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Perceived teacher support, the primary social support that students receive in classroom settings, is positively associated with students’ academic achievement. However, limited studies have explored whether academic enjoyment and self-concept mediated the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic achievement in the learning English as a foreign language (EFL) context in China. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chain-mediating role of academic enjoyment and self-concept in the association between perceived teacher support and EFL achievement. Survey data were gathered from a cross-sectional study of secondary EFL learners in Guangdong Province, China (N =517). Results demonstrated that perceived teacher support was positively correlated with EFL achievement. Moreover, academic self-concept and the chain mediating effects of academic enjoyment and behavioral engagement mediated the relationship between perceived teacher support and EFL achievement. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The objective of the present study was to explore the direct and indirect effects of academic boredom on foreign language (FL) proficiency in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). As a prominent negative emotion, the detrimental effect of FL boredom on FL proficiency has been verified. However, the mediating mechanism between FL boredom and FL proficiency, especially the mediating effect of cognitive strategies, needs to be further explored. We recruited 505 Chinese EFL learners (236 female, 46.73%) from one secondary school using convenience sampling to verify the mediating role of elaboration strategies between FL boredom and FL proficiency. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analysis yielded two major findings. First, FL boredom was negatively correlated with FL proficiency. Second, after controlling for gender and age, FL boredom, mediated through elaboration strategies, influenced FL proficiency. Third, elaboration strategies partially mediated the relationship between FL boredom and proficiency. Implications and limitations are discussed.

The facilitative effect of teacher support on students’ consequential learning outcomes has been validated across student populations at all levels. However, few studies have explored the mediating mechanisms between teacher support and learning engagement, especially in English as a foreign language (EFL). The present study seeks to explore whether achievement emotions mediated the relationship between teacher support and learning engagement in learning EFL. Data were collected from 527 Chinese secondary EFL learners in Grades 7 and 8 through convenience sampling. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analysis showed that perceived teacher support was significantly associated with foreign language (FL) achievement emotions. FL achievement emotions, in turn, predicted learning engagement. These findings add to the evidence base for the beneficial effect of teacher support on EFL learners’ learning engagement. Implications and directions for future studies are discussed

In addition to anxiety, academic boredom has also begun to enter the vision of educational researchers in recent years. However, studies on academic boredom in the English as a foreign language (EFL) domain could be more comprehensive, especially the mediating mechanism of academic boredom on EFL achievement needs to be further explored. The present study investigated the direct and indirect effects of academic boredom on EFL achievement in a sample of two hundred and thirty-five Chinese secondary EFL learners. SPSS Process and Mplus were utilized to analyze the data. The findings revealed that academic boredom and behavioral engagement scales were valid and reliable in measuring Chinese secondary EFL learners’ boredom and engagement in learning English. Also, mediation analysis showed that behavioral engagement partially mediated between academic boredom and EFL achievement. Implications and directions for future studies are discussed.

Dendronized polymers (DPs) consist of a linear polymeric backbone with dendritic side chains. Fine-tuning of the functional groups in the side chains enriches the structural versatility of the DPs and imparts a variety of novel physical properties. Herein, the first on-surface synthesis of DPs is achieved via the postfunctionalization of polymers on Au(111), in which the surface-confinement-induced planar conformation and chiral configurations were unambiguously characterized. While the dendronized monomer was synthesized

IntroductionTendinopathy, the most common form of chronic tendon disorder, leads to persistent tendon pain and loss of function. Profiling the heterogeneous cellular composition in the tendon microenvironment helps to elucidate rational molecular mechanisms of tendinopathy.Methods and resultsIn this study, through a multi-modal analysis, a single-cell RNA- and ATAC-seq integrated tendinopathy landscape was generated for the first time. We found that a specific cell subpopulation with low PRDX2 expression exhibited a higher level of inflammation, lower proliferation and migration ability, which not only promoted tendon injury but also led to microenvironment deterioration. Mechanistically, a motif enrichment analysis of chromatin accessibility showed that FOXO1 was an upstream regulator of PRDX2 transcription, and we confirmed that functional blockade of FOXO1 activity induced PRDX2 silencing. The TNF signaling pathway was significantly activated in the PRDX2-low group, and TNF inhibition effectively restored diseased cell degradation.DiscussionWe revealed an essential role of diseased cells in tendinopathy and proposed the FOXO1-PRDX2-TNF axis is a potential regulatory mechanism for the treatment of tendinopathy.

The control-value theory posits that negative achievement emotions would have adverse effects on the key indicators of school outcomes. Studies have confirmed the negative correlation between academic anxiety and academic achievement. However, studies on the possible mediating effects of cognitive strategies between academic anxiety and achievement are lacking. The present study explored the relationship between foreign language (FL) anxiety, elaboration strategies, and FL achievement in a sample of 501 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.67, SD = .62). Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analyses demonstrated that elaboration strategies mediated the relationship between FL anxiety and achievement after controlling for gender and age. Furthermore, mediation analyses found that FL anxiety had no direct effect on FL achievement, indicating that elaboration strategies fully mediated the relationship between FL anxiety and achievement. Implications, limitations, and directions for further studies are discussed.

