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This study was designed to evaluate the impact of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) history on prognosis in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) receiving intravesical chemotherapy. We conducted a single center, retrospective, cohort study of 444 NMIBC patients who received intravesical chemotherapy after transurethral resection of the bladder cancer (TURBT) at Peking University People's Hospital from 2000 to 2015. Patients were divided into UTUC-NMIBC group (with UTUC history) and primary NMIBC group (without UTUC history) by presence of previous UTUC. Demographic, clinical and pathologic factors were analyzed. Kaplan–Meier curves and the log-rank test were used to depict and compare recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the two groups. Multivariable Cox regression models were constructed to determine the variables associated with RFS and PFS. Compared to the primary NMIBC group (n = 410), the UTUC-NMIBC group (n = 34) had an older median age [72.0 (65.0–81.0) vs. 66.0 (58–75) years; P = 0.007], a higher incidence of multiple tumors (52.9% vs. 33.9%; P = 0.026) and a higher recurrence rate (52.9% vs. 30.7%; P = 0.008) and worse RFS (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, UTUC history was an independent risk factor for recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.242; P = 0.001), but not for progression. Interestingly, subgroup analysis indicated patients with recent UTUC history (≤ 24 months between UTUC and NMIBC diagnoses) were associated with increased recurrence rates (73.7% vs. 26.7%; P = 0.014). Presence of UTUC history was an independent risk factor for recurrence in patients with NMIBC who received intravesical chemotherapy, especially in those with a shorter interval between UTUC and NMIBC diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, Taiwan launched a dedicated long-term care plan for Indigenous peoples, enhancing tribal cultural health stations. By 2018, the Indigenous Council introduced a cultural safety mentoring program for caregivers, aiming to improve their cultural sensitivity in providing elder care. This article reviews practical experiences documented in the Indigenous culture care curriculum, examining examples of culturally sensitive care and proposing an elder care model suitable for Indigenous communities based on the findings. The development of social safety policies for Indigenous peoples underscores the critical role of cultural health stations in their welfare. Insights from these stations highlight their adaptation to meet local elders' needs while respecting diverse tribal cultures. Challenges include aligning with policies, training caregivers effectively and ensuring operational efficiency. Addressing these issues requires stable caregiver salaries, proficiency in ethnic languages, and training programs to enhance professionalism and preserve elders' traditional knowledge. Integrating this wisdom into future policies, along with collaboration with cultural experts, will build a robust foundation for future generations. We evaluated the pivotal role of Cultural Health Stations in advancing social development and health care within Indigenous communities. Data analysis clearly shows that the stations employ a diverse range of cultural care models tailored to the specific needs of local elders across various rural tribal and urban contexts. The culturally safe practices from the services demonstrated by the cultural health stations preserve cultural heritage, bridge the gap between tribal and urban life, and restore pride and continuity of cultural traditions. This article belongs to the collection: Models of Community Health in Action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of systemic cancer therapy. During disinhibiting the antitumor responses of immune system, ICIs may also cause unique immune-related adverse events (irAEs) which could affect any organ. Here, we report a rare case of sintilimab-induced ureteritis/cystitis in a 55-year-old male undergoing neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy for gastric cancer. The patient presented with severe renal colic, hematuria, and hydronephrosis. Antibiotic antispasmodic and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment failed to alleviate symptoms. The application of corticosteroid was negated for recent extirpative surgery under plan. Bilateral ureteral stenting effectively resolved the pain and improved renal function. The patient later successfully underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy with significant tumor regression in postoperative pathology. This case highlights ureteral stenting as a potential corticosteroid-free treatment option for ICI-induced ureteritis/cystitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education emphasizes experiential learning and laboratory experience, an approach which has faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The inability to conduct hands-on laboratory experiments in engineering courses can significantly impede the student's learning experience, as well as their acquisition and retention of knowledge. Hence, it is imperative that practical hands-on laboratory experiments be incorporated as a critical component of distance learning tools. While researchers have proposed multiple methods, the provision of practical hands-on laboratory experience without limitations of time or place remains a challenging issue. This study aimed to address this issue by developing an Intelligent Learning Management System (ILMS), the ILMS-d, to construct a hands-on distance laboratory for engineering courses. We investigated the effect of implementing the ILMS-d in IoT courses on students' learning achievement and engineering problem-solving skills, and we assessed their acceptance of the proposed system. We found a significant positive effect on the learning achievement and engineering problem-solving skills of high, medium, and low achievers. In addition, students at all achievement levels responded positively to the usefulness and ease of use of the ILMS-d. Future research should incorporate different AI functions into the ILMS-d to construct more adaptive hands-on distance laboratories for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the performance evaluation of the structural and electrical characterization with various gas concentrations of bilayer oxide gate dielectric ZrO2 and Ho2O3 thin films on a 4H–SiC substrate. The structural characterization of XRD, FTIR, and XPS indicated the formation of Zr–O, Ho–O, Zr–O–Si, and Ho–O–Si bonds. The cross sections of oxide layers were examined through a high-resolution transmission electron microscope with a physical thickness of 4.77 to 5.53 nm. The absence of interfacial layers has been reasoned due to nitrogen atoms affect causing blockage of charge movement and oxygen diffusion between oxide layers and 4H–SiC substrate. It was observed that the ZrO2/Ho2O3/SiC sample underwent oxidation with a gas concentration ratio of 90% O2:10% N2 has the highest energy band alignment of conduction band offset Δ E v ~ 3.18 eV and valence band offset Δ E c ~ 5.38 eV with highest electrical hard breakdown field of 9.7 MVcm−1. The effective dielectric constant ( k eff ) ~ 33.54, effective oxide charge ( Q eff ), average interface trap density ( D it ), and slow-trap density have been obtained from the derivation of capacitance–voltage plot. The analysis supports the conclusion that the bilayer thin film oxidized with a gas concentration ratio of 90% O2:10% N2 produced the optimal electrical performance. This may serve as a high-k gate dielectric application in metal–oxide–semiconductor-based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney stones and infections significantly affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL); however, the relationship between urinary tract infections (UTIs) and HRQOL in patients with kidney stones remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship using the validated Chinese version of the Wisconsin Stone Quality of Life questionnaire (C-WISQOL). We prospectively recruited 307 patients with kidney stones to complete the C-WISQOL before and after stone removal. The participants were diagnosed with UTI based on the presence of pyuria or bacteriuria with or without clinical symptoms. The psychometric properties of the C-WISQOL were statistically analyzed. