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Writing is a challenging task for students in language learning. A key question in this challenge is how to exploit the potential of information technology and design effective learning strategies to promote quality writing. This is a question that Chinese teachers need to actively consider in the process of optimizing their writing instruction. Therefore, this study embedded problem-based scaffolds in an SVVR system and proposed a second-order progressive problem-based scaffold (SPPS-SVVR) strategy to enhance students' writing skills. To examine the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, a quasi-experiment was conducted in an elementary school in China. The experimental group (39 students) used the SPPS-SVVR writing strategy, while the control group (39 students) used the traditional SVVR writing strategy (T-SVVR). The study results showed that the SPPS-SVVR writing strategy not only significantly improved the students' writing performance, but also increased their learning engagement and transferability. In addition, the results of epistemic network structure analysis showed that students using the SPPS-SVVR writing strategy focused on writing in terms of internal, mental, and dynamic environments. Interviews revealed that the SPPS-SVVR writing strategy supported the experimental group students' grasp of writing ideas and verbal expressions, and they were more satisfied with this strategy.

As technology-enhanced children’s learning has gained wide attention, programmable robots have been gradually introduced in early childhood education. Hence, it would be valuable to understand how young children perceive robot programming learning. Draw-a-picture technique is an ideal method to elicit ideas, thoughts, and feelings for children with limited literacy, and epistemic network analysis (ENA) is a novel analytical method to analyze children’s conceptions through the visualized network model. Therefore, this study employed a draw-a-picture technique and ENA to explore 189 5-6-year-old young children’s conceptions of robot programming learning and probe whether their conceptions differ by gender and learning achievements. Results revealed that most children believed that with robot programming kits, they could engage in programming activities with peers in any location and held positive emotions and attitudes. In addition, young children’s conceptions of robot programming learning differ notably by gender and learning achievements. Based on the current findings, several suggestions were proposed, which could set a reference for future robot programming teaching in early childhood education.

This study aimed to determine the perceptions and attitudes of preservice teachers of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) toward applying information and computer technology (ICT) and image-generative artificial intelligence (image-GAI) tools in CFL teaching from the perspective of drawings. This 2-week study involved 20 preservice CFL teachers from a university in northern Taiwan. Various data were collected, including questionnaire responses and drawings (both hand-drawn and artificial-intelligence-assisted) by preservice teachers. The collected data were analyzed to determine how the experience of using image-GAI tools influenced how preservice CFL teachers perceive ICT-assisted CFL teaching, and how they perceive the potential of image-GAI tools in enhancing their creativity. The results indicated that most conceptions held by the preservice CFL teachers of ICT-assisted Chinese language teaching involved teachers and learners as the primary people involved, and that they tended to adopt a teacher-centered teaching mode. The preservice CFL teachers had positive attitudes toward using image-GAI tools in CFL teaching. However, they were more reserved regarding whether generative AI tools can promote diversity in CFL teaching and enhance the creativity of preservice teachers. The most common elements in the drawings by the preservice teachers were the activities and the people involved in CFL teaching. Two other noteworthy findings were (1) most preservice CFL teachers believed that this new technology (image-GAI tools) better reflected their understanding of ICT and CFL teaching, and (2) that their drawings indicated that having experience of using image-GAI tools influenced their perception of ICT and CFL teaching.

This study conducted a systematic review to identify the mainstreams of contemporary digital reading research. We performed a co-citation network analysis to examine the streams and features of key topics in digital reading research. We also performed content analysis and used the bibliometrix R-package to map digital reading research themes and identify several trends in the field. In this study, we (a) identified three mainstreams of research within the digital reading co-citation network (namely, differences in reading comprehension between print books and e-books, adolescents' habits and preferences related to digital reading and their digital reading literacy, and the analysis of reading behaviors as well as the use of interactive learning books); (b) determined that most studies on digital reading have employed quantitative or mixed methods, involved the use of tests and questionnaires to evaluate learners' performance, and have not focused on specific application domains or learning strategies; and (c) discovered that most studies on digital reading had investigated the affective aspects of learners' experiences, followed by cognition, learning behavior, and correlation or cause-and-effect analysis. We identified "engagement," "digital media," and "digital literacy" as key topics in research on digital reading. Directions for future research and digital reading education are provided..