Abstract Cerium has many modern applications such as in renewable energies and the biosynthesis of nanomaterials. In this research, natural struvite was solubilized by Aspergillus niger and the biomass-free struvite leachate was investigated for its ability to recover cerium. It was shown that struvite was completed solubilized following 2 weeks of fungal growth, which released inorganic phosphate (Pi) from the mineral by the production of oxalic acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that crystals with distinctive morphologies were formed in the natural struvite leachate after mixing with Ce3+. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the formation of cerium phosphate hydrate [Ce(PO4)·H2O] at lower Ce concentrations and a mixture of phosphate and cerium oxalate decahydrate [Ce2(C2O4)3·10H2O] at higher Ce concentrations. The formation of these biogenic Ce minerals leads to the removal of > 99% Ce from solution. Thermal decomposition experiments showed that the biogenic Ce phosphates could be transformed into a mixture of CePO4 and CeO2 (cerianite) after heat treatment at 1000 °C. These results provide a new perspective of the fungal biotransformation of soluble REE species using struvite leachate, and also indicate the potential of using the recovered REE as biomaterial precursors with possible applications in the biosynthesis of novel nanomaterials, elemental recycling and biorecovery. Key points • Cerium was recovered using a struvite leachate produced by A. niger. • Oxalic acid played a major role in struvite solubilization and Ce phosphate biorecovery. • Resulting nanoscale mineral products could serve as a precursor for Ce oxide synthesis.

The estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) of shale gas wells is influenced by many factors, and the accurate prediction still faces certain challenges. As an artificial intelligence algorithm, deep learning yields notable advantages in nonlinear regression. Therefore, it is feasible to predict the EUR of shale gas wells based on a deep-learning algorithm. In this paper, according to geological evaluation data, hydraulic fracturing data, production data and EUR evaluation results of 282 wells in the WY shale gas field, a deep-learning-based algorithm for EUR evaluation of shale gas wells was designed and realized. First, the existing EUR evaluation methods of shale gas wells and the deep feedforward neural network algorithm was systematically analyzed. Second, the technical process of a deep-learning-based algorithm for EUR prediction of shale gas wells was designed. Finally, by means of real data obtained from the WY shale gas field, several different cases were applied to testify the validity and accuracy of the proposed approach. The results show that the EUR prediction with high accuracy. In addition, the results are affected by the variety and number of input parameters, the network structure and hyperparameters. The proposed approach can be extended to other shale fields using the similar technic process.

Research on school Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and achievement emotions have been carried out in parallel with almost no intersection. This study aims to explore the potential synergies between these two paradigms by investigating whether school PsyCap has a predictive effect on discrete achievement emotions. Chinese secondary school students (N = 1067) took part in the study. Structural Equation Modeling analyses were conducted to examine the linkage between these two variables after controlling for demographic variables of gender and year level, and crucial antecedents of parental expectations, the teacher-student relationship, and prior academic achievement. Results indicated that individual variation in school PsyCap was the significant predictor of achievement emotions. Specifically, school PsyCap was positively correlated with positive achievement emotions such as enjoyment, hope, and pride, while it was negatively correlated with negative achievement emotions such as anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, and hopelessness. Both limitations and implications are discussed.

Drawing upon the control-value theory (CVT), various subject domains have explored the relationship and mediating mechanism between academic boredom and academic achievement. However, few studies have explored the potential mediating effect of cognitive strategies in the association between academic boredom and achievement, especially intheEnglish as a foreign language (EFL) learning context. A sample of 524 Chinese secondary EFL learners from one middle school using convenience sampling participated in the study. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses and mediation analysis indicated that organizational strategies partially mediated the link between foreign language boredom (FLB) and foreign language proficiency(FLP). This research further revealed the mediating mechanism between FLB and FLP. Implications, shortcomings, and directions for future research are discussed

Geoactive fungi play a significant role in bioweathering of rock and mineral substrates. Monazite is a phosphate mineral containing the rare earth elements (REE) cerium, lanthanum and neodymium. Little is known about geomicrobial transformations of REE-bearing minerals which are also relevant to REE biorecovery from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial reserves. The geoactive soil fungus Aspergillus niger colonized monazite in solid and liquid growth media without any apparent growth inhibition. In a glucose-minerals salts medium, monazite enhanced growth and mycelium extensively covered rock particle surfaces, probably due to the provision of phosphate and essential trace metals. Teeth-like and pagoda-like etching patterns indicated monazite dissolution, with extensive precipitation of secondary oxalate minerals. Biomechanical forces ensued causing aggressive bioweathering effects by tunnelling, penetration and splitting of the ore particles. High amounts of oxalic acid (~46 mM) and moderate amounts of citric acid (~5 mM) were produced in liquid media containing 2% (wt./vol.) monazite, and REE and phosphate were released. Correlation analysis suggested that citric acid was more effective than oxalic acid in REE mobilization, although the higher concentration of oxalic acid also implied complexant activity, as well as the prime role in REE-oxalate precipitation.