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict the risk factors for impaired HRQOL in patients with stones and UTIs. The questionnaire is a reliable and robust tool for evaluating HRQOL in Chinese-speaking patients with urolithiasis. The UTI and kidney stone co-occurrence was significantly associated with female sex, diabetes mellitus, more previous stone events, higher antibiotic usage, positive stone- or UTI-related symptoms, and postoperative residual stones. The preoperative C-WISQOL scores and improvement in the HRQOL after stone removal in patients clinically diagnosed with UTI were significantly inferior to those in patients without UTI. The regression analyses showed that worse HRQOL was predicted by more previous stone events and positive stone- or UTI-related symptoms. In contrast, the presence of diabetes mellitus and postoperative residual stone fragments predicted a lower improvement in the HRQOL. These findings underscore UTI's harmful impact on perioperative HRQOL in patients with kidney stones and could help strategies benefit those patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UC San Diego large high‐performance outdoor shake table (LHPOST), which was commissioned on October 1, 2004 as a shared‐use experimental facility of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) program, was upgraded from its original one degree‐of‐freedom (LHPOST) to a six‐degree‐of‐freedom configuration (LHPOST6) between October 2019 and April 2022. A mechanics‐based numerical model of the LHPOST6 able to capture the dynamics of the upgraded 6‐DOF shake table system under bare table condition is presented in this paper. The model includes: (i) a rigid body kinematic model that relates the platen motion to the motions of the components attached to the platen, (ii) a hydraulic dynamic model that calculates the hydraulic actuator forces based on all fourth‐stage servovalve spool positions, (iii) a hold‐down strut model that determines the pull‐down forces produced by the three hold‐down struts, (iv) Bouc‐Wen models utilized to represent the dissipative forces in the shake table system, and (v) a rigid body dynamic model borrowed from robotic analysis governing the translational and rotational motions of the platen subjected to the forces from the various components attached to the platen. Extensive validation against experimental data shows excellent agreement for tri‐axial and six‐axial earthquake shake table tests. This validated model can be coupled with finite element models of test specimens to study the interaction between the shake table system and the specimens, and it offers potential for enhancing motion tracking performance through off‐line controller tuning or advanced control algorithm development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrodeposition of abundant metals to fabricate efficient and durable electrodes indicate a viable role in advancing renewable electrochemical energy tools. Herein, we deposit Co9S8‐Ag‐Ni3S2@NF on nickel foam (NF) to produce Co9S8‐Ag‐Ni3S2@NF as a exceedingly proficient electrode for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The electrochemical investigation verifies that the Co9S8‐Ag‐Ni3S2@NF electrode reveals better electrocatalytic activity to OER because of its nanoflowers′ open‐pore morphology, reduced overpotential (η10=125 mV), smaller charge transfer resistance, long‐term stability, and a synergistic effect between various components, which allows the reactants to be more easily absorbed and subsequently converted into gaseous products during the water electrolysis route. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation as well reveals the introduction of Ag (222) surface into the Co9S8 (440)‐Ni3S2 (120) structure increases the electronic density of states (DOS) per unit cell of a system and increases the electrocatalytic activity of OER by considerably lowering the energy barriers of its intermediates. This study provides the innovation of employing trimetallic nanomaterials immobilized on a conductive, continuous porous three‐dimensional network formed on a nickel foam (NF) substrate as a highly proficient catalyst for OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the structural, microvascular, and functional progression of normal tension glaucoma (NTG) with or without high myopia by examining longitudinal changes in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and visual field (VF) parameters. Methods: We evaluated 61 NTG eyes and classified 25 of the eyes with axial lengths (ALs) of ≥26 mm as highly myopic. We assessed the rate of change in OCTA parameters, namely radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) vessel density (VD), parafovea VD, deep parafovea VD, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness, and ganglion cell complex thickness. We evaluated the correlation of the rate of change in OCTA parameters with VF loss and AL. Results: Among the 61 NTG eyes, rates of loss of RPC VD, parafovea VD, deep parafovea VD, and RNFL thickness were significantly different from zero despite the nonsignificant rate of change in VF mean deviation (MD). Changes in these OCTA parameters did not differ significantly in highly myopic NTG eyes. The rate of change in VF MD was significantly correlated with the rate of change in parafovea VD in highly myopic and non‐highly myopic NTG eyes. In highly myopic NTG eyes, AL was negatively correlated with the rates of loss of RNFL thickness, VF MD, and VF PSD. Conclusion: NTG eyes with a relatively stable VF exhibited loss of VD and RNFL thickness. VF progression in NTG was correlated with decreasing parafovea VD, indicating a structure–function correlation. Greater AL may indicate faster VF loss and RNFL thinning in highly myopic NTG eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney stones and infections significantly affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL); however, the relationship between urinary tract infections (UTIs) and HRQOL in patients with kidney stones remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship using the validated Chinese version of the Wisconsin Stone Quality of Life questionnaire (C-WISQOL). We prospectively recruited 307 patients with kidney stones to complete the C-WISQOL before and after stone removal. The participants were diagnosed with UTI based on the presence of pyuria or bacteriuria with or without clinical symptoms. The psychometric properties of the C-WISQOL were statistically analyzed. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict the risk factors for impaired HRQOL in patients with stones and UTIs. The questionnaire is a reliable and robust tool for evaluating HRQOL in Chinese-speaking patients with urolithiasis. The UTI and kidney stone co-occurrence was significantly associated with female sex, diabetes mellitus, more previous stone events, higher antibiotic usage, positive stone- or UTI-related symptoms, and postoperative residual stones. The preoperative C-WISQOL scores and improvement in the HRQOL after stone removal in patients clinically diagnosed with UTI were significantly inferior to those in patients without UTI. The regression analyses showed that worse HRQOL was predicted by more previous stone events and positive stone- or UTI-related symptoms. In contrast, the presence of diabetes mellitus and postoperative residual stone fragments predicted a lower improvement in the HRQOL. These findings underscore UTI's harmful impact on perioperative HRQOL in patients with kidney stones and could help strategies benefit those patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic pain and heightened sensitivity to painful stimuli. This study investigated the potential of Niranthin (NR), a natural compound derived from Phyllanthus species, in a rat model of FM. We employed a multifaceted approach to comprehensively assess the potential benefits of NR as a treatment for FM, including in-vivo analysis, molecular docking studies, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Three doses of NR (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) significantly reduced mechanical allodynia induced by acidic saline injections. In an acute study, NR dosing increased the mechanical threshold in both ipsilateral and contralateral paws. In a four-day study, twice-daily NR treatment further elevated the mechanical threshold. Temporary treatment interruption led to a re-establishment of allodynia, but subsequent reinitiation of NR treatment remained effective, ruling out tolerance development. MD simulations were conducted to investigate the stability and dynamics of NR-target complexes, revealing