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Dishonest academic behavior (DAB) by students in Chinese higher education institutions has become a significant concern. However, the related study of academic dishonesty in mainland China is very limited. This study fills this gap by examining the theory of planned behavior and its three extended versions, validating the effectiveness of predicting DAB among Chinese undergraduates, and testing 11 developed hypotheses. This study uses a quantitative research design, and responses are collected online from 525 undergraduate students from five disciplines in the second to fourth year at a public university in China. The results reveal the proposed models have good fitting indices and support 10 hypothetical relationships. These relationships demonstrate that attitudes, norms and control beliefs significantly impact intentions and justifications. Meanwhile, behavioral control, intentions, and justifications significantly influence DAB. Notably, this study found a direct and significant effect of MO on justifications. Therein, Model four best explains the variance in DAB and provides practical support for the expanded TPB models’ application in China.

Gut microbiota constitute the largest reservoir of the human microbiome and are an abundant and stable ecosystem—based on its diversity, complexity, redundancy, and host interactions This ecosystem is indispensable for human development and health. The integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier depends on its interactions with gut microbiota. The commensal bacterial community is implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC). The dysbiosis of microbes is characterized by reduced biodiversity, abnormal composition of gut microbiota, altered spatial distribution, as well as interactions among microbiota, between different strains of microbiota, and with the host. The defects in microecology, with the related metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms, play a critical role in the innate immunity of the intestinal mucosa in UC. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used to treat many diseases related to gut microbiota, with the most promising outcome reported in antibiotic‐associated diarrhea, followed by IBD. This review evaluated the results of various reports of FMT in UC. The efficacy of FMT remains highly controversial, and needs to be regularized by integrated management, standardization of procedures, and individualization of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the leaves of Rabdosia serra led to the isolation of two new abietane diterpenoids, raserranes A (1) and B (2), and four known phenylpropanoids (3–6). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data. Compound 1 represented the rare examples of abietane diterpenoids featuring a 16-methoxycarbonyl group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We formulated the composition and temperature dependence of the Si and Si1–xGex Raman shift from the perspectives of bond order–length–strength correlation and local bond average approach. It is verified that the Raman shift Δω varies in the form of Δω ∝ zE1/2/d, with inclusion of bond length d and energy E changing with temperature and composition. Numerical reproduction of the thermally induced Si1–xGex phonon softening indicates that bond thermal expansion and energy loss dictate the frequency redshift, which resulted in quantitative information on the bond energy and the reference frequencies from which the Raman shifts proceed. Observations not only gain deeper insight into the mechanism of the Raman shift but also demonstrate the revealing power of Raman technique for the bonding thermodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, systematic study of the thermal stability, crystal structure and electronic properties of Al doped TiO 2 were studied by the first principles calculations. The results showed that Al atoms preferentially occupying the interstitial site under Ti-rich condition, but substituting the Ti atom under O-rich condition. In contrast to pure TiO 2 , the values of VBM and CBM are reduced for Al substituting Ti doped mode, but increased for Al interstitial atom doped mode. Thus, we can modulate the preparation condition and dosage concentration for preparing the optimal photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, systematic study of the formation energy, crystalline and electronic structures of 3 d transition metal (Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) doped anatase TiO 2 specimens with and without oxygen vacancy has been carried out by the first principles calculations. The impurity states located at the band gaps enhance the visible light absorption, and the oxygen vacancy result in the E F move into the CB for some doped systems, which induce the Ti 3+ ions and promote the separation of photogenerated carriers. Doping and oxygen vacancy can change the hybrid strength and MP value of TM O bonding which has the approximately linearly with the band gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bond formation and relaxation are effective methods to alter the electronic and photonic behavior of semiconductor. With the aid of first principle calculations, the electronic properties of TiO 2 have been modulated by the impurity C, Fe, Co or H atom. Results show that, the electronic distribution around the impurity atoms is changed by the bonds formation and relaxation. The electronic and photonic behavior of TiO 2 based photocatalysts are altered by modulating the number and energy of impurity level and reducing the band gap. Moreover, the carrier mobility in impurity levels increased after the H atom being introduced into, which not only reduce the electronic transition energies but also suppress the electron–hole recombination rate. Finally, the Co-C-2H codoped TiO 2 may have the best photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is a rare but severe disease occurring several weeks after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. It develops in adults with inflammation of different organs including the gastrointestinal tract, heart, kidneys, skin and hematopoietic system., Case Summary: We present a 58-year-old Chinese man diagnosed with MIS-A. His chief complaints were fever, generalized fatigue and anorexia, accompanied with rashes on his back. Further examination showed cardiac, renal and liver injury. He had melena and gastroscopy indicated esophageal ulcer and severe esophagitis. Repeated blood and sputum culture did not show growth of bacteria or fungi. Antibiotic treatment was stopped due to unsatisfactory performance. His condition improved after prednisone and other supportive treatment., Conclusion: Gastrointestinal involvement in MIS-A is not uncommon. Intestinal involvement predominates, and esophageal involvement is rarely reported. Esophageal ulcer with bleeding could also be a manifestation of MIS-A., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no competing interests., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ginseng ( Panax ginseng C.A. Mey) is a kind of perennial herb of the Panax genus in the Araliaceae family. The secondary metabolites of mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG) and garden ginseng (GG) vary greatly due to their different growth environments. To date, the differences in their pharmacological effects on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their clinical applications remain unclear. To distinguish between the components of MCG and GG, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was performed. Next, the relationship between the expression of metabolites and the categories of the sample were analyzed using supervised partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. A network-based pharmacology approach was developed and applied to determine the underlying mechanism of different metabolites in CVD. In the present study, the role of MCG and GG in angiogenesis and their protective effects on damaged blood vessels in a vascular injury model of zebrafish were investigated. Using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, 11 different metabolites between MCG and GG were identified. In addition, 149 common target genes associated with the metabolites and CVD were obtained; these targets were related to tumor protein P53, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src, human ubiquitin-52 amino acid fusion protein, ubiquitin-40S ribosomal protein S27a, polyubiquitin B, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1, vascular endothelial growth factor A, glycose synthase kinase-3B, and coagulation factor II and were associated with the regulation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt signaling pathway, the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, and the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway, which play important roles in the curative effect in CVD treatment. Both types of ginseng can promote the growth of the subintestinal vessel plexus and protect injured intersegmental vessels through the HIF-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, MCG has a stronger impact than GG. This is the first time metabolomics and network pharmacology methods were combined to study the difference between MCG and GG on CVDs, which provides a significant theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of CVD with two kinds of ginseng., Competing Interests: Y-XZ, D-DW, G-QZ, and QG were employed by the company SPH XingLing Sci&Tech. Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and D-QC was employed by the company Shanghai SPH Shenxiang Health Medicine Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yu, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Wang, Zhu and Gao.)