Buddhist temple education and national compulsory education coexisting in the Dai cultural region of Xishuangbanna is a specific phenomenon in China’s educational context. The balance between these two distinct education forms is conducive to the further development of ethnic minority education in this region, so determining how to balance these two forms of education has attracted researchers’ interests. In this study, we analyzed the data collected from interviews with 29 participants based on their views and experiences of these two education forms. The results highlight the collision between these two education forms; the possible reasons for this collision are discussed in this paper. We propose that the co-flourishing of these two forms of education could reasonably promote the sustainable development of ethnic minority education in the Dai cultural region of Xishuangbanna.

CyberBioSecurity is an emerging field at the interface of life sciences and digital worlds (Murch, 2018). The solution to the global cyberbiosecurity challenge is not merely technical; society needs cyberbiosecurity professionals who engage in leadership with a boundary-crossing approach that involves collective effort. Such an approach emerges from leadership-as-practice development (LaPD), characterized by its efforts to “change patterns and thinking that could transform a culture of mediocrity to one of excellence and resilience'' (Raelin, 2020, p. 2). While LaPD has been used in some professional learning contexts and it aligns with some signature pedagogies of the professions, the opportunity remains for embedding LaPD in graduate education to meet the needs of emerging fields. The objective of this proposed project is to catalyze transformative cyberbiosecurity graduate education in a way that increases cognitive integrative capability among cyberbiosecurity scientists and professionals. As noted by Pratch (2014), “leaders who possess integrative capacity are better able to assess problems and find workable solutions than those who do not” (p. 1). In this project, we intend to embedding LaPD in online graduate and train-the-trainer modules, testing various pedagogies associated with boundary-crossing graduate education. The approach will include use of collaborative leadership learning groups (CLLGs), which are “anchored in practice, bringing together learners who can identify and work together on the challenges they face collectively” (Denyer & Turnbull James, 2016, p. 269). Our specific research questions include: What signature pedagogies best support the emerging discipline of CyberBioSecurity education? To what extent do collaborative leadership learning groups (CLLGs) increase students’ cognitive integrative capability?

Acupuncture has been used to treat numerous diseases such as obesity in China for thousands of years. Several mechanisms of acupuncture on obesity have been surveyed based on metabolomics, but the effects of acupuncture on the alterations in the gut flora are still unclear. In this study, an integrated approach based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing combined with high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) metabolic profiling was conducted to investigate the effects of acupuncture on high-fat-diet-induced obesity through the regulation of the relative abundances of gut microbiota and their relationships with biomarker candidates. A total of 10 significantly altered bacterial genera and 11 metabolites were recognized, which recovered to normal levels after electroacupuncture treatment. The relative abundances of the bacterial families Muribaculaceae,Lachnospiraceae,Desulfovibrionaceae,Helicobacteraceae, Prevotellaceae,Ruminococcaceae,Rikenellaceae,Deferribacteraceae,Bacteroidaceae andTannerellaceaewere remarkedly changed among the three groups. Potential biomarkers, including LysoPC(0:0/16:0) ([Formula: see text]1),PC(0:0/18:0) ([Formula: see text]2),Cholic acid([Formula: see text]3),LysoPC(16:0) ([Formula: see text]4), 3[Formula: see text],6[Formula: see text],7[Formula: see text]-Trihydroxy-5[Formula: see text]-cholanoic acid([Formula: see text]5), 5beta-Cyprinolsulfate([Formula: see text]6),PC(18:0/0:0) ([Formula: see text]7), 1-Nitro-5-hydroxy-6-glutathionyl-5,6-dihydronaphthalene([Formula: see text]8),Glycocholic acid([Formula: see text]9),[Formula: see text]-Arginine([Formula: see text]10) andGulonic acid([Formula: see text]11), were involved in several metabolic pathways, such as the glycerophospholipid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. Interestingly, there was a strong correlation between the perturbed gut flora in Bilophila and Bifidobacterium and the altered intestinal metabolite of 3[Formula: see text],6[Formula: see text],7[Formula: see text]-Trihydroxy-5[Formula: see text]-cholanoic acid and Cholanoic acid and [Formula: see text]-Arginine. This finding suggested that the effects of electroacupuncture might change the proportions of Bilophila and Bifidobacterium by regulating the constituents of the functional metabolite of 3[Formula: see text],6[Formula: see text],7[Formula: see text]-Trihydroxy-5[Formula: see text]-cholanoic acid and Cholanoic acid and [Formula: see text]-Arginine. These results indicated that the effects of electroacupuncture focused on custom metabolic pathways as well as depend on the changes in the gut microbiota in obesity. These findings suggest that the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and HPLC–MS-based metabolomics approach can be applied to comprehensively assess the effects of traditional Chinese medicines.

[3]Radialenes are the smallest carbocyclic structures with unusual topologies and cross-conjugated π-electronic structures. Here, we report a novel [1+1+1] cycloaddition reaction for the synthesis of aza[3]radialenes on the Ag(111) surface, where the steric hindrance of the chlorine substituents guides the selective and orientational assembling of the isocyanide precursors. By combining scanning tunneling microscopy, non-contact atomic force microscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, we determined the atomic structure of the produced aza[3]radialenes. Furthermore, two reaction pathways including synergistic and stepwise are proposed based on density functional theory calculations, which reveal the role of the chlorine substituents in the activation of the isocyano groups via electrostatic interaction.

Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common complication of cesarean section. S-ketamine given intravenously during surgery can help prevent PPD. However, whether S-ketamine in patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) can reduce the incidence of PPD is unknown. This study assessed the effect of S-ketamine as an adjuvant in PCIA for preventing PPD in women undergoing cesarean delivery. Methods A total of 375 parturients scheduled to undergo cesarean section and then receive PCIA were recruited from a single center and were randomly assigned to control (C) group (sufentanil 2 μg/kg + tropisetron 10 mg) or S-ketamine (S) group (S-ketamine 0.5 mg/kg + sufentanil 2 μg/kg + tropisetron 10 mg). The primary outcome was the incidence of PPD measured by the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) after surgery. The secondary outcomes were EPDS scores, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Ramsay sedation scale (RSS) scores, and the rate of adverse events, including headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, and vomit. Results A total of 275 puerperal women were included in the study. The rate of depression in parturient on postoperative days 3, 14, 28 in the C group and S group were 17.6 and 8.2% (p p = 0.76) respectively. EPDS scores in the C group and S group on postoperative days 3,14, and 28 were 7.65 ± 3.14 and 6.00 ± 2.47 (p p = 0.15), respectively. The rate of adverse events in the C group and S group were headache 3.3 and 4.1% (p = 0.755), nausea 5.9 and 8.2% (p = 0.481), dizziness 9.2 and 12.3% (p = 0.434), drowsiness 6.5 and 10.7%(p = 0.274), and vomit 5.9 and 5.7% (p = 0.585). Conclusions S-ketamine (0.01 mg/kg/h) as an adjuvant in PCIA significantly reduces the incidence of PPD within 14 days and relieves pain within 48 h after cesarean delivery, without increasing the rate of adverse reactions. Trial registration Registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100050263) on August 24, 2021.

Exosomes released by tumor cells have been recently identified as important determinants of tumor progression. They often carry circular RNAs that are differentially expressed in tumors and may regulate tumorigenesis and metastasis. Here, we showed that supernatant of 97H hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line could promote metastasis in L02 human liver cells and HCC cell lines. Moreover, we determined that circ_MMP2 (has_circ_0039411) could be delivered by 97H‐ or LM3 cell‐derived exosomes to L02 and HepG2 cell cultures. High expression of circ_MMP2 led to the upregulation of its host gene matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) via the sponging of miR‐136‐5p. Rescue assays demonstrated that miR‐136‐5p and MMP2 were two essential participants in HCC metastasis. Finally, high level of circ_MMP2 or MMP2, as well as low level of miR‐136‐5p, was correlated with low overall survival of HCC patients. Our study highlights a novel molecular pathway in HCC cell‐derived exosomes., 97H and LM3 cell line cocultured together had strong metastasis capacity. They released exosomes to produce circ_MMP2 to sponge miR‐136‐5p by enhancing MMP2 to accelerate the process hepatocellular cancinoma.

Monazite is a naturally occurring lanthanide (Ln) phosphate mineral [Ln x (PO4 ) y ] and is the main industrial source of the rare earth elements (REE), cerium and lanthanum. Endeavours to ensure the security of supply of elements critical to modern technologies view bioprocessing as a promising alternative or adjunct to new methods of element recovery. However, relatively little is known about microbial interactions with REE. Fungi are important geoactive agents in the terrestrial environment and well known for properties of mineral transformations, particularly phosphate solubilization. Accordingly, this research examined the capability of a ubiquitous geoactive soil fungus, Aspergillus niger, to affect the mobility of REE in monazite and identify possible mechanisms for biorecovery. It was found that A. niger could grow in the presence of monazite and mediated the formation of secondary Ce and La-containing biominerals with distinct morphologies including thin sheets, orthorhombic tablets, acicular needles, and rosette aggregates which were identified as cerium oxalate decahydrate (Ce2 (C2 O4 )3 ·10H2 O) and lanthanum oxalate decahydrate (La2 (C2 O4 )3 ·10H2 O). In order to identify a means for biorecovery of REE via oxalate precipitation the bioleaching and bioprecipitation potential of biomass-free spent culture supernatants was investigated. Although such indirect bioleaching of REE was low from the monazite with maximal lanthanide release reaching >40 mg L-1 , leached REE were efficiently precipitated as Ce and La oxalates of high purity, and did not contain Nd, Pr and Ba, present in the original monazite. Geochemical modelling of the speciation of oxalates and phosphates in the reaction system confirmed that pure Ln oxalates can be formed under a wide range of chemical conditions. These findings provide fundamental knowledge about the interactions with and biotransformation of REE present in a natural mineral resource and indicate the potential of oxalate bioprecipitation as a means for efficient biorecovery of REE from solution.