stable binding interactions and conformational changes associated with NR binding. Docking calculations indicated that the NR molecule had a similar binding affinity to the drug Amiloride towards Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). NR showed interactions with amino acid residues, including LYS 373, ARG 370, GLU 374 and GLN 277. DFT calculations provided insights into the electronic and structural properties of NR and its interactions with FM-related molecular target ASICs. We propose that NR may modulate ASICs, leading to decreased pain sensitivity in FM rats. However, further research is required to fully understand the mechanism of action and explore NRs therapeutic potential for the treatment of FM. Fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic pain and heightened pain sensitivity, was studied with Niranthin (NR), a natural compound from Phyllanthus species. Various NR doses reduced mechanical allodynia in a rat model of fibromyalgia, and NR doses improved mechanical thresholds. NR exhibited strong binding affinity to ASICs, similar to the drug Amiloride. NR interacted with specific amino acid residues, suggesting its potential role in modulating ASICs. Therapeutic Potential: NR shows promise in decreasing pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia rats, but further research is required to understand the mechanism fully and assess its therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the rapid advancement in the application of artificial intelligence learning, questions regarding the evaluation of students' learning status and how students without relevant learning foundation on this subject can be trained to familiarize themselves in the field of artificial intelligence are important research topics. This study employed the use of a self-built AI platform (Ladder) for students to systematically learn and apply AI learning model established by the partial least squares (PLS) method to investigate the influence between variables (learning attitudes, self-regulated learning, AI anxiety, individual impact, computational thinking abilities, cognitive styles). This study was particularly conducted in the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering of a top national university in Southern Taiwan. The valid data were collected from 65 students (55 male students; 10 female students). Furthermore, this study demonstrated the relationship between cognitive style, self-regulated learning and computational thinking. For the first time, it explored the impact of AI anxiety and completed existing research on it. The results of this study show that interest in learning positively affects learning attitudes. In addition, learning attitudes have a positive influence on each individual's performance. Based on multiple theories and the artificial intelligence learning platform, the model proposed in this study effectively understood students' learning status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) education is becoming an advanced learning trend in programming education. However, AI subjects can be difficult to understand because they require high programming skills and complex knowledge. This makes it challenging to determine how different departments of students are affected by them. This study draws on research in programming education and STEM education to explore the different factors that affect students in AI learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of AI learning platforms on information undergraduate and non-information undergraduate by using a research model. The course was implemented for 65 students in the information undergraduate group and 39 students in the non-information undergraduate group. The findings showed that the two groups had different learning effects under different variables. Students with different cognitive styles may use different skills to positively influence self-regulated learning. This study provides important evidence to understand the learning impact of artificial intelligence among university students from different disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Scheduling patient appointments in hospitals is complicated due to various types of patient examinations, different departments and physicians accessed, and different body parts affected. OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on the radiology scheduling problem, which involves multiple radiological technologists in multiple examination rooms, and then proposes a prototype system of computer-aided appointment scheduling based on information such as the examining radiological technologists, examination departments, the patient's body parts being examined, the patient's gender, and the patient's age. METHODS: The system incorporated a stepwise multiple regression analysis (SMRA) model to predict the number of examination images and then used the K-Means clustering with a decision tree classification model to classify the patient's examination time within an appropriate time interval. RESULTS: The constructed prototype creates a feasible patient appointment schedule by classifying patient examination times into different categories for different patients according to the four types of body parts, eight hospital departments, and 10 radiological technologists. CONCLUSION: The proposed patient appointment scheduling system can schedule appointment times for different types of patients according to the type of visit, thereby addressing the challenges associated with diversity and uncertainty in radiological examination services. It can also improve the quality of medical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although many universities have begun to provide artificial intelligence (AI)-related courses for students, the influence of the course on students' intention to participate in the development of AI-related products/services needs to be verified. In order to explore the factors that influence students' participation in AI services and system development, this study uses self-efficacy, AI literacy, and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to investigate students' intention to engage in AI software development. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire was distributed online to collect university students' responses in central Taiwan. The research model and eleven hypotheses are tested using 151 responses. The testing process adopted SmartPLS 3.3 and SPSS 26 software. Findings: AI programming self-efficacy, AI literacy, and course satisfaction directly affected the intention to participate in AI software development. Moreover, course playfulness significantly affected course satisfaction and AI literacy. However, course usefulness positively affected course satisfaction but did not significantly affect AI literacy and AI programming self-efficacy. Originality/value: The model improves our comprehension of the influence of AI literacy and AI programming self-efficacy on the intention. Moreover, the effects of AI course usefulness and playfulness on literacy and self-efficacy were verified. The findings and insights can help design the AI-related course and encourage university students to participate in AI software development. The study concludes with suggestions for course design for AI course instructors or related educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards renewable energy sources necessitates efficient energy storage systems to meet growing demands. Electrochemical capacitors, particularly electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), show promising performance due to their superior properties. However, the presence of resistance limits their performance. This study explores using an external magnetic field to mitigate ion transfer resistance and enhance capacitance in magnetite-reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO) nanocomposites. M-rGO nanocomposites with varying weight ratios of magnetite were synthesized and comprehensively characterized. Characterization highlighted the difference in certain parameters such as C/O ratio, the Id/Ig ratio, surface area and particle size that contribute towards alteration of M-rGO's capacitive behaviour. Electrochemical studies demonstrated that applying a magnetic field increased specific capacitance by approximately 20% and reduced resistance by 33%. Notably, a maximum specific capacitance of 16.36 F/g (at a scan rate of 0.1 V/s) and 27.24 F/g (at a current density of 0.25 A/g) was achieved. These improvements were