In recent years, smart healthcare technologies used to facilitate precision medicine in clinical practice have increasingly become a topic of discussion. Nurses and nurse preceptors are critical professionals in hospitals, and are also the frontline staff using smart healthcare. The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses' and nurse preceptors' perceptions of smart healthcare (including learning motivation, learning attitudes, and personal innovativeness) and the differences in their conceptions of learning in smart healthcare technology contexts. The research findings showed that nurse preceptors had higher mean scores than nurses for learning motivation, learning attitudes, and personal innovativeness in smart healthcare, especially for learning attitudes and personal innovativeness. The nurse preceptors' conceptions of learning in smart healthcare technology contexts were also more diverse than those of nurses. The main differences are that nurses' drawings showed a healthcare setting where learners (both patients and nurses) use computers to connect to cloud services for online visits, and where patients can engage in online health education learning activities via computers or mobile devices. The nurse preceptors' drawings focused on the delivery of nursing knowledge and skills to learners via VR technologies, helping diagnose patients, analyzing medical data, and predicting healthcare through smart healthcare technologies.

In Chinese, writing is a basic competency that pupils should possess. But it is still challenging for teachers to improve pupils' writing abilities. Therefore, this study proposes an intelligence-based cognitive diagnostic feedback strategy to improve pupils' writing ability and writing learning quality by analyzing their writing performance, epistemic network structure, and learning engagement. Thepupils are randomly divided into an experimental group (N = 28) and a control group (N = 28). The experimental group adopts the ICDF strategy, while the control group adopts the WS-TF strategy. The results showed that the I-CDF strategy improved the pupil's writing scores and learning engagement. In addition, the results of the epistemic network analysis showed that the pupils using the ICDF strategy focused on dynamic descriptions such as action, psychology, and environmental changes in vocabulary use, and the epistemic network structure was more complex than the control group. The interviews showed that the pupils in the experimental group were highly satisfied with I-CDF strategy.

Reading comprehension is critical and challenging for the English learning process. EFL (English as Foreign Language) learners often do not understand the meaning of the text due to the lack of an authentic learning context. This easily leads learners to read literally without deeply understanding. To address this issue, an article-structure strategy-based SVVR (short for ASS-SVVR) approach was proposed in the study, in which spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) was employed to immerse EFL learners in a real environment, and the article-structure strategy was introduced as step-by-step reading scaffolding to improve reading efficiency, accuracy, and comprehension. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a quasi-experiment was conducted in an English reading class at a university with two classes of 63 EFL learners. Among them, 33 learners were randomly distributed to the experimental group, conducting the ASS-SVVR approach, while the remaining 30 were assigned to the control group, conducting the conventional SVVR (C-SVVR) approach. The research findings showed that EFL students conducting the ASS-SVVR approach had positive performance in reading comprehension, extrinsic learning motivation, and metacognitive awareness of reading strategy. Moreover, cognitive load and sense of presence were not shown to have a significant difference between the two groups.

This research reviews 56 robots in science education (RSE) research articles published in SSCI (Social Sciences Citation Index) journals in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis results showed that there were three clusters of RSE studies: robots in elementary science education, robot-based STEM activities, and robot-facilitated computational thinking. In terms of the research issues, more studies were conducted across-disciplines. Regarding thematic classifications, "general benefits of educational robots" was the most frequently investigated issue, while "diversity and broadening participation," and "creativity and motivation" were less frequently discussed. The most adopted research methods were quantitative and mixed methods, focusing on measuring learners' cognition and affect. Most of the interventions in the empirical studies adopted pedagogical interventions. In terms of the interaction issue, LEGO was adopted the most, followed by self-made robots; moreover, robots frequently played the role of tools in science education. From the perspective of specific robotics content knowledge, "control" (e.g. programming) comprised the majority. The most adopted learning strategy was project-based learning, followed by issue-based discussion. Regarding assessment issues, the most adopted evaluation approaches to evaluating students' performance were questionnaires, observation, verbal interviews, and artifacts to assess the quality of learning activities.

