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The development of performance, such as learning a new motor skill, can be represented in a performance curve. The shape of the performance curve is both of theoretical and practical relevance. Here, the author studied the interday performance of juggling over a period of 17 days in 112 college students. The results showed that 60% of participants followed an S-shaped performance curve with the inflection date on the 11th day, followed by a decelerated (20%), accelerated (14%), and linear curve (6%). As expected, except on Day 1, male participants performed at least 33% better than female participants on each practice day. Also as expected, learning performance was found to depend on the type of performance curve with the best learning performance exhibited by the linear group. The results further revealed that pooling all participants' performance together without considering the percentage of each underlying type of performance curve would lead to biased, nonrepresentative results. Given the variety of the observed performance curves and the dominance of the S-shaped performance curve among them, coaches should continuously monitor the shape of an individual's performance curve.

Ti(C, N)-based cermets are problematic in practical production applications due to their brittleness. To improve this defect, Ti(C, N)-based cermets were prepared under different sintering environments using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) device with different contents of Mo2C and 25 wt.% of nano tungsten carbide as additives. By means of microstructural analysis and comprehensive performance tests, the Ti(C, N) cermet with 6 wt.% Mo2C content showed the best comprehensive performance when sintered at 1450 °C under a pressure of 25 MPa with a holding time of 16 min. The density of this metal-ceramic was 6.27 g/cm3, the Vickers hardness was HV 2731, and the fracture toughness was 10.1 MPa·m1/2, which increased the density by 15%, the hardness by 63%, and the fracture toughness by 84% compared with the ceramic without added Mo2C. Densification of cermets can be promoted using SPS. The moderate addition of Mo2C can improve the wettability between the bonded phase and the hard phase, and its joint action with tungsten carbide can promote the formation of a ring structure and inhibit the growth of core-structure grains to enhance the toughness of the ceramic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological new bone formation is a critical feature of the progression of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and spine ankylosis is a distinctive feature of this condition. Ligaments are the primary regions of pathological new bone formation in AS. Here, it is demonstrated that ligament tissue‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) cargo mediate the communication between the tissue and other cells. The investigation revealed that IL‐17A in EVs can activate the JAK‐STAT3 pathway, thereby stimulating the expression of MMP14 in AS ligament. Overexpression of MMP14 can lead to changes in the cytoskeleton and mechanical signaling of mesenchymal stem cells and other cells. These alterations in cellular cytoskeleton and mechanical signaling at ligament sites in patients with AS or in stem cells treated with EVs can result in pathological new bone formation. Finally, inhibiting IL‐17A activity and EV endocytosis effectively controlled inflammation and pathological new bone formation. Overall, these data suggest that ligament‐derived EVs and the enclosed IL‐17A have a potential role in driving pathological new bone formation in AS, and targeting EVs may therefore emerge as a novel approach to delaying ectopic ossification in AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine skeletal muscle development is closely linked to meat production efficiency and quality. The accumulation of porcine intramuscular fat is influenced by the hyperplasia and hypertrophy of adipocytes within the muscle. However, the cellular profiles corresponding to the two stages of muscle development remain undetermined. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) can elucidate cell subsets in tissues, capture gene expression at the individual cell level, and provide innovative perspectives for studying muscle and intramuscular fat formation. In this study, a total of 78,302 nuclei and 9 clusters of cells, which included fibro/adipogenic progenitor (FAP), myonuclei, adipocytes, and other cell types, of Xidu black pigs, were identified on Day 1 and Day 180. The pattern of cell clustering varied between the two developmental stages. Notably, the percentage of adipocytes in the Day 180 group was higher than in the Day 1 group (0.51% vs. 0.15%). Pseudo-time sequence analysis indicated that FAPs could differentiate into adipocytes and myonuclei cells, respectively. The THRSP gene was identified as a biomarker for swine intramuscular fat cells, and its down-regulation resulted in significant reduction in lipid droplet formation in porcine preadipocytes. Our research provides new insights into the cellular