attributed to enhanced ion transportation and migration at the electrode/electrolyte interface, lowering overall resistance. However, it was also observed that the aforementioned parameters can also limit the M-rGO's performance, resulting in saturated capacitive state despite a reduced resistance. The integration of magnetic fields enhances energy storage in nanocomposite systems, necessitating further investigation into underlying mechanisms and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional environment exploration algorithms, two problems are still waiting to be solved. One is that as the exploration time increases, the robot will repeatedly explore the areas that have been explored. The other is that in order to explore the environment more accurately, the robot will cause slight collisions during the exploration process. In order to solve the two problems, a DQN-based exploration model is proposed, which enables the robot to quickly find the unexplored area in an unknown environment, and designs a DQN-based navigation model to solve the local minima problem generated by the robot during the exploration. Through the switching mechanism of exploration model and navigation model, the robot can quickly complete the exploration task through selecting the modes according to the environment exploration situation. In the experiment results, the difference between the proposed unknown environment exploration method and the previous known-environment exploration methods research is less than 5% under the same exploration time. And in the proposed method, the robot can achieve zero collision and almost zero repeated exploration of the area when it has been trained for 30w rounds. Therefore, it can be seen that the proposed method is more practical than the previous methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of polymer composite can be enhanced by altering the structure of the functionalised material with surface modifiers, such as silane coupling agents, organic modifiers, surfactants and others. Surfactant has emerged as a potential modifier since it is eco‐friendly and simple. In this study, the surface of functionalised silica (SiO2) was modified using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in a polyacrylamide (PAM) composite. Characterisation of the drilling fluid was examined through Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, surface tension, contact angle and rheological tests. According to the results, FTIR proved that the modification of PAM was successful. However, all modified PAM showed more hydrophilic properties with low surface tension than bare PAM. The rheological properties of all the modified PAM were varied over all the concentrations of SDS. Meanwhile, the rheological properties of the modified PAM were better than that of bare PAM. Due to the synergistic effect between the surfactant and functionalised material involved, the drilling fluid achieved low plastic viscosity in modified PAM. With a flat gel strength and better rheological properties, 0.2 wt% SDS in modified PAM is a great and promising formula in this study. In the future, further investigation can be conducted on bored pile drilling using this formulation. Highlights: Role of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in silica (SiO2)/polyacrylamide (PAM) composite.Synthesis of bare PAM and modified PAM doped with various concentrations of SDS.Effect of SDS on the surface properties of SiO2/PAM composite.Effect of SDS on the rheological behaviour of SiO2/PAM composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncology research progresses, yet cancer remains the largest medical need. The use of a medication with an accessible lead molecule shows great potential for long-term cancer therapy. It may help target cancer therapy and drug resistance. This work uses FDA-approved, clinically proven compounds to build novel cancer therapeutic ligands to prevent treatment resistance. Based on the reported findings, an in-silico docking experiment was performed using FDA-licensed fungus medication posaconazole. The ALK TK pdb:4cmu ligand and posaconazole docked similarly in the research. Posaconazole's in silico docking findings were then tested against A549 lung cancer cells. Posaconazole, the lead, underwent an ADME investigation. Given in silico and experimental confirmation, acetyl, benzyl, and benzoyl derivatives of the lead molecule posaconazole was synthesized. IR, mass, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis were performed on the synthesized compounds. Next, the three variants were evaluated against A549 lung cancer cells. They were then examined by utilizing computational approaches such as molecular docking, DFT analysis, MD simulation, and MMGBSA analysis. The ADME studies were conducted on posaconazole and its derivatives based on the in-vitro cell line investigation. Based on the results of an ADME study, two new ALK TK inhibitors that don't work as Pgp substrates are good lead candidates. Thus, the present investigation fruitfully reported two lead drug candidates against the issue of resistance in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the primary treatment strategy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). However, the intravesical recurrence occurs in 20–50% of all patients. The specific effect of subsequent bladder cancer (SBCa) on survival remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of SBCa following RNU in patients with UTUC. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were exhaustively searched for studies comparing oncological outcomes between SBCa and without SBCa. Standard cumulative analyses using hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were performed using Review Manager (version 5.3). Results: Five studies involving 2057 patients were selected according to the predefined eligibility criteria. Meta-analysis of cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) revealed no significant differences between the SBCa and non-SBCa groups. However, subgroup analysis of pT0-3N0M0 patients suggested that people with SBCa had worse CSS (HR = 5.13, 95%CI 2.39–10.98, p < 0.0001) and OS (HR = 4.00, 95%CI 2.19–7.31, p < 0.00001). Conclusions: SBCa appears to be associated with worse OS in patients with early stage UTUC. However, caution must be taken before recommendations are made because this interpretation is based on very few clinical studies and a small sample size. Research sharing more detailed surgical site descriptions, as well as enhanced outcome data collection and improved reporting, is required to further investigate these nuances. Highlights: RNU is the standard treatment for UTUC. SBCa after RNU is common. In patients with UTUC, SBCa has no significant effect on prognosis. In patients with early stage UTUC, SBCa suggests a worse prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ohwia caudata (Thunb.) H. Ohashi (Leguminosae) also called as "Evergreen shrub" and Artemisia argyi H.Lév. and Vaniot (Compositae) also named as "Chinese mugwort" those two‐leaf extracts frequently used as herbal medicine, especially in south east Asia and eastern Asia. Anthracyclines such as doxorubicin (DOX) are commonly used as effective chemotherapeutic drugs in anticancer therapy around the world. However, chemotherapy‐induced cardiotoxicity, dilated cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure are seen in patients who receive DOX therapy, with the mechanisms underlying DOX‐induced cardiac toxicity remaining unclear. Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and cardiomyocytes have been shown to play crucial roles in DOX‐induced cardiotoxicity. