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In this study, we investigated the cognitive mechanisms underlying action anticipation in volleyball players, especially concerned with the differences between experts and amateurs. Participants included both expert (male, N = 26) and amateur (male, N = 23) volleyball players, who were asked to predict spiking movements containing high, medium, and low levels of kinematic information while their electrophysiological activities were recorded. The high-information stimuli included the whole spiking action, the medium-information stimuli ended at 120 ms, and the low-information stimuli ended at 160 ms before hand–ball contact. The results showed that experts significantly outperformed amateurs in both prediction accuracy (68% in experts vs. 55% in amateurs) and reaction time (475.09 ms in experts vs. 725.81 ms in amateurs) under the medium-information condition. Analysis of alpha rhythm activity revealed that experts exhibited the strongest desynchronization under the low-information condition, suggesting increased attentional engagement. In contrast, amateurs showed the weakest desynchronization under the medium-information condition. Furthermore, mu rhythm activity analysis showed greater desynchronization in the duration of 100–300 ms before hand–ball contact for experts, correlating with their higher anticipation accuracy. These findings highlight the significant kinematic information-processing abilities of volleyball experts and elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying efficient attentional engagement and mirroring. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights for the development of targeted training programs through which to enhance athletic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the adaptability between posts and post spaces and the rationality of cores fabricated by two digital custom post‐and‐core processes. Materials and Methods: Titanium post‐and‐cores were fabricated by digital scanning impression technology or digital scanning wax‐pattern technology on tooth defect molds of incisors, premolars, and molars, with traditional lost‐wax casts of these teeth as the controls. Micro‐CT and a laboratory scanner were used to determine intervals between post wall and root canal wall of the root apex, middle, and cervix of each sample in cross‐, sagittal, and coronal sections; intervals between the end of post and tooth; diameters of cervical, middle, and incisal part at cross‐, sagittal, and coronal sections of each sample, as well as shoulder widths. Results: The three fabrication processes showed significant differences in intervals between post‐and‐core prostheses and root canal walls, diameters of all parts of cores, and shoulder widths. Scanning impressions showed significant advantages in the main part of post‐and‐cores in incisors and premolars, while the scanning wax‐pattern process showed obvious inferiorities in premolars and molars. As to core spatial size, values of measured sites in the scanning impression process were closer to the standard than those of the traditional process, while differences between the measured value of the scanning wax‐pattern process were much more obvious than in the traditional process. Conclusions: The use of digital custom post‐and‐core scanning impressions improved the rationality and precision of post‐and‐core dimensions compared with two other processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the impact of skill level on the integration of contextual prior information and kinematic information alongside post-error adjustment during action anticipation in basketball. Twenty-three collegiate basketball players and twenty-three control participants engaged in anticipating as quickly and accurately as possible the outcomes of free throws, utilizing video clips depicting basketball players' actions, both with and without contextual prior information. Anticipatory performance and the difference in anticipatory performance following errors and correct responses were analyzed based on skill level and the congruency of contextual prior information (none, congruent, and incongruent). The findings revealed that the congruency of contextual prior information significantly affects action anticipation, with skill level moderating this effect. Moreover, skill level influenced the congruency effect on accuracy discrepancies between post-error and post-correct trials during action anticipation, with controls showing greater sensitivity to previous trial performance compared to experts. These results provide further evidence for the notion that individuals employ Bayesian reliability-based strategies to integrate different information sources and underscore the role of skill level in adjusting anticipatory judgments following errors during action anticipation. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms that differentiate skill levels in action anticipation, potentially guiding the development of targeted training interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review systematically summarizes the repair mechanisms and applications of self‐healing polyurethane (SHPU) materials aiming at energy conservation and safety under different repair methods. As of now, the repair methods that have emerged can be divided into two categories: substance landfill and bond repair. In terms of the repair mechanisms for both, the former involves the release of healing agents from micro‐carriers (microcapsules, hollow fibers, and microvascular) to fill the damaged area upon external impact. In contrast, bond repair combines physical and chemical changes triggered by light, heat, and other factors. To achieve efficient self‐healing in this mode, both the reorganization of broken chemical bonds and the high mobility of chain segments are crucial. Reversible covalent bonds and supramolecular interactions, as two branches of aforementioned reversible chemical bonds, share the responsibility for maintaining efficient self‐healing despite infinite cycling. Additionally, multiple synergistic crosslinked networks, special nanomaterials, and microphase separation are often used to solve the problem of incompatible healing efficiency and mechanical strength in bond repair. When the perspective is focused on the application, this gradually improved SHPU with strong potential and comprehensive performance has provided raw materials for many fields related to human development, such as road, architecture, healthcare, and electronic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel form of carboxylate comb‐like copolymers, SAM‐(m)PEG was prepared by polymerizing styrene (S), acrylic (A), and maleic anhydride (M) to obtain a random copolymer labeled SAM. SAM was then esterified using either polyethylene glycol (PEG) or methyl PEG (mPEG), a waterborne polymer dispersant for dispersing and stabilizing C.I. Pigment Yellow 180 (PY 180). The structures of SAM‐(m)PEG and the ground suspension of PY 180 were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a nanoparticle size analysis, and viscometry. The effects of different branch chains, synthetic formulas, and grinding conditions on the dispersibility of SAM‐(m)PEG were evaluated. In addition, the optical properties of the pigments were investigated after ultrafine grinding. The adsorption mechanism between the SAM‐(m)PEG dispersants and PY 180 particles is also discussed. SAM‐PEG6002 outperformed the other SAM‐(m)PEG dispersants owing to its excellent dispersion and stability. When used as the dispersant, the average particle size (Z‐average) of PY 180 after grinding was 264.6 nm, and the particle size distribution became narrow (PDI=0.089). Moreover, SAM‐PEG6002 effectively maintained the color performance of the pigment, and the product was successfully applied to the pigment coating. Therefore, SAM‐PEG6002 is an effective waterborne polymer dispersant for organic pigments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasingly serious environmental problems caused by the greenhouse effect, it has also become essential to reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. In this paper, CaCO3‐supported Fe‐based catalysts doped with Mn, Al, and K are prepared by a straightforward method and used for CO2 hydrogenation. The fresh and spent catalysts were characterized by SEM‐EDS, BET, TG, CO2‐TPD, XRD, and XPS. The experimental results show that the highest CO2 conversion rate of Fe10Mn2Al10Ca is 35.99 %, the maximum FTY value is 293.98 μmolCO2 ⋅ gFe-1 ${{\rm{g}}_{{\rm{Fe}}}^{ - 1} }$ ⋅ s−1, the maximum O/P value is 6.61, and the lowest CO selectivity is 32.21 %. At the same time, according to the characterization results, the doping of Mn and Al increased the Fe3O4/FeCx ratio. As the Fe3O4/FeCx ratio increases, the proportion of short‐chain hydrocarbons (CH4, C2–4) in the products increases, and the proportion of long‐chain hydrocarbons (C5+) decrease. Therefore, the co‐doping of Mn and Al promotes the conversion of CO and reduces its selectivity, and promotes the formation of light olefins. Finally, it is hoped that this study can provide a reference for further research on CaCO3‐supported Fe catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor‐α (ER‐α), and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) mediated activities of nine 4‐ and 5‐ring unsubstituted and monomethylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a series of Chemical‐Activated LUciferase gene eXpression (CALUX) assays. The potential role of these aforementioned receptors in relation to the developmental toxicity of these PAHs was further assessed in the zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET). The results show that all nine tested PAHs were AhR agonists, benz[a]anthracene (BaA) and 8‐methyl‐benz[a]anthracene (8‐MeBaA) were ER‐α agonists, and none of the tested PAHs induced ER‐α antagonistic or RAR (ant)agonistic activities. In the AhR CALUX assay, all the methylated PAHs showed higher potency (lower EC50) in activating the AhR than their respective unsubstituted PAHs, implying that the addition of a methyl substituent on the aromatic ring of PAHs could enhance their AhR‐mediated activities. Co‐exposure of zebrafish embryos with each individual PAH and an AhR antagonist (CH223191) counteracted the observed developmental retardations and embryo lethality to a certain extent, except for 8‐methyl‐benzo[a]pyrene (8‐MeBaP). Co‐exposure of zebrafish embryos with either of the two estrogenic PAHs (i.e., BaA and 8‐MeBaA) and an ER‐α antagonist (fulvestrant) neutralized embryo lethality induced by 50 μM BaA and the developmental retardations induced by 15 μM 8‐MeBaA. Altogether, our findings suggest that the observed developmental retardations in zebrafish embryos by the PAH tested may partially be AhR‐ and/or ER‐α‐mediated, whereas the RAR seems not to be relevant for the PAH‐induced developmental toxicity in the ZET. Our previous study evaluated the in vitro developmental toxicity induced by 4‐ and 5‐ring unsubstituted and methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using the zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET). The present study further investigated the potential role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor‐α (ER‐α), and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) in PAH‐induced developmental toxicity. The results show that the PAH‐induced developmental toxicity observed in the ZET may partially be AhR‐ and/or ER‐α‐mediated, whereas the RAR appears not to be involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, CaxZn10‐xFe20 catalysts were prepared by the co‐precipitation method and applied to CO2 hydrogenation. The experimental results show that the CO2 conversion of the catalyst Ca1Zn9Fe20 at a Ca doping amount of 1 mmol can reach 57.91 %, which is 13.5 % more than the CO2 conversion of the catalyst Zn10Fe20. Moreover, the catalyst Ca1Zn9Fe20 has the lowest selectivity for both CO and CH4, with 7.40 % and 6.99 %, respectively. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption‐desorption, CO2‐TPD, H2‐TPR, and XPS. The results demonstrate that the doping of Ca increases the basic sites on the catalyst surface and thus allows the catalyst to adsorb more CO2 to promote the reaction. Besides, the Ca doping amount of 1 mmol can suppress the formation of graphitic carbon on the catalyst surface and prevent the excess graphitic carbon from covering the active site Fe5C2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth in traffic volume and loads has increased the demand for high strength and durability paving materials. As the primary paving material of long‐life pavements and long‐span steel bridge decks, epoxy asphalt (EA) has the problems of poor tensile strength and low fracture toughness. In this study, graphene oxide nanosheets (GOs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to improve the mechanical properties of EA. Tensile tests, segregation experiments, Fourier transform infrared analysis, X‐ray diffraction, and fluorescence microscope (FM) were used to analyze the mechanical properties and micromorphology of nano‐modified EA, and to explore the optimal content of these two nano‐modifiers in EA. The results of tensile properties tests show the tensile properties of advanced nano‐modified EA are better when 0.01 wt% CNTs and 0.02 wt% GOs are added. Among them, EA modified by CNTs has the best toughening effect, and its fracture toughness is increased by 21%. Finally, combining macroscopic and microscopic experimental analysis, it is concluded that the mechanical homogeneity of the advanced nano‐modified EA is better, and the asphalt is uniformly dispersed in the continuous phase of epoxy resin. Furthermore, CNTs are chemically reacted with the amino group in oleylamine and modified EA through fiber network reinforcement, and GOs modified EA through the amidation reaction with oleylamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental toxicity testing is an animal-intensive endpoints in toxicity testing and calls for animal-free alternatives. Previous studies showed the applicability of an in vitro–in silico approach for predicting developmental toxicity of a range of compounds, based on data from the mouse embryonic stem cell test (EST) combined with physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling facilitated reverse dosimetry. In the current study, the use of this approach for predicting developmental toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated, using benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) as a model compound. A rat PBK model of BaP was developed to simulate the kinetics of its main metabolite 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OHBaP), shown previously to be responsible for the developmental toxicity of BaP. Comparison to in vivo kinetic data showed that the model adequately predicted BaP and 3-OHBaP blood concentrations in the rat. Using this PBK model and reverse dosimetry, a concentration–response curve for 3-OHBaP obtained in the EST was translated into an in vivo dose–response curve for developmental toxicity of BaP in rats upon single or repeated dose exposure. The predicted half maximal effect doses (ED50) amounted to 67 and 45 mg/kg bw being comparable to the ED50 derived from the in vivo dose–response data reported for BaP in the literature, of 29 mg/kg bw. The present study provides a proof of principle of applying this in vitro–in silico approach for evaluating developmental toxicity of BaP and may provide a promising strategy for predicting the developmental toxicity of related PAHs, without the need for extensive animal testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social network has become the primary medium of rumor propagation. Moreover, manual identification of rumors is extremely time-consuming and laborious. It is crucial to identify rumors automatically. Machine learning technology is widely implemented in the identification and detection of misinformation on social networks. However, the traditional machine learning methods profoundly rely on feature engineering and domain knowledge, and the learning ability of temporal features is insufficient. Furthermore, the features used by the deep learning method based on natural language processing are heavily limited. Therefore, it is of great significance and practical value to study the rumor detection method independent of feature engineering and effectively aggregate heterogeneous features to adapt to the complex and variable social network. In this paper, a deep neural network- (DNN-) based feature aggregation modeling method is proposed, which makes full use of the knowledge of propagation pattern feature and text content feature of social network event without feature engineering and domain