Lipid metabolic reprogramming plays an essential role in regulating the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the effect of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) metabolism on CRC development is incompletely characterized. Here, we compared the mRNA levels of human CRC tissues to those of paracarcinoma tissues and focused on the notably enriched LPA metabolic pathways. We identified and verified that 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 4 (Agpat4) was aberrantly expressed in CRC tissues and predicted poor survival in CRC patients. Manipulating Agpat4 expression in CRC cells did not affect the growth or migration of CRC cells in vitro, whereas Agpat4 silencing suppressed CRC cell growth in subcutaneous and peritoneal xenograft models. Mechanistically, Agpat4 silencing-induced LPA release from CRC cells and polarized macrophages to an M1-like phenotype through LPA receptors 1 and 3. This M1 activation, characterized by elevated p38/p65 signaling and increased proinflammatory cytokines, promoted the infiltration and activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Modulation of the Agpat4/LPA/p38/p65 axis regulated macrophage polarization, T-cell activity and CRC progression. Notably, combined therapy with LPA and regular chemotherapy drugs synergistically suppressed CRC development. Taken together, our results showed that the Agpat4/LPA axis in CRC cells regulated p38/p65 signaling-dependent macrophage polarization, T-cell activation, and CRC progression. The Agpat4/LPA/p38/p65 axis might represent a potential target for therapy in the clinic.

Treatment of tendon-to-bone interface injury has long been challenging in sports medicine. The major obstacle lies with the complicated three-layer structure of the tissue that consists of a bone region with osteocytes, a tendon region with tenocytes and a transitional region with chondrocytes. Conventional tissue engineering approaches using simply biomaterial scaffolds, stem cells and combinations of them had limited abilities to reconstruct the gradient structure with normal biomechanical properties. We herein aim to construct a three-layer structure with bone marrow-derived stem cells and tendon stem cells cultured in a decellularized tendon scaffold, through application of a gradient of biological cues in the longitudinal direction of the scaffold that guides the stem cells to differentiate and remodel the extracellular matrix in response to different medium concentrations in different regions. A microfluidic chip, on which a tree-like flow pattern was implemented, was adopted to create the concentration gradient in a dichotomous manner. We screened for an optimized seeding ratio between the two stem cell types before incubation of the scaffold in the medium concentration gradient and surgical implantation. Histology and immunohistochemistry assessments, both qualitatively and semi-quantitatively, showed that the microfluidic system provided desired guidance to the seeded stem cells that the healing at 8-week post-implantation presented a similar structure to that of a normal tendon-to-bone interface, which was outstanding compared to treatments without gradient guidance, stem cells or scaffolds where chaotic and fibrotic structures were obtained. This strategy offers a potentially translational tissue engineering approach for better outcomes in tendon-to-bone healing.

Additional file 1. Figure S1: Early OCPs were the primary cellular source of CCL7 in CRC-microenvironment. (A) Schematic of sorting dominant cellular types from bone marrow at 10 days post injection of MC-38 cells. (B) Representative image of flow cytometry strategy of isolating neutrophils and eosinophils. (C) Representative image of flow cytometry strategy of isolating T cells. (D) Representative image of flow cytometry strategy of isolating BMMSCs. (E) qRT-PCR analysis detected mRNA level of CCL7 in neutrophils, eosinophils, T cells, BMMSCs and early OCPs isolated from 10 days post injection of MC-38 compared to that in MC-38 cells. n=3, each sample was pooled from 5-8 mice. **p

Nemaline myopathy (NEM) is a congenital myopathy that typically presents with proximal muscle weakness and hypotonia. To date, 13 genes have been associated with NEM. The Kelch repeat and BTB domain-containing protein 13 (KBTBD13) gene (KBTBD13)-related NEM is a rarely reported condition, and not a single case has been reported in Asia. Here, we report the case of a mother and daughter in China with NEM caused by a mutation (c.1222C>T) in KBTBD13. Their shared clinical phenotype is symmetrical muscle weakness in the arms and legs with childhood onset. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging showed the unique replacement mode of muscle with fibro-fatty tissue. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of fibers containing rod-shaped structures in the cytoplasm or under the sarcolemma. DNA sequencing analysis detected a heterozygous mutation (c.1222C>T) in KBTBD13 in this family. A founder effect for the variant may exist in the Low Countries of Belgium and the Netherlands, and the mutation may be a hotspot mutation in Europe, as it has not been reported in Asia. Our case study expands the spectrum of KBTBD13-related NEM.

Metabolic reprogramming in tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) is associated with cancer development, however, the role of macrophage triglyceride metabolism in cancer metastasis is unclear. Here, we showed that TAMs exhibited heterogeneous expression of abhydrolase domain containing 5 (ABHD5), an activator of triglyceride hydrolysis, with migratory TAMs expressing lower levels of ABHD5 compared with the nonmigratory TAMs. ABHD5 expression in macrophages inhibited cancer cell migration in vitro in xenograft models and in genetic cancer models. The effects of macrophage ABHD5 on cancer cell migration were dissociated from its metabolic function as neither triglycerides nor ABHD5-regulated metabolites from macrophages affected cancer cell migration. Instead, ABHD5 deficiency in migrating macrophages promoted NFκB p65-dependent production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). ABHD5 expression negatively correlated with MMP expression in TAMs and was associated with better survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Taken together, our findings show that macrophage ABHD5 suppresses NFκB-dependent MMP production and cancer metastasis and may serve as a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer. Significance: These findings highlight the mechanism by which reduced expression of the metabolic enzyme ABHD5 in macrophages promotes cancer metastasis.