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL, 10 mg/kg) is a bioactive flavonoid compound with protective effects against inflammation, neurodegeneration, cancer, and diabetes. Here, in this study, our aim is to find out the Artemisia argyi (AA) and Ohwia caudata (OC) leaf extract combination with Isoliquiritigenin in potentiating and complementing effect against chemo drug side effect to ameliorate cardiac damage and improve the cardiac function. In this study, we showed that a combination of low (AA 300 mg/kg; OC 100 mg/kg) and high‐dose(AA 600 mg/kg; OC 300 mg/kg) AA and OC water extract with ISL activated the cell survival‐related AKT/PI3K signaling pathway in DOX‐treated cardiac tissue leading to the upregulation of the antioxidant markers SOD, HO‐1, and Keap‐1 and regulated mitochondrial dysfunction through the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Moreover, the water extract of AA and OC with ISL inhibited the inflammatory response genes IL‐6 and IL‐1β, possibly through the NFκB/AKT/PI3K/p38α/NRLP3 signaling pathways. The water extract of AA and OC with ISL could be a potential herbal drug treatment for cardiac hypertrophy, inflammatory disease, and apoptosis, which can lead to sudden heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive genetic and biochemical characterization, the molecular genetic basis underlying the biosynthesis of β-diketones remains largely unexplored. β-Diketones and their complexes find broad applications as biologically active compounds. In this study, in silico molecular docking results revealed that two β-diketone derivatives, namely 2-(2-(4-fluorophenyl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione and 5,5-dimethyl-2-(2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)hydrazono)cyclohexane-1,3-dione, exhibit anti-COX-2 activities. However, recent docking results indicated that the relative anti-COX-2 activity of these two studied β-diketones was influenced by the employed docking programs. For improved design of COX-2 inhibitors from β-diketones, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, Hirshfeld surface analysis, energy framework, and ADMET studies. The goal was to understand the interaction mechanisms and evaluate the inhibitory characteristics. The results indicate that 5,5-dimethyl-2-(2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)hydrazono)cyclohexane-1,3-dione shows greater anti-COX-2 activity compared to 2-(2-(4-fluorophenyl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The program FlϵX (flexural ϵ for xtals) has been developed for a quick, easy and accurate evaluation of the maximum deformation reached in flexible crystals from a simple optical microscope picture. The program takes advantage of computer vision libraries to find the contours of a bent crystal and fit these to semicircles. It can then calculate the theoretical maximum deformation along its long axis using equations from the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of smart city development, video surveillance serves as a critical component for maintaining public safety and operational efficiency. However, traditional surveillance systems are often constrained by a limited dynamic range, leading to the loss of essential image details. To address this limitation, this paper introduces HDRFormer, an innovative framework designed to enhance high dynamic range (HDR) image quality in edge–cloud-based video surveillance systems. Leveraging advanced deep learning algorithms and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, HDRFormer employs a unique architecture comprising a feature extraction module (FEM) and a weighted attention module (WAM). The FEM leverages a transformer-based hierarchical structure to adeptly capture multi-scale image information. In addition, the guided filters are utilized to steer the network, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the images. On the other hand, the WAM focuses on reconstructing saturated areas, improving the perceptual quality of the images, and rendering the reconstructed HDR images with naturalness and color saturation. Extensive experiments on multiple HDR image reconstruction datasets demonstrate HDRFormer's substantial improvements, achieving up to a 2.7 dB increase in the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and an enhancement of 0.09 in the structural similarity (SSIM) compared to existing methods. In addition, the framework exhibits outstanding performance in multi-scale structural similarity (MS-SSIM) and HDR visual difference predictor (HDR-VDP2.2). The proposed method not only outperforms the existing HDR reconstruction techniques but also offers better generalization capabilities, laying a robust foundation for future applications in smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of IoT devices has led to an unprecedented integration of machine learning techniques, raising concerns about data privacy. To address these concerns, federated learning has been introduced. However, practical implementations face challenges, including communication costs, data and device heterogeneity, and privacy security. This paper proposes an innovative approach within the context of federated learning, introducing a personalized joint learning algorithm for Non-IID IoT data. This algorithm incorporates multi-task learning principles and leverages neural network model characteristics. To overcome data heterogeneity, we present a novel clustering algorithm designed specifically for federated learning. Unlike conventional methods that require a predetermined number of clusters, our approach utilizes automatic clustering, eliminating the need for fixed cluster specifications. Extensive experimentation demonstrates the exceptional performance of the proposed algorithm, particularly in scenarios with specific client distributions. By significantly improving the accuracy of trained models, our approach not only addresses data heterogeneity but also strengthens privacy preservation in federated learning. In conclusion, we offer a robust solution to the practical challenges of federated learning in IoT environments. By combining personalized joint learning, automatic clustering, and neural network model characteristics, we facilitate more effective and privacy-conscious machine learning in Non-IID IoT data settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is a serious illness transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, which is caused by a type of parasite called plasmodium and can be fatal if left untreated. Thus, newer antimalarials with unique mode of actions are encouraged. Fused pyridines have been vastly reported for numerous pharmacological activities including but not limited to analgesics, antitubercular, antifungal, antibacterial and antiapoptotic agents. In a current study, a series of substituted Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-carboxamides (IMPCs) (SM-IMP-01-13) along with some hydrazides (DA-01-DA-02) were synthesized and characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H-/ 1 3 C-NMR (proton/carbon nuclear magnetic resonance), elemental analyses and mass spectra. These synthesized analogies were subjected for in vitro biological activities such as Brine Shrimp lethality (BSL), and assay of β -hematin formation inhibitions. The BSL assay results suggested that compounds, SM-IMP-09, SM-IMP-05 were found to be less toxic and they also had comparable toxicity as of 5-Flurouracil (control) ((e.g., at 10 μ g/ml: 20% deaths of nauplii). Derivatives SM-IMP-02, and DA-05 inhibited β -hematin formation: IC 5 0 : 1.849 and 0.042 μ M, respectively). Our molecular docking analysis on plasmodial cysteine protease falcipain-2 indicated that compound DA-05 (–9.993 kcal/mol) had highest docking score and it was comparable to standard Chloroquine (–7.673 kcal/mol). The most active molecule, DA-05 was also retained with lower HOMO–LUMO energy gap as 3.36 eV. Further, we have also analyzed MEP, and other global reactivity indexes for all IMPCs using DFT. Finally, our in-silico pharmacokinetic analysis suggested that all compounds were having good% human oral absorption values (≈ 100%), good Caco-2 cell permeabilities (>1600 nm/s), and non- carcinogenic profiles. Substituted Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-carboxamides (IMPCs) and hydrazides were synthesized and characterized for their potential as antimalarial agents. The compounds exhibited promising results in in-vitro assays, with SM-IMP-09 and SM-IMP-05 showing low toxicity and SM-IMP-02 and DA-05 displaying significant inhibition of β-hematin formation. Molecular docking analysis revealed that compound DA-05 had a high docking score comparable to Chloroquine against plasmodial cysteine protease falcipain-2, and in-silico pharmacokinetic analysis indicated favorable properties such as good oral absorption, high cell permeabilities, and non-carcinogenic profiles for all compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Acetyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-thioxo-1,2-dihydropyridine-3-carbonitrile has been successfully prepared by the condensation between the acetylacetone and 2-cyano-3-(4'-methoxyphenyl)thio acrylamide and used to search for a potential drug that could be used to treat COVID-19. The structure was characterized and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis, and the crystal packing stability was also