Second language (L2) writing plays an important role in improving the learners' language skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in terms of language expression and linguistic thinking. Therefore, improving writing skills is still a focus area for EFL learners. To enhance EFL learners' writing ability and optimize their writing quality, an intelligent-based cognitive diagnostic feedback (I-CDF) strategy is proposed based on the Intelligent Writing Critique System (IWCS). IWCS can provide feedback on students' English writing learning components, including lexical, syntactic, rhetorical expression, chapter structure, and discourse intention. Hence, the study intends to assess the effects of feedback strategies based on students' writing scores, self-efficacy, epistemic network structure, and transferability. A quasi-experiment was conducted in two classes at a university in southeastern China, where students were randomly divided into two classes. One (N = 32) was considered an experimental group conducted using the proposed I-CDF strategy, while the other (N = 30) was the control group using the score-based teacher corrective feedback (S-TCF) strategy. The writing experiment lasted for seven weeks. The students would be interviewed at the end of the writing learning activities. The results indicated that the I-CDF strategy improved students' writing scores and self-efficacy. Furthermore, the epistemic network analysis showed that, compared to the control group, the I-CDF strategy encouraged the students to devote more energy to focus on high-level applications of writing skills such as rhetorical expression and sentence structure collation, optimizing the students' writing epistemic network of the writing of the students. The interview revealed that the I-CDF strategy supported the experimental group students' accurate understanding of writing, strengthening the logical structure of the writing. At the same time, the students in the experimental group were satisfied with the I-CDF strategy.

Robotics education has received widespread attention in K-12 education. Studies have pointed out that in robotics courses, learners face challenges in learning abstract content, such as constructing a robot with a good structure and writing programs to drive a robot to complete specific learning tasks. The present study proposed the embodied learning-based computer programming approach and applied it to the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robotics course. To evaluate its effectiveness, a quasi-experiment was conducted in one public primary school to explore its effects on students' learning achievement, learning motivation, learning attitudes, learning engagement, and cognitive load. The experimental group (40 students) adopted the embodied learning-based computer programming approach, while the control group (40 students) adopted the conventional computer programming approach. The results showed that the experimental group had significantly better learning achievement in robotics than the control group, and that there was no significant difference in the cognitive load of the two groups. In terms of learning motivation, although both groups showed improvement, the experimental group had higher intrinsic learning motivation. In addition, the experimental group outperformed the control group with regard to learning attitudes and learning engagement (including cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement). Accordingly, this study could contribute to future research for developing more effective robotics teaching approaches and computer programming activity design.

This study provides research-based evidence to profile: (1) the roles of artificial intelligence in nursing; (2) its research applications; and (3) the research trends for future study. On the basis of the PRISMA statement, a series of AI and nursing education related keywords from the literature were used to retrieve high-quality journal articles from the Web of Science. A total of 112 AI-supported nursing education research articles were analyzed based on a three-dimensional framework, including interaction (e.g. the roles of AI, types of AI systems), research (e.g. methods and fields), and performance (e.g. research groups and measurement foci). The results revealed that AI played a primary role in profiling and prediction in nursing research (63%), and the most used AI system in nursing was intelligent agents (53%). The quantitative approach (87%) was the dominant research method, and the most relevant studies concerned health and medicine (92%). Regarding sample and measurement matters, patients and medical staff (75%) were the two primary research samples, and the performance evaluation of AI-related tools and systems (90%) was the core measurement focus. Additional content analysis across the three research interests was performed and discussed. Directions for future studies are provided.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (GAI), the performance and usability of related tools, such as ChatGPT, have significantly improved. The advancement has fostered researchers to increasingly focus on students' perceptions and application of the roles, functionalities, and interaction patterns of these tools in higher education. The present study adopted the draw-a-picture technique to explore the viewpoints and conceptions of undergraduates with different growth mindsets regarding the roles and functionalities of ChatGPT in learning. It also analyzed their interaction process with ChatGPT, especially their interaction skills and question types. The results showed that there were significant differences in the conceptions of "locations," "learning content," and "learning activities" of students with different growth mindsets. In the interaction process between undergraduates and ChatGPT, significant differences existed in the interaction skills and question types of students with different growth mindsets. Besides, students with different growth mindsets also had different learning achievements and critical thinking tendencies. The findings revealed the conceptions of students with different growth mindsets regarding the roles and functionalities of ChatGPT in learning, and also provided valuable insights for teachers. These findings are beneficial for educators to more accurately adjust and optimize the application of these tools in teaching activities based on students' different growth mindsets.