Based on the Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT), this study examined the interactive relation between expectancy of success and attainment value, and how they predicate students’ Foreign Language (FL) performance via behavioral engagement. Self-report data were collected from 522 Chinese non-English majors aged 18 to 22 years in their sophomore year. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that expectancy of success and attainment value interacted in predicting Chinese sophomores’ FL performance. The expectancy of success had both direct and indirect effects on FL performance when investigating the mediating role of behavioral engagement. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Marine water-lubricated polymer bearings support the propeller shaft that stretches out of the ship. The bending deformation of propeller shaft often leads to journal misalignment, significantly impacting the bearing performance. In this paper, a mixed lubrication model for water-lubricated polymer bearing is established considering the effect of journal misalignment, liner elastic deformation, and local turbulence. The influence of key structural and operating parameters on the performance of water-lubricated bearing with journal misalignment is investigated. The results show that the journal misalignment significantly reduces the load-carrying capacity, deteriorates the bearing tribological characteristics, and may cause different axial sections of the bearing to be in different lubrication regimes. Compared with aligned bearings, increasing the length–diameter ratio to improve the load-carrying capacity is significantly weakened for misaligned bearings. Increasing the liner thickness and the load improves axial uniformity of pressure distribution of misaligned bearings. A relatively large clearance ratio decreases the load-carrying capacity and increases the friction coefficient of bearings in the mixed lubrication regime.

Molecular adsorption conformations and arrangement configurations on surfaces are important structural aspects of surface stereochemistry, but their roles in steering the structures of metal-organic networks (MONs) remain vague and unexplored. In this study, we constructed MONs by the coordination self-assembly of isocyanides on Cu(111) and Ag(111) surfaces and demonstrated that the MON structures can be steered by surface stereochemistry, including the adsorption conformations of the isocyanide molecules and the arrangement configurations of the coordination nodes and subunits. The coordination self-assembly of 1,4-phenylene diisocyanobenzene afforded a honeycomb MON consisting of 3-fold (isocyano)3-Cu motifs on a Cu(111) surface. In contrast, geometrically different chevron-shaped 1,3-phenylene diisocyanobenzene (m-DICB) failed to generate a MON, which is ascribable to its standing conformation on the Cu(111) surface. However, m-DICB was adsorbed in a flat conformation on a Ag(111) surface, which has a larger lattice constant than a Cu(111) surface, and smoothly underwent coordination self-assembly to form a MON consisting of (isocyano)3-Ag motifs. Interestingly, only C3-Ag nodes with heterotactic configurations could grow into larger subunits; those subunits with heterotactic configurations further grew into Sierpinski triangle fractals (up to fourth order), while subunits with homotactic configurations afforded a triangular MON.

Motivated by the positive psychology movement in the English as Foreign Language (EFL), existing studies have demonstrated that subject-related enjoyment has a positive correlation with academic achievement. However, quite a few studieshave examined why academic enjoyment can predict positive academic achievement. This study aimed to investigate whether behavioral engagement, self-concept, and organizational strategy mediated relations between academic enjoyment and achievement in EFL setting. 528 Chinese secondary school students (Male: N = 280; Female: N = 248) participated in the survey and completed the questionnaires on EFL-related enjoyment, behavioral engagement, self-concept, organizational strategy, and academic performance. Structural equation model (SEM) analyses showed that students’ academic enjoyment positively predicted their English achievement. Academic engagement, self-concept, and organizational strategy had parallel multiple mediating effects between academic enjoyment and English achievement. Multi-group SEM analysis demonstrated that the model had invariance across genders, indicating that the model is applicable to both male and female students. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a gastrointestinal disorder associated with epigastric pain and fullness, with symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Electroacupuncture (EA) has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat FD via electrical stimulation at specific acupoints of the body and has previously been demonstrated to be effective in promoting gastric motility and attenuating the symptoms of FD. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of EA remain elusive.Results: Herein, we constructed an in vivo model of FD in rats and performed EA on FD-induced rats. Preliminary bioinformatic analysis through RNA sequencing revealed that differentially expressed microRNAs exist between non-treated and EA-treated rats subjected to EA. Among them, miR-221-3p was associated with the target gene c-kit, the expression of which is closely linked to interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) and gap junction intercellular communication, factors critically implicated in gastrointestinal motility. We further proved that miR-221-3p overexpression aggravated FD, but EA downregulated miR-221-3p to alleviate the symptoms of FD. The mechanisms of action underlying the effect of EA involve an increase in c-kit+ ICCs, upregulation of stem cell factor and connexin 43, and enhanced Raf/Erk signaling.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that EA is an effective method of managing FD by regulating miR-221-3p, the c-kit/stem cell factor axis, and Raf/Erk signaling, reinforcing the strong role of gap junction intercellular communication in gastrointestinal motility.