characteristics of intramuscular fat formation, which may facilitate the development of novel strategies to enhance intramuscular fat deposition and improve pork quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content plays a crucial role in determining pork quality. Recent studies have highlighted transcriptional mechanisms controlling adipogenesis in porcine IMF. However, the changes in chromatin accessibility during adipogenic differentiation are still not well understood. In this study, we performed the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses on porcine intramuscular preadipocytes to explore their adipogenic differentiation into mature adipocytes. We identified a total of 56,374 differentially accessible chromatin peaks and 4226 differentially expressed genes at day 0 and day 4 during adipogenic differentiation. A combined analysis of the ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data revealed that 1750 genes exhibited both differential chromatin accessibility and differential RNA expression during this process, including selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1), PLIN1, ADIPOQ, and FASN. Furthermore, we found that vitamin D receptor (VDR) could bind to the promoter region of the SELENBP1 gene, activate SELENBP1 transcription, and ultimately promote lipid accumulation during adipogenic differentiation. This study provides a detailed overview of chromatin accessibility and gene expression changes during the adipogenic differentiation of porcine intramuscular preadipocytes. Moreover, we propose a novel regulatory mechanism involving the VDR–SELENBP1 signaling axis in adipogenic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Limited real‐world data exist on treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with metastatic castration‐sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted, using the Veterans Health Administration claims database (April 2013–March 2018). Among 369,734 prostate cancer patients, we selected all men who developed metastases within 90 days before or after medical/surgical castration and who received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Patients were categorized into four cohorts: ADT‐only (±

The propagation of Rayleigh waves along solid surfaces has attracted great attention due to its ubiquity in seismic waves, non-destructive evaluation, acoustic surface wave devices, and so on. Moreover, Rayleigh waves in periodic structures and their related band gaps caused by Bragg resonances have also been investigated. In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate the propagation mechanism of Rayleigh waves along the side wall of a periodically corrugated aluminum plate. As expected, the band gap structures are observed in the spectrum of Rayleigh waves. However, not all the band gaps are caused by the Bragg resonances. The additional band gaps created by the interference of different transverse modes are observed. Different from the well-known Bragg resonance, the different mode interference, producing stronger energy attenuation and wider band gap, is called non-Bragg resonances. The two resonances can be manipulated by varying the phase shift of two sidewall corrugations, achieving an effective prohibition of Rayleigh wave propagation. These findings on Rayleigh wave propagation in periodic structures provide a comprehensive understanding of wave-structure interactions, which can be used to regulate elastic waves in various applications, such as multifunctional elastic wave separators, filters, and modulators.

Objective To understand the occurrence of occupational burnout among childcare workers in Sichuan Province and analyze its influencing factors. Methods An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among childcare workers in infant care institutions for children under three years of age across 21 cities (prefectures) in the province. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the influencing factors of occupational burnout among childcare workers. Results Among 9 662 childcare workers, 3 933 (40.71%) experienced occupational burnout. Factors identified as risk factors for burnout included being aged ≤20 years (OR=1.67, 95%CI: 1.29-2.15), aged 21-30 years (OR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.41-1.89), aged 31-40 years (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.05-1.39), being unmarried (OR=1.42, 95%CI: 1.27-1.59), having a college diploma (OR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.02-1.30) or a bachelor's degree or higher (OR=1.27, 95%CI: 1.08-1.48), working as a teacher (OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.05-1.35), earning a monthly income of ≤2 000 yuan (OR=1.60, 95%CI: 1.31-1.96) or 2 001 to 4 000 yuan (OR=1.28, 95%CI: 1.07-1.53), and being dissatisfied with career development (OR=2.67, 95%CI: 2.43-2.93). Conclusion The status of occupational burnout among childcare workers in Sichuan Province is grim. Targeted interventions should be implemented to alleviate burnout, reduce employee turnover, and meet the talent needs of the childcare industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidirectional ground reaction forces (GRFs) and jump tests within baseball pitchers provide insight into athletic ability and coordination to produce lower-body force and power. Lowerbody power is a biomechanical feature that denotes physiological capacity through dynamic and passive tissue stretch-shortening in transferring energy from the ground through the kinetic chain. Optimized lower-body power may lessen the magnitude of forces on the upper extremity. Insufficient lower-body power may create a greater risk of upper-body injury. Lower-body power and its relationship to ball velocity have been minimally investigated, yet some research points to a correlation between jumping ability and fastball velocity. Because pitching is unilateral, practitioners should consider unilateral jumps to determine the extent of bilateral asymmetry or stride to drive leg differences that can guide training to remediate deficiencies. The purposes of this brief review are to (a) examine factors that influence vertical jump performance among baseball players, (b) examine research on pitching multidirectional GRFs, and (c) examine literature concerning jump performances to baseball pitching performance. Collectively, this review can assist coaches and practitioners in lower-body power testing and training for baseball pitchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the revolution of energy production and consumption, and build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, the research on rural comprehensive energy service operation based on the data drive of electric power Internet of Things was put forward. In this paper, the innovation of big data technology application concept drives the integrated energy service operation management mode, and improves the service quality and operation management efficiency. Focusing on the collaborative optimization of production and consumption, the construction and management of rural comprehensive energy services will make use of technological advantages to accurately locate customers’ needs, improve service efficiency, and benefit the concept of energy green ecological construction in rural comprehensive energy development planning to build a smart energy ecosystem.

DNA methylation plays a critical role in regulating gene expression during testicular development. However, few studies report on candidate genes related to the DNA methylation regulation of porcine testicular development. This study examined the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their methylation levels in testicular tissues from pigs at 60 days of age (60 d) and 180 days of age (180 d) using RNA-Seq and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). It was determined that DNA methylation primarily occurs in the cytosine–guanine (CG) context, and the analysis identified 106,282 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) corresponding to 12,385 differentially methylated genes (DMGs). Further integrated analysis of RNA-Seq and WGBS data revealed 1083 DMGs negatively correlated with the expression of DEGs. GO analysis showed that these genes were significantly enriched in spermatogenesis, germ cell development, and spermatid differentiation. The screening of enriched genes revealed that hyper-methylation repressed ADAM30, ADAM3A, DPY19L2, H2BC1, MAK, RPL10L, SPATA16, and YBX2, while hypo-methylation elevated CACNA1I, CADM1, CTNNB1, JAM2, and PAFAH1B3 expression. Additionally, the methylation status of the key genes ADAM3A, ADAM30, YBX2, JAM2, PAFAH1B3, and CTNNB1 was detected by bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). This study offers insights into the epigenetic regulation mechanisms underlying porcine testicular development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The defect state in periodic structures usually leads to a pass band in the forbidden bandgap and energy localization at the position of geometric change. In this paper, we have introduced periodic cavities into a symmetric structure composing of two separated phononic crystals to construct the defect state in the forbidden band and realize the temperature tuning of the defect state. The proposed structure is composed of two mirror-symmetric phononic crystals, with triangular steel arrays embedded in water. These two phononic crystals have opposite rotation angles possessing different topological properties, and the relative position of them leads to a forbidden band for the underwater ultrasonic waves. Interestingly, the periodic cavities between the boundaries of the phononic crystals result in a peak in the forbidden bandgap, which behaves as energy localization inside the cavities. The simulated results reflect the spectral and spatial characteristics of the defect state of this structure and exhibit the temperature tuning of the mentioned defect state. The designed structure provides a valid platform to filter the ultrasonic waves in fluid via controlling temperature, and the defect state manipulations benefit the smart structures of wave propagation, such as acoustic switches and underwater sound waveguides.