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AIM: To investigate the differences in varying stages of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA).METHODS: Cross-sectional study. A total of 77 cases(77 eyes)of diabetic patients were included, and they were divided into non-diabetic retinopathy(NDR; 23 eyes)and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR; 54 eyes)groups, further subdivided into mild NPDR(20 eyes), moderate NPDR(20 eyes), and severe NPDR(14 eyes). Foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, superficial and deep capillary plexus densities(SSP and DSP), and visual acuity(LogMAR)were compared between NDR and NPDR groups. Furthermore, the visual acuity, FAZ area and levels of SSP and DSP were compared in different degrees of NPDR. Correlation analysis were conducted to elucidate relationships between FAZ area, visual acuity, SSP, DSP, and severity of the disease.RESULTS: Compared with the NDR group, the visual acuity(LogMAR)and macular FAZ area increased, while SSP and DSP were decreased in the NPDR group(P

Identifying high‐quality causal explanations is key to scientific understanding. This research (N = 202; 50% girls; Mage: 5.82 years; 64% Asian, 33% White, and 3% multiracial; data collected from 2018 to 2024) examined how explanation circularity and informants' social dominance impact children's learning preferences for causal explanations. Raised in a culture valuing circular logic, Chinese children still preferred non‐circular explanations and learning from informants providing non‐circular explanations (d ≥ 0.50). When informants with non‐circular explanations were subordinate to those with circular explanations, Chinese and American children preferred non‐circular over circular explanations (d = 1.10), but did not prefer learning new information from either informant. Although children weigh explanation quality over informant dominance when seeking explanations for given questions, they consider both cues when evaluating informants' credibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality and efficiency prediction, as well as coupling optimization, is very important for improving product production. However, most of the researches are studying the quality and efficiency separately, which makes it difficult to improveproduction. Therefore, this paper proposes a quality–efficiency coupling prediction and monitoring-based process optimization method to effectively improve the quality and efficiency of thin plate parts with multi-machining features at the same time. And the best process parameters are recommended to better improve machining stability. Firstly, based on the generalized multi-layer residual network and deep neural network (MLResNet-DNN), the prediction models of quality and efficiency are constructed, respectively. Secondly, the quality–efficiency coupling index is constructed based on coupled permutation entropy (CPE) accordingly. Finally, the process optimization model based on the hybrid artificial bee colony–particle swarm optimization (HABC-PSO) algorithm is established to recommend the best process parameters according to the monitoring results of quality–efficiency CPE. The RMSE average value of the proposed quality and machining time prediction model has an average improvement of at least 10.8% and 25.9%, respectively, than other prediction model. The process parameters recommended by the proposed HABC-PSO method have improved the machining stability of quality and efficiency by at least 25.6%, and machining time is reduced by at least 25.7% compared with other optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When learning about the existence of unobservable scientific phenomena such as germs or religious phenomena such as God, children are receptive to the testimony of other people. Research in Western cultures has shown that by 5 to 6 years of age, children--like adults--are confident about the existence of both scientific and religious phenomena. We examined the beliefs of secular and Christian children growing up in China as well as the beliefs of their parents. All participants--secular and Christian children, as well as their parents--were confident about the existence of the scientific phenomena. No such consensus emerged for religious phenomena. Whereas secular children and their parents were skeptical, Christian children and their parents were confident about the existence of the religious phenomena. Moreover, a similar pattern was found for Christian children in preschools and for Christian children with more extensive exposure to the secular state curriculum. Indeed, for religious phenomena, a positive association was found between the beliefs of Christian children and their parents, highlighting the potential influence of parental input in a predominantly secular society. Overall, the results indicate that children's religious beliefs are related to the beliefs of their parents, even when those beliefs go against the majority view.

Deciding whose words to trust profoundly impacts children's knowledge acquisition. In evaluating informants' trustworthiness, children are attentive to their social dominance. Previous studies have shown that children's trust preferences may differ across cultures based on the dominance of the informant: children in Western cultures prefer to trust in testimony from dominant informants, whereas children in Eastern cultures prefer to trust subordinate informants (Bernard et al., 2016; Charafeddine et al., 2019). We aim to investigate the potential cultural difference in the trust preferences of European American children (in the United States) and Chinese children (in China) from informants of varying levels of dominance, using a more refined method to assess children's trust preferences. We propose that different levels of authoritarianism – advocacies to obey authorities – in Western and Eastern cultures may explain the potential difference in children's selective trust. Specifically, as impacted by societal cultures, Chinese parents may possess a higher level of authoritarianism than European American parents and may place a higher emphasis on obedience in their parenting. Consequently, Chinese children may show stronger trust preferences from subordinate informants over dominant informants than European American children. Our research will offer insights into the potential mechanism underlying children's different learning preferences across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a cross-cultural replication of Seiver, Gopnik & Goodman (2013) and compares the development of socialcausal attributions in Chinese and U.S. children. In this study, Chinese (n=110) 4-and 6-year-olds were directly compared to theU.S. children in Seiver, Gopnik & Goodman (2013). Children were shown covariation evidence that varied across conditionsto imply that a person, situation, or neither was the cause of a person’s actions. Following observation, children were askedto explain why the person engaged in the actions. Findings indicate that U.S. children significantly increased the amount ofperson attributions they made with age, while Chinese 4-and 6-year-olds answered comparably. Children from both cultureswere sensitive to covariation manipulations when they suggested a person was the cause of an action. Only U.S. children weresensitive to evidence when it favored the situation.