Aim: To investigate the role of regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets in the balance between Treg and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in various tissues from mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis., Methods: Treg cells, Treg cell subsets, Th17 cells, and CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + IL-17 + cells from the lamina propria of colon (LPC) and other ulcerative colitis (UC) mouse tissues were evaluated by flow cytometry. Forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), and RORC mRNA levels were assessed by real-time PCR, while interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-17A levels were detected with a Cytometric Beads Array., Results: In peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC), mesenteric lymph node (MLN), lamina propria of jejunum (LPJ) and LPC from UC mice, Treg cell numbers were increased ( P < 0.05), and FoxP3 and IL-10 mRNA levels were decreased. Th17 cell numbers were also increased in PBMC and LPC, as were IL-17A levels in PBMC, LPJ, and serum. The number of FrI subset cells (CD4 + CD45RA + FoxP3 low ) was increased in the spleen, MLN, LPJ, and LPC. FrII subset cells (CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 high ) were decreased among PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC, but the number of FrIII cells (CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low ) and CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + IL-17A + cells was increased. FoxP3 mRNA levels in CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low cells decreased in PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC in UC mice, while IL-17A and RORC mRNA increased. In UC mice the distribution of Treg, Th17 cells, CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 high , and CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low cells was higher in LPC relative to other tissues., Conclusion: Increased numbers of CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low cells may cause an imbalance between Treg and Th17 cells that is mainly localized to the LPC rather than secondary lymphoid tissues., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work. There is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of the manuscript.

Aim: To obtain an efficient delivery system for transporting endostatin gene to mouse liver tumor xenografts by administration of aerosol., Methods: Recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.0/endostatin containing human endostatin gene together with signal peptide from alkaline phosphatase were transferred into human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) by transferrin(TF)-liposome-endostatin complex. Western blot was used to detect the expression of human endostatin in transfected HUVEC cells and its medium. After the tumor-bearing mice were administrated with TF-liposome-endostatin complex, the lung tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemical method for expression of endostatin and the tumors were treated with CD-31 antibody to detect the density of microvessels in tumor tissues. The inhibition of tumor growth was estimated by the weight of tumors from groups treated with different doses of TF-liposome-endostatin complex. DNA fragmentation assay was used to detect the apoptosis of the cells from primary liver tumor., Results: Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical method confirmed the expression of endostatin protein in vitro and in vivo. After the tumor sections were treated with CD-31 antibody, the positive reaction cells appeared brown while the negative cells were colorless. The positively stained area of the TF-liposome-endostatin treated group was significantly smaller (P<0.01, 645.8+/-55.2 microm(2)) than that of the control group (1 325.4+/-198.5 microm(2)). The data showed a significant inhibition of angiogenesis. After administration of TF-liposome-endostatin, comparing with the control group administrated with TF-liposome-pcDNA3.0, liver tumor growth in the mice treated with 50, 250 and 500 mg DNA/kg was inhibited by 36.6 %, 40.8 %, and 72.8 %, respectively (P<0.01). And a typical DNA fragmentation of apoptosis was found in the cells from tumor tissues of the mice treated with TF-liposome-endostatin but none in the control group., Conclusion: Endostatin gene could be efficiently transported into the mice with TF-liposome-DNA delivery system by administration of aerosol. TF-liposome-mediated endostatin gene therapy strongly inhibited angiogenesis and the growth of mouse xenograft liver tumors. It also could promote the development of apoptosis of tumors without direct influence on tumor cells.