As technology advances, data driven work is becoming increasingly important across all disciplines. Data science is an emerging field that encompasses a large array of topics including data collection, data preprocessing, data visualization, and data analysis using statistical and machine learning methods. As undergraduates enter the workforce in the future, they will need to “benefit from a fundamental awareness of and competence in data science”[9]. This project has formed a research practice partnership that brings together STEM+C instructors and researchers from three universities and an education research and consulting group. We aim to use high frequency monitoring data collected from real-world systems to develop and implement an interdisciplinary approach to enable undergraduate students to develop an understanding of data science concepts through individual STEM disciplines that include engineering, computer science, environmental science, and biology. In this paper, we perform an initial exploratory analysis on how data science topics are introduced into the different courses, with the ultimate goal of understanding how instructional modules and accompanying assessments can be developed for multidisciplinary use. We analyze information collected from instructor interviews and surveys, student surveys, and assessments from five undergraduate courses (243 students) at the three universities to understand aspects of data science curricula that are common across disciplines. Using a qualitative approach, we find commonalities in data science instruction and assessment components across the disciplines. This includes topical content, data sources, pedagogical approaches, and assessment design. Preliminary analyses of instructor interviews also suggest factors that affect the content taught and the assessment material across the five courses. These factors include class size, students’ year of study, students’ reasons for taking class, and students’ background expertise and knowledge. These findings indicate the challenges in developing data modules for multidisciplinary use. We hope that the analysis and reflections on our initial offerings has improved our understanding of these challenges, and how we may address them when designing future data science teaching modules. These are the first steps in a design-based approach to developing data science modules that may be offered across multiple courses. Published version Yes, full paper (Peer reviewed?)

Objective: Inflammatory cytokines are increased during one-lung ventilation in patients undergoing lung resection, and this increase can be fatal. Propofol and sevoflurane are the main anesthetics used for these patients. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the best choice of an anesthetic agent concerning an inflammatory response in patients undergoing lung resection. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on the inflammatory response in patients undergoing lung resection.Methods: We searched electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of different anesthetics (sevoflurane vs. propofol) on the inflammatory response. The primary outcome concerned the concentration of systemic inflammatory cytokines. The secondary outcomes concerned the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from the dependent and independent lung. Random effects analysis of the meta-analyses were performed to synthesize the evidence and to assess the concentrations of inflammatory factors in the sevoflurane and propofol groups.Results: Eight trials involving 488 participants undergoing lung resection with one-lung ventilation were included. There was no significant difference in the concentrations of systemic interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, or tumor necrosis factor α between the sevoflurane and propofol groups. Compared with the propofol group, BAL levels of IL-6 in the dependent ventilated lung were decreased in the sevoflurane group (three trials, 256 participants; standardized mean difference [SMD], −0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.90 to −0.11; p = 0.01; I2 = 46%). The BAL levels of IL-6 in the independent ventilated lung were also decreased by sevoflurane (four trials, 362 participants; SMD, −0.70; 95% [CI], −0.93 to −0.47; p < 0.00001; I2 = 0%).Conclusions: There was no difference in the systemic inflammatory response between the sevoflurane and propofol groups. However, compared with propofol, sevoflurane can reduce the local alveolar inflammatory response. Additional research is necessary to confirm whether the inflammatory response is direct or indirect.

This study validated the school psychological capital (PsyCap) scale in the Chinese context and examined the predictive effect of PsyCap resources on academic engagement and achievement emotions. Self-report data for PsyCap resources, student engagement, enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom toward English learning were collected from 1,000 sophomores. Item-level analyses and confirmatory factor analysis were used to verify the validity of the school PsyCap scale, and structural equation modeling was applied to reveal the predictive effect of school PsyCap resources on academic engagement and achievement emotions. Results showed that the school PsyCap scale retained superior psychometric properties. Besides, PsyCap resources were demonstrated to have a positive relationship to academic engagement and enjoyment, and a negative relationship to anxiety and boredom. The effectiveness of the school PsyCap scale was verified among Chinese college students, and besides the traditional predictors, school PsyCap is also critically important for students’ academic engagement and achievement emotions. Limitations and implications are discussed.

As an important type of unconventional hydrocarbon, tight sandstone oil has great present and future resource potential. Reservoir quality evaluation is the basis of tight sandstone oil development. A comprehensive evaluation approach based on the gray correlation algorithm is established to effectively assess tight sandstone reservoir quality. Seven tight sandstone samples from the Chang 6 reservoir in the W area of the AS oilfield in the Ordos Basin are employed. First, the petrological and physical characteristics of the study area reservoir are briefly discussed through thin section observations, electron microscopy analysis, core physical property tests, and whole-rock and clay mineral content experiments. Second, the pore type, throat type and pore and throat combination characteristics are described from casting thin sections and scanning electron microscopy. Third, high-pressure mercury injection and nitrogen adsorption experiments are optimized to evaluate the characteristic parameters of pore throat distribution, micro- and nanopore throat frequency, permeability contribution and volume continuous distribution characteristics to quantitatively characterize the reservoir micro- and nanopores and throats. Then, the effective pore throat frequency specific gravity parameter of movable oil and the irreducible oil pore throat volume specific gravity parameter are introduced and combined with the reservoir physical properties, multipoint Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area, displacement pressure, maximum mercury saturation and mercury withdrawal efficiency parameters as the basic parameters for evaluation of tight sandstone reservoir quality. Finally, the weight coefficient of each parameter is calculated by the gray correlation method, and a reservoir comprehensive evaluation indicator (RCEI) is designed. The results show that the study area is dominated by types II and III tight sandstone reservoirs. In addition, the research method in this paper can be further extended to the evaluation of shale gas and other unconventional reservoirs after appropriate modification.