performed by the Hirshfeld surface analysis. The chemical reactivity and other properties of the title compound were determined using the density functional theory (DFT) computation and the NBO analysis. Also, the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface was investigated. The CN group was the most nucleophilic site in the entire molecule based on the results. The title compound's in-silico molecular docking revealed a strong binding potential. Eventually, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation studies are conducted to examine the stability of the molecule inside the receptor cavity. The findings of the in-silico analysis manifested affirmative evidence for the title molecule with good binding, as a potent inhibitor for the main protease of SARS-Cov-2. Hence, it holds the striking potential to serve as a prospective lead compound for designing efficacious drugs against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylamide (PAM) has become a potential additive in drilling, but it has limitations in terms of viscosity, fluid loss, and bored pile stability concerns. Previous rheological studies have reported silica (SiO2) usage in PAM modification. However, there is insufficient rheological information such as plastic viscosity, apparent viscosity, yield point, and gel strength. Herein, this research investigates the effects of SiO2 in PAM with comprehensive rheological data. The morphological properties of SiO2 were analyzed. Compared with bare PAM, modified PAM demonstrated distinct chemical structures, but both were hydrophilic fluids. Moreover, an undulated trend was observed in the rheological results of all modified PAM for all concentrations of SiO2 and all the selected temperatures. However, all modified PAM showed better rheological performance than bare PAM. Consequently, 0.5 wt% SiO2 is a promising formulation for PAM modification, which can even be simulated in the performance of the bored pile drilling. For thermal stability, the rheological performance of bare PAM and modified PAM performed better at 60 and 40°C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution due to industrialization can threaten the surrounding environment and living organisms. Phytoremediation is a green technique that uses hyperaccumulator plants to eliminate or decrease heavy metals in polluted water bodies. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in morphology of Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce) and Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) before and after phytoremediation of zinc (Zn) by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The SEM images showed the formation of small granular aggregates on the surfaces of the leaf and root. EDX results confirmed the uptake of Zn metal, especially in the plant roots. The FTIR spectra showed the Zn metal binding with several characteristic functional groups (O-H, C-H and C=O bonds). Different parameters were also studied to optimize the Zn uptake rate. Water lettuce achieved 80.1% phytoremediation of Zn after 5 days at optimum conditions (10 ppm of Zn, 6 ppm of sodium chloride and natural solution pH). Meanwhile, water hyacinth reached up to 88% when increasing the sodium chloride up to 9 ppm. In conclusion, Zn phytoremediation using both plants can be a potential remediation method for improving the quality of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a polymer dielectric material is always a demand in the polymer industry especially in the electronic industry for the application of microelectronic device designing. In this paper, hydrophobic nylon6-phenol resin derivative polymer blends was prepared by Mannich reaction to evaluate their dielectric property. The obtained product was characterized by FTIR, XRD, TGA and were screened for the hydrophobic, mechanical, dielectric properties. FTIR spectra confirm the hydrogen bonding interaction in the polymer blends. The decomposition temperature of above 400 °C for the prepared polymer blends shows good thermal stability. The water contact angle study shows an increased hydrophobic (i.e., near hydrophobic) nature of the polymer blends compared to nylon 6 and it was also confirmed by the theoretical study. The compressive stress and strain study shows the polymer blends have a good mechanical properties with the decreased brittle nature of phenol resin. The frequency depended on the dielectric property and was taken at room temperature in 1 MHz frequency showing high dielectric constant and loss. Thus, this thermally stable, hydrophobic, dielectric polymer could be used as a potential material for application of microelectronic device designing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past several years, creativity has been recognized as an important skill for success in STEM education, engineering design and computational thinking. There is limited research on how to apply Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate (CDIO) engineering design in STEM courses and how it affects students' creativity. This study strategically integrated computational thinking (CT), STEM, and CDIO engineering design, based on Action-Process-Object-Schema (APOS) theory, into a course. This study has adopted a framework to design creative learning materials and examined how this framework impacts students' creativity. This study used a pretest–posttest nonequivalent-groups design. The study investigated a STEM course which had 40 participants (n = 40, male = 11, female = 29) for 12 weeks. 6 weeks were spent using traditional teaching and 6 weeks integrating a CDIO framework into computational thinking. All the students in the course were college students with teacher college backgrounds. To examine the impact of our course, we used a questionnaire to examine the students' creativity before and after the STEM course was applied. Our results show that our course had a significantly impact on our students' creativity, particularly in the case of the male students. This finding is consistent with the findings of other research studies. This study also offers some suggestions for teachers who wish to improve their learning materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, flipping classrooms has become a popular topic of discussion. However, few previous studies have focused on the effect of the flow experience on programming self-efficacy. To address this gap, the present researchers developed a model that included six research hypotheses. The study applied a flipped classroom model to a programming course in order to examine the relationship between self-efficacy, flow experience, and learning performance in a flipped programming course. The research model was empirically examined using a survey to collect data from 46 college students in Taiwan. Programming courses were conducted for 180 minutes once a week, with six weeks of total teaching time. The findings of this study indicate that there is a positive relationship between programming self-efficacy and enjoyment, engagement, and flow control. The study also revealed that certain important implications and factors to improve the design and delivery of such courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In industry, robots are widely used to solve repetitive or dangerous actions in product production, so that product production can be more efficient. However, the problem that robots are often challenged is the convenience and the efficiency of introducing the production line. Therefore, the intuitive robot guidance method is an important issue; this paper will introduce the concept of human–robot interactions (HRI) and use deep learning methods on the machine vision system to complete the robot-guided assembly operation analysis, and the assembly operation analysis requires semantic segmentation as pre-processing. Therefore, we propose a novel semantic template correlation model architecture based on zero-shot learning (ZSL) to achieve the effect of rapid deployment. The semantic template correlation model is to search for the object area offline learning through the semantic template generated by the physics engine, and when inferring online, we can directly enter the semantic template to obtain the relevant object region. Finally, this paper verifies that the MIoU can be increased by more than 5% through the verification of the general database VOC2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have proven to be very effective carriers for drug delivery in various biological applications. In