Abstract Tetrahydro-β-carboline skeletons are prominent and ubiquitous in an extraordinary range of indole alkaloid natural products and pharmaceutical compounds. Powerful synthetic approaches for stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydro-β-carboline skeletons have immense impacts and have attracted enormous attention. Here, we outline a general chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 3,4-dihydro-β-carboline-2-oxide type nitrone that enables access to three types of chiral tetrahydro-β-carbolines bearing continuous multi-chiral centers and quaternary chiral centers. The method displays different endo/exo selectivity from traditional nitrone chemistry. The distinct power of this strategy has been illustrated by application to collective and enantiodivergent total syntheses of 40 tetrahydro-β-carboline-type indole alkaloid natural products with divergent stereochemistry and varied architectures.

Abstract Machine learning is becoming a preferred method for the virtual screening of organic materials due to its cost-effectiveness over traditional computationally demanding techniques. However, the scarcity of labeled data for organic materials poses a significant challenge for training advanced machine learning models. This study showcases the potential of utilizing databases of drug-like small molecules and chemical reactions to pretrain the BERT model, enhancing its performance in the virtual screening of organic materials. By fine-tuning the BERT models with data from five virtual screening tasks, the version pretrained with the USPTO–SMILES dataset achieved R2 scores exceeding 0.94 for three tasks and over 0.81 for two others. This performance surpasses that of models pretrained on the small molecule or organic materials databases and outperforms three traditional machine learning models trained directly on virtual screening data. The success of the USPTO–SMILES pretrained BERT model can be attributed to the diverse array of organic building blocks in the USPTO database, offering a broader exploration of the chemical space. The study further suggests that accessing a reaction database with a wider range of reactions than the USPTO could further enhance model performance. Overall, this research validates the feasibility of applying transfer learning across different chemical domains for the efficient virtual screening of organic materials. Scientific contribution This study verifies the feasibility of applying transfer learning to large language models in different chemical fields to help organic materials perform virtual screening. Through the comparison of transfer learning from different chemical fields to a variety of organic material molecules, the high precision virtual screening of organic materials is realized.

Abstract In order to accurately predict the content and variation trend of dissolved gas in transformer oil and guide the condition maintenance of power transformers, a combined prediction model based on multi‐information fusion is proposed and its effectiveness is analysed. First of all, based on the possibility of pathological and missing historical sample data, a detection and filling method based on variable weight combination samples is established. Second, the authors propose two models. Aiming at the non‐linear and non‐stationary characteristics of gas content, a univariate decomposition prediction mode HBA‐VMD‐TCN which based on the Honey Badger algorithm, variational mode decomposition and time convolutional network (TCN) is established. Then the multivariate Informer prediction model is established for gas content affected by multiple variables. Third, the cross‐entropy theory is used to determine the weight coefficients of the two models, and the multi‐information fusion combined prediction model is formed. Finally, on the basis of the above, a method to determine the time step and the position information of the transition point adaptively in the process of prediction is proposed to further improve the prediction accuracy. The results show that, through a series of simulation experiments of model comparison and transformer anomaly prediction, the accuracy and effectiveness of the combined prediction model are verified.