knowledge. The experimental results show that the feature aggregation model has achieved 94.4% of accuracy as the best performance in recent works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biophysical factors of microenvironments have increasingly been recognized as playing key roles in driving cell functions along with biochemical cues. However, current synthetic extracellular matrix materials with tunable biophysical properties are both costly and technically complicated to prepare, therefore limiting their application in the molecular biology field. Herein, an interpenetration hydrogel group with gradient stiffness and cell anchor points is developed, and the matrix stiffness and adhesion property functions as key regulators to determine the final output of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling is reported. Specifically, it is shown that the spreading areas of mouse embryonic fibroblasts are mainly regulated by stiffness of the matrix. The Shh‐induced Gli1 expression also increases with the cell spreading area. Finally, this work shows that b1‐integrin and focal adhesion kinase, respectively, act as sensors of matrix stiffness and adhesion properties, demonstrating the significance of the precise regulation of Shh signaling by cellular microenvironments. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using this hydrogel platform to study the impact of biophysical changes of the microenvironment on particular cellular signal pathways, and can potentially be applied in low‐cost, high throughput screening of signal pathways which are responsive to the biophysical changes of microenvironments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital-driven climate fluctuations and associated variations in the carbon cycle over short- and long-term time scales can be recorded in sedimentary archives. Bulk geochemical, biomarker, and stable isotope signatures in sediments deposited at the end of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO) recovered from the Chicxulub impact crater in the Gulf of Mexico show a strong relationship with Milankovitch cycles, which play a critical role in controlling climatic and environmental oscillations. Our study represents the first highly spatially-resolved biomarker and bulk geochemical record from the EECO. The bulk δ 13 C kerogen data records the Milankovitch eccentricity-paced variability of continental weathering throughout the studied interval. Biomarkers (and indices) indicative of redox conditions [ e.g., pristane (Pr)/phytane (Ph) ratios], water column stratification and/or salinity conditions (e.g., Gammacerane Index), photic zone euxinia (e.g., isorenieratane, chlorobactene, and okenane) and those that can differentiate between algal communities such as dinoflagellates (dinosteranes), marine pelagophytes (24- n -propylcholestane), chlorophyte algae (24- iso- propylcholestane), and prasinophytes (C 28 /C 29 sterane ratios) show changes controlled by orbital eccentricity frequencies. In particular, eccentricity maxima were marked by more reducing/salinity stratified water conditions, photic zone euxinic episodes, and higher (relative) abundances of prasinophytes. In contrast, eccentricity minima were marked by more oxic water conditions and an increase in cyanobacterial markers. The δ 13 C offset observed between phytane and C 17 –C 19 n -alkanes may represent shifts between a predominance of autotrophic vs. heterotrophic communities controlled by orbital eccentricity. The direct response of molecular and isotopic composition of organic matter to orbitally controlled climate change in the early Eocene could be proven here for the first time and may be more prevalent in Paleogene sediments worldwide. • Orbital controls for the end of Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO). • Highly spatially-resolved biomarker and bulk geochemical records for the EECO. • Eccentricity-paced climatic and paleoenvironmental variability. • Microbial communities respond to orbital cyclicity for the EECO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-releasing interneurons play an important modulatory role in the cortex and have been implicated in multiple neurological disorders. Patient-derived interneurons could provide a foundation for studying the pathogenesis of these diseases as well as for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Here, we identified a set of genetic factors that could robustly induce human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into GABAergic neurons (iGNs) with high efficiency. We demonstrated that the human iGNs express neurochemical markers and exhibit mature electrophysiological properties within 6–8 weeks. Furthermore, in vitro, iGNs could form functional synapses with other iGNs or with human-induced glutamatergic neurons (iENs). Upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, human iGNs underwent synaptic maturation and integration into host neural circuits. Taken together, our rapid and highly efficient single-step protocol to generate iGNs may be useful to both mechanistic and translational studies of human interneurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the possibility that, during short-term refrigerated storage, microbial communities continue to biodegrade individual lipid biomarkers in an intact core section of Early Eocene consolidated marlstone sediments from the hydrothermal system overlying the Chicxulub impact crater (Yucatán, Mexico). Amplicon sequencing of environmental 16S rRNA obtained from the core samples revealed a high relative abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) related to known hydrocarbon degraders, notably Halomonas and Marinobacter. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt2) predicted that Marinobacter and a subset of less abundant bacteria (e.g., Alcanivorax) have the genomic potential to anaerobically degrade hydrocarbons via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia. The variability in the relative abundance of these taxa showed strong positive Pearson correlations (Pearson's r > 0.5) with quantitative changes in the most bioavailable non-sulfurized compounds, notably polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and isorenieratane. Moderate positive Pearson correlations (r values between ∼0.3 and ∼0.5) were observed between microbial taxa and compounds that have undergone early abiotic diagenetic sulfurization (e.g., hopanes, n -alkanes and steranes). These results suggest that non-sulfurized biomarkers may be subject to continued biodegradation in marine sedimentary rocks during short-term refrigerated storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral oils are widely applied in food production and processing and may contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The PAHs that may be present in mineral oils are typically alkylated, and have been barely studied. Metabolic oxidation of the aromatic ring is a key step to form DNA-reactive PAH metabolites, but may be less prominent for alkylated PAHs since alkyl substituents would facilitate side chain oxidation as an alternative. The current study investigates this hypothesis of preferential side chain oxidation at the cost of aromatic oxidation using naphthalene and a series of its alkyl substituted analogues as model compounds. The metabolism was assessed by measuring metabolite formation in rat and human liver microsomal incubations using UPLC and GC-MS/MS. The presence of an alkyl side chain markedly reduced aromatic oxidation for all alkyl-substituted naphthalenes that were converted. 1-n-Dodecyl-naphthalene was not metabolized under the experimental conditions applied. With rat liver microsomes for 1-methyl-, 2-methyl-, 1-ethyl-, and 2-ethyl- naphthalene, alkyl side chain oxidation was preferred over aromatic oxidation. With human liver microsomes this was the case for 2-methyl-, and 2-ethyl-naphthalene. It is concluded that addition of an alkyl substituent in naphthalene shifts metabolism in favor of alkyl side chain oxidation at the cost of aromatic ring oxidation. Furthermore, alkyl side chains of 6 or more carbon atoms appeared to seriously hamper and reduce overall metabolism, metabolic conversion being no longer observed with the C12 alkyl side chain. In summary, alkylation of PAHs likely reduces their chances of aromatic oxidation and bioactivation. • Alkyl substitution of naphthalene shifts metabolism in favor of alkyl side chain oxidation at the cost of aromatic ring oxidation. • Metabolism and bioactivation of naphthalene is hampered when the alkyl substituent contains over 6 carbon atoms. • Alkylation of PAHs likely reduces their chances on aromatic oxidation and potential bioactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by impaired mitochondrial function and decreased ATP levels. Aerobic glycolysis and lactate production have been shown to be upregulated in dopaminergic neurons to sustain ATP levels, but the effect of upregulated glycolysis on dopaminergic neurons remains unknown. Since lactate promotes apoptosis and α-synuclein accumulation in neurons, we hypothesized that the lactate produced upon upregulated glycolysis is involved in the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in PD. In this study, we examined the expression of hexokinase 2 (HK2) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the key enzymes in glycolysis, and lactate levels in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of a MPTP-induced mouse model of PD and in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. We found that the expression of HK2 and LDHA and the lactate levels were markedly increased in the SNpc of MPTP-treated mice and in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Exogenous lactate treatment led to the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells. Intriguingly, lactate production and the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons were suppressed by the application of 3-bromopyruvic acid (3-Brpa), a HK2 inhibitor, or siRNA both in vivo and in vitro. 3-Brpa treatment markedly improved the motor behaviour of MPTP-treated mice in pole test and rotarod test. Mechanistically, lactate increases the activity of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and suppresses the phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Together, our data suggest that upregulated HK2 and LDHA and increased lactate levels prompt the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in PD. Inhibition of HK2 expression attenuated the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons by downregulating lactate production and AMPK/Akt/mTOR pathway in PD. [Display omitted] • Aerobic glycolysis has been shown to be upregulated in PD, but the effect on dopaminergic neurons remains unknown. • Upregulated HK2 and LDHA and increased lactate are involved in the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons. • Pharmacological suppression or genetic ablation of HK2 alleviated the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons. • Our findings provide new insight into the pathological mechanisms underlying the pros and cons of glycolysis in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]