Here you will find a series of images taken by scientists based at the University of Dundee that highlight the microbes they work with. The images in the collection are part of a physical exhibition located at the Dundee Science Centre.

As an effective scale for the condition assessment of patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI), the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) is the most widely used scale, and its original version is written in English. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to apply the CAIT to Chinese patients and evaluate its responsiveness, reliability, and validity in terms of Chinese patients with CAI. First, we adapted the CAIT into the Chinese edition (CAIT-C), through which cross-cultural adaptation and translation can be carried out in a five-step procedure. Next, recruited patients completed the three periods of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), CAIT-C, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36) scales. Afterward, to assess the responsiveness, reliability, and validity, we calculated the standardized response mean (SRM), effect size (ES), Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs), minimal detectable change (MDC), standard error of measurement (SEM), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Cronbach’s alpha. Generally, in the use of CAI, 131, 119, and 86 patients favorably completed the three periods of the scales. The CAIT-C was proven to have good test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.930) and fine internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.845–0.878). The low-value of MDC (0.04–2.28) and SEM (1.73) show it is possible to detect clinical changes when we take advantage of CAIT-C. Good or moderate correlations (rs = 0.422–0.738) were gained from the physical subscales of the SF-36 and the subscales of the FAAM and the CAIT-C. Fair or poor correlations (rs = 0.003–0.360) were gained between the mental subscales of the SF-36 and the CAIT-C, which sufficiently indicated that the CAIT-C had good validity. Moreover, good responsiveness was observed in the CAIT-C (ES = 1.316, SRM = 1.418). The CAIT-C scale is an effective, valid, and reliable tool to evaluate Chinese CAI patients.

Achilles tendon injury is one of the challenges of sports medicine, the aetiology of which remains unknown. For a long time, estrogen receptor β (ERβ) has been known as a regulating factor of the metabolism in many connective tissues, such as bone, muscle and cartilage, but little is known about its role in tendon. Recent studies have implicated ERβ as involved in the process of tendon healing. Tendon‐derived stem cells (TDSCs) are getting more and more attention in tendon physiological and pathological process. In this study, we investigated how ERβ played a role in Achilles tendon healing. Achilles tendon injury model was established to analyse how ERβ affected on healing process in vivo. Cell proliferation assay, Western blots, qRT‐PCR and immunocytochemistry were performed to investigate the effect of ERβ on TDSCs. Here, we showed that ERβ deletion in mice resulted in inferior gross appearance, histological scores and, most importantly, increased accumulation of adipocytes during the early tendon healing which involved activation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) signalling. Furthermore, in vitro results of ours confirmed that the abnormity might be the result of abnormal TDSC adipogenic differentiation which could be partially reversed by the treatment of ERβ agonist LY3201. These data revealed a role of ERβ in Achilles tendon healing for the first time, thereby providing a new target for clinical treatment of Achilles tendon injury.

Tendon injuries are common musculoskeletal system disorders in clinical, but the regeneration ability of tendon is limited. Tendon stem cells (TSCs) have shown promising effect on tissue engineering and been used for the treatment of tendon injury. Exosomes that serve as genetic information carriers have been implicated in many diseases and physiological processes, but effect of exosomes from TSCs on tendon injury repair is unclear. The aim of this study is to make clear that the effect of exosomes from TSCs on tendon injury healing. Exosomes were harvested from conditioned culture media of TSCs by a sequential centrifugation process. Rat Achilles tendon tendinopathy model was established by collagenase‐I injection. This was followed by intra‐Achilles‐tendon injection with TSCs or exosomes. Tendon healing and matrix degradation were evaluated by histology analysis and biomechanical test at the post‐injury 5 weeks. In vitro, TSCs treated with interleukin 1 beta were added by conditioned medium including exosomes or not, or by exosomes or not. Tendon matrix related markers and tenogenesis related markers were measured by immunostaining and western blot. We found that TSCs injection and exosomes injection significantly decreased matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)‐3 expression, increased expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐3 (TIMP‐3) and Col‐1a1, and increased biomechanical properties of the ultimate stress and maximum loading. In vitro, conditioned medium with exosomes and exosomes also significantly decreased MMP‐3, and increased expression of tenomodulin, Col‐1a1 and TIMP‐3. Exosomes from TSCs could be an ideal therapeutic strategy in tendon injury healing for its balancing tendon extracellular matrix and promoting the tenogenesis of TSCs.