulfinates with anthranils is described. This redox‐neutral transformation has high atom efficiency and is achieved under simple and mild reaction conditions. A wide range of anthranils and sodium sulfinates were compatible in this transformation. Moreover, the synthetic potential of this methodology was further demonstrated by the synthesis of various useful N‐heterocycles and derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the waning interest in learning languages other than English (LOTEs) worldwide, mainland China is pursuing to diversify LOTE education because of the 'Belt and Road Initiative.' In response to language policy shifts, individual stakeholders in local contexts such as universities have to take actions to initiate LOTE programs or courses. However, there is still a paucity of research through an in situ lens into meso-level language policy planning (LPP) and implementation. To address this research gap, this study aims to obtain an in-depth understanding of the agentive actions of two groups of individual stakeholders at institutional level: people with power, and people with expertise. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with seven individual actors, the findings reveal that first, although these individual actors demonstrated agency in responding to macro-level language policy changes, the agency that they actually exercised was relatively limited in terms of the diversification of LOTE education. Second, by examining contextual and personal features, we identified multiple factors that mediate individual actors' agency in implementing top-down language policy. These findings may help orient language policy makers to create supportive contexts for the exercise of individual agency at local context in LPP and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a carcinoma of the lungs with strong invasion, poor prognosis and resistant to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs. It has posed severe challenges for the effective treatment of lung cancer. Therefore, searching for genes related to the development and prognosis of SCLC and uncovering their underlying molecular mechanisms are urgent problems to be resolved. This study is aimed at exploring the potential pathogenic and prognostic crucial genes and key pathways of SCLC via bioinformatic analysis of public datasets. Firstly, 117 SCLC samples and 51 normal lung samples were collected and analyzed from three gene expression datasets. Then, 102 up-regulated and 106 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed. And then, functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyzes of DEGs was performed utilizing the FunRich. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was constructed through the STRING website, visualized by Cytoscape. Finally, the expression levels of eight hub genes were confirmed in Oncomine database and human samples from SCLC patients. It showed that CDC20, BUB1, TOP2A, RRM2, CCNA2, UBE2C, MAD2L1, and BUB1B were upregulated in SCLC tissues compared to paired adjacent non-cancerous tissues. These suggested that eight hub genes might be viewed as new biomarkers for prognosis of SCLC or to guide individualized medication for the therapy of SCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green chemistry is developing to invent new reactions that are cheaper, cleaner and use less energy. Acetalization is a common strategy for the protection of aldehydes in synthetic chemistry, yet actual protocols of acetals synthesis are limited by difficult workups, the use of high-loading catalyst, harsh reaction conditions, and catalyst tedious preparation. Alternatively, photocatalysis allows to access functional products with minimum synthetic procedures and waste generation. Here we use sodium 4-[6-(diethylamino)-3-(diethyliminio)-3H-xanthen-9-yl]benzene-1,3-disulfonate (acid red 52) as photocatalyst under yellow light irradiation. We obtained a wide array of acyclic and cyclic acetals in 75–93% yields. Results show the efficient acetalization of aldehydes with alcohols at room temperature, the use of abundant and sustainable alcohols as both the solvents and coupling agents, low catalyst loading, short reaction time, and readily available catalyst, which might be applied to green-catalyzed systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a palladium-catalyzed new hydrogenative annulation reaction of catechols and nitroarylamines, allowing straightforward access to two classes of novel quinoxaline derivatives, is reported. The reaction proceeds with operational simplicity, an easily available catalyst system, and a broad substrate scope, and without the need for pre-functionalization, which offers the potential for further design of new reductive transformations of renewable resources into value-added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative, the study reports on the ideological construction of multilingualism in higher education in mainland China. Through a new methodological approach combining intertextual discourse analysis and thematic analysis, this paper concentrates on the interplay of ideologies towards multilingualism between the macro-(national/provincial) and meso-(institutional) levels. We examine 22 political texts issued by agents of different levels, and sixteen paratexts containing language issues discussed by educational administrators and language education experts. The analysis of the texts reveals that there is a gap between the two levels in terms of the variety and connotation of terms related to foreign languages. The analysis of the paratexts identifies three categories of recurring values of languages and four categories of benefits from foreign language (education), among which the pragmatic value of foreign languages for national development is the most significant. Moreover, institutional agents mentioned the instrumental value of languages for personal development and their global cultural value. The multiple perspectives on multilingual education in the Chinese context demonstrate the complexities of the ideological construction of multilingualism in this early phase of diversifying multilingual higher education, which generate important implications for policy makers in China and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of our study was to evaluate the value of two-trait predictor of venous invasion (TTPVI) in the prediction of pathological microvascular invasion (pMVI) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from preoperative computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR). Methods: A total of 128 preoperative patients with findings of HCC were enrolled. Tumor size, tumor margins, tumor capsule, peritumoral enhancement, and TTPVI was assessed on preoperative CT and MRI images. Histopathological features were reviewed: pathological tumor size, tumor differentiation, pMVI along with alpha-fetoprotein level (AFP). Significant imaging findings and histopathological features were determined with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size (p< 0.01), AFP level (p=0.043), tumor differentiation (p< 0.01), peritumoral enhancement (p=0.003), pathological tumor size (p< 0.01), tumor margins (p< 0.01) on CT and MRI, and TTPVI (p< 0.01) showed statistically significant associations with pMVI. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, tumor size (odds ratio [OR] = 1.294; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.155, 1.451; p < 0.001), tumor differentiation (odds ratio [OR] =1.384; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.224, 1.564; p < 0.001), and TTPVI (odds ratio [OR] = 4.802; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.037, 22.233; p=0.045) were significant independent predictors of pMVI. Using 5.8 as the threshold for size, one could obtain an area-under-curve (AUC) of 0.793, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.715 to 0.857. Conclusion: Tumor size, tumor differentiation, and TTPVI depicted in preoperative CT and MRI had a statistically significant correlation with pMVI. Hence, TTPVI detected on CT and MRI may be predictive of pMVI in HCC cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of potassium ethyl xanthate (EtOCS2k) as a sulfur atom donor enabled the transition-metal-free [3 + 1 + 1] cascade annulation of isopropene derivatives with NH4I in DMSO/H2O, affording various 4-substituted isothiazoles in moderate to good yields with good functional group compatibility. Furthermore, Pd and Ag-catalyzed C5–H-selective direct oxidation dimerization of 4-substituted isothiazoles afforded 5,5′-bisisothiazoles. This series of reactions included the formation of new C–S, C–N, N–S, and C–C bonds via cascade addition, annulation, and direct C–H activation under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical method for the synthesis of 2H-imidazoles via a [2+3] annulation of N–H imines with vinyl azides using a copper catalyst is developed. In this conversion, environmentally friendly oxygen is used as the sole oxidant and N2 and H2O are the only by-products. The catalytic transformation, operating under mild conditions, is operationally simple and is considered as a readily available catalytic system having good substrate and functional compatibility with high atom-efficiency without the need for additional ligands or additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, and mulching is mostly practiced in the semi‐arid region of Northwest China. We examined the effect of different mulching practices on soil N, plant N uptake, N use efficiency and yield of wheat with similar fertilizer rate. The experiment was conducted for 5 yr with four replicates. The five practices included: Control (CK), nitrogen fertilizer and no mulching (NM), nitrogen fertilizer plus plastic film mulching (PM), nitrogen fertilizer plus ridge mulching and furrow seeding (RM+FS), and nitrogen fertilizer plus straw mulching (SM). We found that yield and biomass of winter wheat were significantly affected by different mulching practices during the five growing seasons. Compared to the NM treatment, the PM, SM, and RM+FS treatments increased grain yield by 13, 9, and 4%, respectively, and biomass by 19, 13, and 10%, respectively. Compared to the NM, the RM+FS and PM treatments tended to decrease average grain, straw, and chaff N concentration, while straw mulching tended to increase average grain, straw, and chaff N concentration. Compared to the NM treatment, all mulching treatments consistently increased NUE, and straw mulching had the most significant effect. Nitrate‐N in the NM was most likely to leach into deep layers, followed by the SM and the lowest nitrate‐N leaching risk was in the two plastic film mulching treatments. The PM could increase winter wheat yield and decrease the risk of nitrate‐N leaching. Thus, PM performed better among the mulching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides evidence for the impact of oil price shocks on economic policy uncertainty (EPU) from a multi-scale perspective using discrete wavelet transform and VAR model. Results indicate that oil price shocks impose a positive effect on EPU at an original level while effects of oil price shocks on EPU are time-varying over different time-scales. Particularly, oil price shocks lead to a positive change in the trend of EPU in the short- and long-term. Whereas, in the medium term, the negative effect of oil price shocks on EPU is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, researchers have increasingly studied the interaction between the crude oil market and economic policy uncertainty (EPU). To have a deeper knowledge, this article examines the spillover effects between them from a multiscale perspective with a wavelet-based BEKK-GARCH method. The results show that the spillover effects between the Brent crude oil market and EPU in the BRIC countries are time-varying across different wavelet scales in terms of direction and strength. The mean spillover relationship between oil prices and EPU is weak in the short term but gradually strengthened toward the long term. Moreover, there are strong volatility spillover effects between oil prices and EPU in Brazil and Russia in the short and medium term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the initial idea, writing, submitting, and reviewing to the online presentation of a research paper takes a long time. The identified intellectual structure of a research paper may have a certain time lag. In view of this problem, scholars have suggested that research grants may be an alternative way to identify intellectual structure as early as possible. However, these comments are mentioned qualitatively. Few researchers have verified the research grant by early identification of the intellectual structure of a field with a quantitative method. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method framework to confirm the lead-lag relationship quantitatively between intellectual structures identified by the research grant and the research paper. In empirical analysis, Operations Research and Management Science in China was selected as a specific research area. The results show that the intellectual structure identified by the research grant leads the intellectual structure of a research paper by approximately 1–2 years. These discoveries, to some extent, confirm the early identification of intellectual structure based on the research grant. In addition, the results also indicate that there is high similarity between intellectual structure identified by the research grant and that in the research paper in the previous year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language teachers' motivation and self is essential to their long-term commitment and professional development. Drawing on Language Teacher Self theory, the study reports on the professional experiences of seven teachers teaching languages other than English (LOTEs) in a Chinese university with shifting teacher appraisal policy. The findings revealed that majority of the participants were motivated to join the profession to pursue an academic career. They primarily built their teacher ought-to self on students' expectations and were able to reduce the self-discrepancy through self-regulatory efforts. Comparatively, they had more challenges to realise their researcher ought-to self derived from the research policy that privileges English publications. In response, they made strategic efforts to connect with English research through cross-linguistic collaboration and learn to write English by positioning themselves as international scholars. The findings highlight the motivating impact of ought-to self on language teachers' professional development. Implications are discussed on how to facilitate the professional development of LOTEs teachers in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jufeng grape is one of the fresh grape varieties in Nanyang. Because of the problems of management technology and nutrition supply etc., there is a big difference in the quality of grape fruit with the similar products abroad, such as soft fruit, serious physiological diseases and insufficient storage resistance, and so on. This paper studied the effects of different concentration calcium fertilizer on Jufeng grape yield and quality after spraying calcium fertilizer at leaf and cluster in grape fruit expansion and mature period. The results showed that: Except the titrate acid content, the grape yield and quality increased significantly after applying calcium fertilizer. Under the treatment of dilution 3 000 times, the effects was significant, the fruit calcium content, anthocyanin content, Vc content, soluble solids content, single cluster weigh, cluster number and yield were higher 29.1%, 20.9%, 40.2%, 1.2%, 5.0%, 23.6%, 25.6% than that of control treatment, respectively. The cracking rate was lower 25.9% than that of control treatment. The results indicated that reasonably fertilizing calcium fertilizer could increase grape yield and improve grape fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategy of producing rapid initial growth and establishing early in the growing season is important, and it is employed by invasive macrophytes. Elodea nuttallii and Egeria densa , two Hydrocharitaceae species, became weeds after invading many countries in recent years. Comparative studies on their invasive traits in relation to native species during winter and spring are limited. In the present study, we compared the growth performance of these two exotic species with a perennial native species, Potamogeton maackianus , in different water depths (1, 2, and 3 m) during winter (January and February) and spring (March and April). Three morphological traits (shoot number, root number and shoot length), total biomass, relative growth rate (RGR) and two physiological photosynthetic traits (total chlorophyll content and the maximum quantum yield of PSII [ F v/ F m]) were measured for each macrophyte. All three species could overwinter as entirely leafy plants. Biomass, RGR, morphological traits and physiological traits were all different among species. However, water depths had a significant effect only on morphological traits. At all water depths, E. nuttallii had significantly higher values for morphological traits, total biomass and RGR than P. maackianus , while E. densa had significantly fewer roots and a lower total chlorophyll content than P. maackianus. Except for F v/ F m at a 3 m water depth, morphological and physiological photosynthetic traits, biomass and RGR of E. nuttallii were significantly higher than those of E. densa. In addition, a large number of adventitious roots developed from E. nuttallii but not from the other two species. These results indicate that the advantages of E. nuttallii to grow in winter and spring may make it more prone to expansion than E. densa in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-hydrogenation of alkynes is one of the most widely used methods for obtaining alkenes in laboratory preparation and in industry. Transition metal catalysts have been extensively studied for this transformation, but the tolerance of functional groups, such as pyridine, –OH, –NH2, –Bpin, and halides, and the toxicity of the trace amount of transition metal catalysts are still highly challenging. In this study, we report a general and robust strategy to achieve the semi-hydrogenation of alkynes using inexpensive and commercially available xanthate as the mediator. Mechanism studies support a non-radical process and H2O acts as the hydrogen donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By ruthenium/acid dual catalysis, we present, for the first time, a transfer hydrogenative para-selective aminoalkylation of aniline derivatives with N-heteroarenes. Position-2 of the sterically less-hindered pyridine ring of the N-heteroarenes couples with various aniline derivatives at the site para to the amino group, affording a wide array of structurally modified anilines, a class of highly valuable compounds with the potential for discovery and further creation of functional molecules. The developed chemistry features operational simplicity, a readily available catalyst system, excellent functional group tolerance, and exclusive regioselectivity, which offers a significant basis to access novel aniline derivatives that are currently inaccessible or challenging to prepare with conventional approaches, and design new coupling reactions via a hydrogen transfer strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lab-made negatively charged ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were used for simultaneous removal of humic acid (HA) and heavy metals from water. Effects of the HA/metal ratio, solution pH and ionic strength on rejection coefficients of HA and metals were investigated. The results showed that the rejection coefficients of both HA and metals increase with the increase of pH and the HA/metal ratio, and the decrease of ionic strength. This study indicated that charged UF could be an effective method for the simultaneous removal of HA and heavy metal harnessing the principle of complexation UF and electrostatic repulsion between the membrane and the HA–M complex of the same charges. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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