recent years, the development of hybrid nanostructures has made significant progress, including developing an innovative MOF-loaded nanocomposite with a highly porous structure and low toxicity that can be used to fabricate core-shell nanocomposites by combining complementary materials. This review study discusses using MOF materials in cancer treatment, imaging, and antibacterial effects, focusing on oral cancer cells. For patients with oral cancer, we offer a regular program for accurately designing and producing various anticancer and antibacterial agents to achieve maximum effectiveness and the lowest side effects. Also, we want to ensure that the anticancer agent works optimally and has as few side effects as possible before it is tested in vitro and in vivo. It is also essential that new anticancer drugs for cancer treatment are tested for efficacy and safety before they go into further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In a programming course, students often need tutors' assistance to complete learning activities, as they lack enough background knowledge to complete tasks. A further problem is that without individual tutoring, the knowledge gap between students increases. Therefore, the authors have proposed an instant response learning supplement tool (IRLST) to support students' learning, in order to facilitate students' independent problem-solving skills. Design/methodology/approach: The authors divided the students into two groups according to their learning styles: verbal and visual. The IRLST was used to collect and analyze the information on their usage and provide supplementary resources to facilitate their learning. The proposed system also analyzed the student usage, background knowledge and exam scores to assess their academic performance. Findings: According to the results of statistical analysis, students' learning performance improved significantly, especially low-scoring students. Moreover, as compiler messages were not recognized, students tended to identify the same problems. Thus, it is suggested that teachers not only should focus on improving the students' syntax but also strengthening their background knowledge and debugging skills. Research limitations/implications: There are two main limitations in this study: (1) as most of the students were in the visual learning group, the size of the groups was impacted, thus it was not possible to establish a control group; (2) one specific version of the IRLST system did not send reliable advice or supplementary content occasionally. Originality/value: The IRLST developed in this study can be used to provide immediate supplementary resources to help students overcoming programming problems and developing problem-solving skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a progressive disease caused by inexplicit mechanisms, and a novel factor, insulin-like growth factor II receptor-α (IGF-IIRα), may contribute to aggravating its pathogenesis. We hypothesized that IGF‐IIRα could intensify diabetic heart injury. Methods and results: To demonstrate the potential role of IGF-IIRα in the diabetic heart, we used (SD-TG [IGF‐IIRα]) transgenic rat model with cardiac-specific overexpression of IGF-IIRα, along with H9c2 cells, to study the effects of IGF‐IIRα in the heart under hyperglycemic conditions. IGF-IIRα was found to remodel calcium homeostasis and intracellular Ca2+ overload-induced autophagy disturbance in the heart during diabetes. IGF-IIRα overexpression induced intracellular Ca2+ alteration by downregulating phosphorylated phospholamban/sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase 2a (PLB/SERCA2a), resulting in the suppression of Ca2+ uptake into the endoplasmic reticulum. Additionally, IGF-IIRα itself contributed to Ca2+ withdrawal from the endoplasmic reticulum by increasing the expression of CaMKIIδ in the active form. Furthermore, alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis significantly dysregulated autophagy in the heart during diabetes. Conclusions: Our study reveals the novel role of IGF-IIRα in regulating cardiac intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and its related autophagy interference, which contribute to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In future, the present study findings have implications in the development of appropriate therapy to reduce diabetic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution has become a worldwide issue. Rapid industrial and agricultural practices have increased organic contaminants in water supplies. Hence, many strategies have been developed to address this concern. In order to supply clean water for various applications, high-performance treatment technology is required to effectively remove organic and inorganic contaminants. Utilizing photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs) has shown promise as a viable alternative process in the water and wastewater industry due to its efficiency, low cost, simplicity, and low environmental impact. PMRs are commonly categorized into two main categories: those with the photocatalyst suspended in solution and those with the photocatalyst immobilized in/on a membrane. Herein, the working and fouling mechanisms in PMRs membranes are investigated; the interplay of fouling and photocatalytic activity and the development of fouling prevention strategies are elucidated; and the significance of photocatalysis in membrane fouling mechanisms such as pore plugging and cake layering is thoroughly explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naphthalene is a carcinogenic compound and its environmental release poses a major risk to human and aquatic health. Therefore, the application of nanomaterial technologies for naphthalene removal from wastewater has attracted significant attention. In this research, for the first time, the performance of IRMOF-3 for naphthalene removal from aqueous media is evaluated. IRMOF-3 with a specific surface area of 718.11 m2·g−1 has the ability to absorb naphthalene from synthetic wastewater to a high extent. The structures and morphology of IRMOF-3 were determined by FT-IR, XRD, SEM and BET analyses. Thirty adsorption experiments were conducted to obtain the best conditions for naphthalene removal. An optimum naphthalene removal efficiency of 80.96% was obtained at IRMOF-3 amounts of 0.1 g·L−1, a solution concentration of 15 mg·L−1, a contact time of 60 min and a pH = 11. The results indicate that the lower the concentration of naphthalene, the higher its dispersion at the surface of the porous nanostructure. Increasing naphthalene concentration results in its accumulation on porous nanostructures that clog cavities. In addition, high contact time provides ample opportunity for naphthalene to penetrate the cavities and pores which facilitates crystallization phenomena deep in the pores. Finally, the results of this study revealed that IRMOF-3 is one of the most effective adsorbents for naphthalene removal from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a review for utilising titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes in the photocatalytic degradation of triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) in greywater is discussed. The photocatalytic degradation process is widely used to remove pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) such as TCC and TCS, which are among persistent compounds that gave negative impacts to the environment and human health within the toxicology level of the TCC and TCS are 0.05 mg/L to 2 mg/L and 0.01 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L. Both TCC and TCS are used in the manufacturing of PPCPs. The removal of PPCPs from domestic greywater through chemical and physical processes has been addressed by many researchers. Currently, the photocatalysis by using TiO2 nanotubes is becoming more common for the removal of PPCPs from wastewater. The current review aims to organise the scattered available information on the potential of photocatalytic degradation application for TCC and TCS removal. The topic discussed in the review shows that TiO2 nanotubes has high potential as the catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of TCC and TCS in greywater with the degradation rate are 33% to 99% for TCC and 1.73% to 90% for TCS. Other than that, photocatalytic degradation applied in TCC and TCS removal has led to several nonhazardous photoproducts production due to the reaction occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, governments have paid much more attention