Abstract Suppressor of Mek1 (Smek1) is a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 4. Genome‐wide association studies have shown the protective effect of SMEK1 in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the physiological and pathological roles of Smek1 in AD and other tauopathies are largely unclear. Here, the role of Smek1 in preventing neurodegeneration is investigated in tauopathy. Smek1 is downregulated in the aged human brain. Through single‐cell sequencing, a novel neuronal cluster is identified that possesses neurodegenerative characteristics in Smek1−/− mice. Smek1 deficiency caused markedly more severe motor and cognitive impairments in mice, as well as neuronal loss, gliosis, and tau hyperphosphorylation at major glycogen synthase kinase 3β (Gsk3β) sites. Protein‐protein interaction analysis revealed that the Ran‐binding domain (RanBD) in the N‐terminus of Smek1 facilitated binding with kinesin family member 2A (Kif2a). Depletion of Smek1 resulted in cytoplasmic aggregation of Kif2a, axon outgrowth defects, and impaired mitochondrial axonal trafficking. Downregulation of Kif2a markedly attenuated tau hyperphosphorylation and axon outgrowth defects in shSmek1 cells. For the first time, this study demonstrates that Smek1 deficiency progressively induces neurodegeneration by exacerbating tau pathology and mitochondrial dysfunction in an age‐dependent manner.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to enhance the precision of categorization of endometrial lesions in ultrasound images via a data enhancement framework based on deep learning (DL), through addressing diagnostic accuracy challenges, contributing to future research.Materials and methodsUltrasound image datasets from 734 patients across six hospitals were collected. A data enhancement framework, including image features cleaning and soften label, was devised and validated across multiple DL models, including ResNet50, DenseNet169, DenseNet201, and ViT-B. A hybrid model, integrating convolutional neural network and transformer architectures for optimal performance, to predict lesion types was developed.ResultsImplementation of our novel strategies resulted in a substantial enhancement in model accuracy. The ensemble model achieved accuracy and macro-area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.809 of 0.911, respectively, underscoring the potential for use of DL in endometrial lesion ultrasound image classification.ConclusionWe successfully developed a data enhancement framework to accurately classify endometrial lesions in ultrasound images. Integration of anomaly detection, data cleaning, and soften label strategies enhanced the comprehension of lesion image features by the model, thereby boosting its classification capacity. Our research offers valuable insights for future studies and lays the foundation for creation of more precise diagnostic tools.

BackgroundThe effectiveness of Tuina therapy has been confirmed in treating pain of patients with cervical spondylosis (CS), however, its therapeutic mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to observe the changes of regional brain activity following Tuina therapy in patients with painful CS based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data.MethodsA total of 27 patients with CS and 27 healthy subjects (HCs) were enrolled in this study. All patients received Tuina therapy every 2 days for 2 weeks. The clinical manifestations of patients were evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) before and after treatment. In addition, rs-fMRI data were collected and preprocessed in all patients before and after treatment, as well as HCs. HCs underwent a 1-time rs-fMRI scan, whereas CS patients underwent 2-times of rs-fMRI scan. The measure of regional homogeneity (ReHo) was calculated and compared between groups. Finally, relationships between altered brain regions and clinical characteristics were evaluated by Pearson’s correlation analysis.ResultsAfter Tuina therapy, VAS and NDI scores of patients decreased. Before treatment, CS patients showed higher ReHo values in the left middle temporal gyrus, left thalamus, right anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus and lower ReHo values in the right gyrus rectus when compared with HCs. After treatment, CS patients exhibited higher ReHo values in the left inferior temporal gyrus, right anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus and lower ReHo values in the right rectus gyrus when compared with HCs. CS patients after treatment demonstrated higher ReHo values in the left inferior occipital gyrus when compared with those before treatment. Positive correlations were found between ReHo values of the right rectus gyrus and VAS, NDI scores in CS patients before treatment. Differences of VAS scores between before and after treatment were negatively correlated with ReHo values of the left inferior temporal gyrus in CS patients after treatment.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the presence of asynchronous activity in certain brain regions in CS patients, which might be associated with pain and cervical spine dysfunction. Tuina therapy might modulate asynchronous activity of abnormal brain regions, which might contribute to the effectiveness of Tuina therapy in alleviating pain and cervical spine dysfunction in CS patients.