to online learning platforms. This study establishes a high-performance agricultural digital learning platform (hereafter referred to as the Platform), in an attempt to (1) achieve learning diversity, improve users' learning ability and willingness to learn, and unblocking geo-restrictions, and (2) design cloud-based e-learning materials and assess their learning effectiveness through the use of satisfaction surveys. A cloud-based high-efficiency online course platform for the agricultural community uses a real-time streaming analysis to determine the network string flow during users' video playback and enables dynamic allocation to obtain the best server effectiveness. Users can remain motivated while taking high-quality online courses. With the establishment of cloud-based course materials, and the specificity of agricultural information, we hope to improve users' learning motivation and learning effectiveness. Furthermore, this study uses satisfaction surveys and the UTAUT model to assess the research findings according to whether the users' performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions have a positive impact on the perceived satisfaction and perceived usefulness. We verified this point and inferred that digital learning can support the agricultural community significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes‐induced cardiovascular complications are mainly associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Insulin‐like growth factor II receptor α (IGF‐IIRα) is a cardiac risk factor. In this study, we hypothesized IGF‐IIRα could also deteriorate diabetic heart injury. The results presented that both in vivo transgenic Sprague–Dawley rat model with specific IGF‐IIRα overexpression in the heart and in vitro myocardium H9c2 cells were used to investigate the negative function of IGF‐IIRα in diabetic hearts. The results showed that IGF‐IIRα overexpression aided hyperglycemia in creating more myocardial injury. Pro‐inflammatory factors, such as Tumor necrosis factor‐alpha, Interleukin‐6, Cyclooxygenase‐2, Inducible nitric oxide synthase, and Nuclear factor‐kappaB inflammatory cascade, are enhanced in the diabetic myocardium with cardiac‐specific IGF‐IIRα overexpression. Correspondingly, IGF‐IIRα overexpression in the diabetic myocardium also reduced the PI3K‐AKT survival axis and activated mitochondrial‐dependent apoptosis. Finally, both ejection fraction and fractional shortening were be significantly decrease in diabetic rats with cardiac‐specific IGF‐IIRα overexpression. Overall, all results provid clear evidence that IGF‐IIRα can enhance cardiac damage and is a harmful factor to the heart under high‐blood glucose conditions. However, the pathophysiology of IGF‐IIRα under different stresses and its downstream regulation in the heart still require further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we attempted to explain why the substitution of a cyano group onto the 1‐azadiene moiety promotes N‐(2,3‐diphenylallylidene)pent‐4‐en‐1‐amine to undergo an intramolecular aza‐Diels–Alder reaction. Our M06‐2X study found that the intramolecular aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of N‐(2,3‐diphenylallylidene)pent‐4‐en‐1‐amine has an inverse electron demand. Therefore, the attachment of a cyano group to the diene moiety (1‐azadiene) makes the intramolecular aza‐Diels–Alder reaction feasible. Moreover, the intramolecular aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of N‐(2,3‐diphenylallylidene)pent‐4‐en‐1‐amine was found to be a kinetically controlled reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work aimed to investigate the degradation of the triclocarban (TCC) in aqueous solution using a modified zeolite/TiO2 composite (MZTC) synthesized by applying the electrochemical anodization (ECA). The synthesis process was conducted at different voltages (10, 40, and 60) V in 1 h and using electrophoresis deposition (EPD) in doping zeolite. The MZTC was covered with the array ordered, smooth and optimum elongated nanotubes with 5.1 μm of the length, 120.3 nm of the inner diameter 14.5 nm of the wall thickness with pure titanium and crystalline titania as determined by FESEM/EDS, and XRD. The kinetic study by following Langmuir-Hinshelwood(L-H) model and pseudo first order, the significant constant rate was obtained at pH 11 which was 0.079 ppm/min, 0.75 cm2 of MZTC catalyst loading size achieved 0.076 ppm/min and 5 ppm of TCC initial concentration reached 0.162 ppm/min. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis for mechanism study of TCC photocatalytic degradation revealed eleven intermediate products after the whole process of photocatalysis. In regard of toxicology assessment by the bacteria which is Photobacterium phosphoreum, the obtained concentration of TCC at minute 60 was less satisfied with remained 0.36 ppm of TCC was detected indicates that the concentration was above allowable level. Where the allowable level of TCC in stream is 0.1 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of porous crystalline materials composed of metal and organic material. MOFs have fascinating properties, such as fine tunability, large specific surface area, and high porosity. MOFs are widely used for environmental protection, biosensors, regenerative medicine, medical engineering, cell therapy, catalysts, and drug delivery. Recent studies have reported various significant properties of MOFs for biomedical applications, such as drug detection and delivery. In contrast, MOFs have limitations such as low stability and low specificity in binding to the target. MOF-based membranes improve the stability and specificity of conventional MOFs by increasing the surface area and developing the possibility of MOF-ligand binding, while conjugated membranes dramatically increase the area of active functional groups. This special property makes them attractive for drug and biosensor fabrication, as both the spreading and solubility components of the porosity can be changed. Asymmetric membranes are a structure with high potential in the biomedical field, due to the different characteristics on its two surfaces, the possibility of adjusting various properties such as the size of porosity, transfer rate and selectivity, and surface properties such as hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. MOF assisted asymmetric membranes can provide a platform with different properties and characteristics in the biomedical field. The latest version of MOF materials/membranes has several potential applications, especially in medical engineering, cell therapy, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine, which will be discussed in this review, along with their advantages, disadvantages, and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity is a very important concept in learning Physics. Mastering this concept can make learning Physics meaningful and relatable to real life problems. However, literature indicates that students have poor conceptual understanding of concepts about electricity. The current research aims to improve Form 5 (aged 17 years) students' understanding of direct current circuits by using Concept Cartoons Worksheets. Concept Cartoons are A single-group pre-test/post-test investigation was carried out using seven Concept Cartoons Worksheets designed to address common conceptual misconceptions about direct current circuits with a total of 30 physics student participants. The seven Concept Cartoons were modified based on the Concept Inventory Test "Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuit Concepts Test (DIRECT). Concept Cartoons Worksheets were used to correct students' misconceptions about direct current circuits and to increase their level of conceptual understanding. The data collected were analysed quantitatively to obtain percentages, means, and t-test values. The descriptive statistics showed an increase in the level of student's conceptual understanding after the use of Concept Cartoons. The t-test analysis reported that the difference was significant. The results show that Malaysian students do havemisconceptions about electricity concepts. However, Concept Cartoons Worksheets are effective to overcome students' misconceptions about electrical concepts, specifically toward current circuits. Concept Cartoons are not only effective in overcoming misconceptions among students, they are also refreshing and unique because of the cartoons presented while relating to Physics concepts that are abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]