Abstract Background Circulating miRNAs (c-miR) have been shown to be potential biomarkers in sarcopenia, but the miRNAs response to aerobic exercise in older people remains inconclusive. We sought to examine the exercise benefits on physical fitness and miRNAs, and to explore the mediating effect of miRNAs on training-induced fitness changes. Methods This controlled trial recruited 58 community-dwelling older adults and randomized them into exercise group (EX) and control group (CON). EX received 8-week supervised moderate intensity cycling training 3x/week. C-miR expression (c-miR-21, c-miR-126, c-miR-146a, c-miR-222), physical fitness (body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness) and physical activity level (PAL, measured as in daily step counts) were evaluated at baseline, post-training, and post-16-week follow-up. The mediating effect of miRNA expression onto exercise-induced physical fitness change was determined by causal mediation analysis (CMA). Results Exercise significantly improved body fat and cardiorespiratory fitness in older people while maintaining muscle mass and strength, and augmented expression of c-miR-126, c-miR-146a, and c-miR-222 for up to 16 weeks post-training. Notably, older people in EX had substantially higher daily step counts than CON throughout the study even after the active training period. However, CMA revealed no significant indirect effect but a potential mediating effect of c-miR-21, but not the rest, onto the body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and lower limb strength. Conclusion An eight-week supervised MICT program promoted a higher level of physical activity up to 16 weeks post-training, which induces better cardiorespiratory fitness and resists decline in muscular measures. C-miRNA, especially c-miR-21, potentially mediates the training effect upon fitness.

Abstract The torrent frogs of the genus Amolops represent a great anuran diversification in southern China and Southeast Asia. Previous studies have shown that, the diversity of this genus still remains underestimated. During herpetological surveys from 2021 to 2022, several Amolops specimens were collected from the international border regions of southwestern Yunnan Province, China. Herein, we utilized molecular phylogenetic and morphological data to identify these specimens. Our findings indicate the presence of a separate and previously unknown lineage in the A. viridimaculatus group, which we formally describe as a new species. Furthermore, the specimen from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve clustered with A. vitreus from the paratype, supporting the morphological diagnosis. Therefore, we describe a new species and a new species record for China. Our study contributes to the species richness of the genus Amolops as well as the diversity of amphibians in China. Notably, our discovery brings the total number of Amolops species to 85 and the total number of torrent frog species known to occur in China to 53. In addition, our study further confirmed that Yunnan and Indochina Peninsula have similar faunal composition, implying that more studies are needed to achieve a complete understanding of the species diversity and distribution pattern.

Abstract Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are widely distributed throughout the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and are significant locations for human–wildlife coexistence. Given the significance of their historical and contemporary social influence, it is crucial to ascertain whether there exists a non‐negligible correlation between these monasteries and their surrounding wildlife. In contrast to sacred mountains and lakes, there have been few studies that have examined the relationship between Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and wildlife communities. Using birds as a model ecological community, generalized mixed effect models (GLMM) were employed to examine relationships between the presence of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and the number of individuals (relative abundance), avian species richness and diversity, using data from bird‐watching checklists (n = 262) obtained from the China Bird Report. Our models also included landscape‐wide environmental factors, including the ratio of woodland habitat, grassland habitat and open habitats, human footprint index, distance to nearest human occupation (villages), distance to water, altitude, time, presence of monastery and their interactions. Observation time was included as a model covariate. The presence of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and the interactions between the presence of monasteries and environmental variables exhibit a significant correlation with the number of individual birds recorded (relative abundance), but not with observed species richness or diversity. Moreover, the relative abundance of birds was found to be significantly higher in areas around monasteries compared to those without monasteries. The abundance of species from eight families, namely Accipitridae, Corvidae, Columbidae, Passeridae, Leiothrichidae, Friningillidae, Musciapidae and Turidae, was significantly positively correlated with the presence of monasteries. Notably, the positive correlation of Accipitridae with the presence of celestial burial grounds around monasteries suggests a relationship between celestial burial practices and Accipitridae abundance at these sites. Our study reveals a significant positive correlation between Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and aspects of avian community composition in the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, thus highlights their potential role in the preservation of avian populations in fragmented landscape habitats. We encourage the government and relevant national parks stakeholders to implement targeted management strategies that take into account the unique patterns of human–wildlife coexistence in these areas, and to leverage the cultural advantages of the region to promote ecological conservation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Abstract Background Chronic cough is a common symptom in patients post the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and the clinical characteristics of patients with post-COVID-19 chronic cough during the Omicron era. Methods An ambispective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted that included patients with post-COVID-19 who attended the respiratory clinic at our hospital between January 1, 2023, and March 31, 2023 with a complaint of persistent cough lasting more than 8 weeks. At 30 and 60 days after the first clinic visit for post-COVID-19 chronic cough, enrolled patients were prospectively followed up. We compared the changes in symptoms and pulmonary function between patients receiving ICS treatment (ICS group) and those not receiving ICS treatment (NICS group) at the two visits. Results A total of 104 patients with post-COVID-19 chronic cough were enrolled in this study (ICS group, n = 51; NICS group, n = 53). The most common symptoms accompanying post-COVID-19 chronic cough were sputum (58.7%, 61/104) and dyspnea (48.1%, 50/104). Seventy-one (82.6%, 71/86) patients had airway hyperresponsiveness, and 49 patients (47.1%, 49/104) were newly diagnosed with asthma. Most patients (95.2%, 99/104) exhibited improvement at 60 days after the first visit. The pulmonary function parameters of the patients in the ICS group were significantly improved compared to the baseline values (P

The surge in global energy demand mandates a significant expansion of electric power substations. Nevertheless, the ecological consequences of electric power substation operation, particularly concerning the electromagnetic field, on soil microbial communities and nitrogen enrichment remain unexplored. In this study, we collected soil samples from six distinct sites at varying distances from an electric power substation in Xintang village, southeastern China, and investigated the impacts of electromagnetic field on the microbial diversity and community structures employing metagenomic sequencing technique. Our results showed discernible dissimilarities in the fungal community across the six distinct sites, each characterized by unique magnetic and electric intensities, whereas comparable variations were not evident within bacterial communities. Correlation analysis revealed a diminished nitrogen fixation capacity at the site nearest to the substation, characterized by low moisture content, elevated pH, and robust magnetic induction intensity and electric field intensity. Conversely, heightened nitrification processes were observed at this location compared to others. These findings were substantiated by the relative abundance of key genes associated with ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen production. This study provides insights into the relationships between soil microbial communities and the enduring operation of electric power substations, thereby contributing fundamental information essential for the rigorous environmental impact assessments of these facilities.

BackgroundEarly ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has higher morbidity and mortality. This study examines gender-differentiated risk factors and underlying mechanisms for early onset VT/VF in STEMI.MethodsWe analyzed data from 2,964 consecutive STEMI patients between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2021. Early VT/VF was defined as occurrence of spontaneous VT/VF of ≥30 s or requirement of immediate cardioversion/defibrillation within the first 48 h after symptoms. An ex vivo ischemic-reperfusion experiments were conducted in 8-week-old ApoE−/− mice fed a high-fat diet to explore the underlying mechanisms of early VT/VF.ResultsIn 255 of out 2,964 STEMI patients who experienced early VT/VF, the age was younger (58.6 ± 13.8 vs. 61.0 ± 13.0 years old, P = 0.008) with a male predominance. The plasma levels of L5, the most electronegative subclass of low-density lipoprotein, was higher in early VT/VF patients compared to those without early VT/VF (n = 21, L5: 14.1 ± 22.6% vs. n = 46, L5: 4.3 ± 9.9%, P = 0.016). In the experimental setup, all male mice (n = 4) developed VT/VF post sham operation, whereas no such incidence was observed in the female mice (n = 3). Significantly, male mice exhibited considerably slower cardiac conduction velocity as compared to their female counterparts in whole heart preparations (25.01 ± 0.93 cm/s vs.42.32 ± 5.70 cm/s, P

Ticks are primary vectors for many tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and pose a serious threat to veterinary and public health. Information on the presence of TBPs in Chinese Milu deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is limited. In this study, a total of 102 Chinese Milu deer blood samples were examined for Anaplasma spp., Theileria spp., Babesia spp., Rickettsia spp., and Borrelia spp., and three TBPs were identified: Anaplasma phagocytophilum (48; 47.1 %), Candidatus Anaplasma boleense (47; 46.1%), and Theileria capreoli (8; 7.8 %). Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA confirmed their identity with corresponding TBPs. To our knowledge, this is the first report on Candidatus A. boleense and T. capreoli detection in Chinese Milu deer. A high prevalence of A. phagocytophilum with veterinary and medical significance was identified in endangered Chinese Milu deer, which could act as potential zoonotic reservoirs. The identification of the TBPs in Chinese Milu deer provides useful information for the prevention and control of tick-borne diseases.