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Abstract Glioma, a malignant and infiltrative neoplasm of the central nervous system, poses a significant threat due to its high mortality rates. Branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1), a key enzyme in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism, exhibits elevated expression in gliomas and correlates strongly with poor prognosis. Nonetheless, the regulatory mechanisms underlying this increased BCAT1 expression remains incompletely understood. In this study, we reveal that ubiquitination at Lys360 facilitates BCAT1 degradation, with low ubiquitination levels contributing to high BCAT1 expression in glioma cells. The Carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, interacts with BCAT1 via its coiled-coil (CC) domain, promoting its K48-linkage ubiquitin degradation through proteasomal pathway. Moreover, CHIP-mediated BCAT1 degradation induces metabolic reprogramming, and impedes glioma cell proliferation and tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, a positive correlation is observed between low CHIP expression, elevated BCAT1 levels, and unfavorable prognosis among glioma patients. Additionally, we show that the CHIP/BCAT1 axis enhances glioma sensitivity to temozolomide by reducing glutathione (GSH) synthesis and increasing oxidative stress. These findings underscore the critical role of CHIP/BCAT1 axis in glioma cell proliferation and temozolomide sensitivity, highlighting its potential as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in glioma treatment.

Abstract Background Many personnel respond to natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis and frequent public health events like Ebola and COVID-19. However, research on emergency assistance personnel remains limited. This study aims to describe the perceived well-being among responders deployed in isolated or emergency international missions while providing practical references to intervene in developing similar missions. Methods For this qualitative phenomenological study, purposive sampling was used following the principle of maximum differentiation to select personnel deployed on an emergency mission for over a year. Data collection continued until data saturation. Phenomenologically semi-structured interviews helped explore the physical and psychological status of the participants with Colaizzi’s method. Results Eleven personnel were interviewed after the mission, with four major themes being identified: ‘perceived somatic change,’ ‘perceived emotional change,’ ‘behavioral change,’ and ‘coping with perceived change.’ Conclusions The mental health status of the emergency assistance personnel was affected by multiple factors from external and internal environments. The current study explored the physical and psychological feelings and emotions of emergency assistance personnel during an emergency mission. The study provided a practical reference for health management under similar missions. Registrations Not registered.

Abstract Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 on citizens from different cities is crucial for urban resilience-building and reducing inequal resilience distribution. However, little research focuses on urban life at the individual level, particularly in second- and third-tier cities. An online survey was therefore conducted to collect data on how COVID-19 affected the cities and urban residents in mainland China. The results indicate that COVID-19 limited citizens’ access to healthcare facilities and socioeconomic activities apart from the immediate health crisis. Most citizens suffered reduced income, unemployment, and social anxiety. However, COVID-19 also raised social awareness and actions for disaster adaptation. The Chinese pandemic management has strengthened governmental leadership and credibility among most citizens in the early stage. Importantly, the results suggested that citizens in first-tier cities appeared more resilient to pandemics than those in second-tier cities. A networked resilience framework was therefore discussed for resilience-building policy implications.

Solid oral controlled release formulations feature numerous clinical advantages for drug candidates with adequate solubility and dissolution rate. However, most new chemical entities exhibit poor water solubility, and hence are exempt from such benefits. Although combining drug amorphization with controlled release formulation is promising to elevate drug solubility, like other supersaturating systems, the problem of drug recrystallization has yet to be resolved, particularly within the dosage form. Here, we explored the potential of an emerging, non-leachable terpolymer nanoparticle (TPN) pore former as an internal recrystallization inhibitor within controlled release amorphous solid dispersion (CRASD) beads comprising a poorly soluble drug (celecoxib) reservoir and insoluble polymer (ethylcellulose) membrane. Compared to conventional pore former, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), TPN-containing membranes exhibited superior structural integrity, less crystal formation at the CRASD bead surface, and greater extent of celecoxib release. All-atom molecular dynamics analyses revealed that in the presence of TPN, intra-molecular bonding, crystal formation tendency, diffusion coefficient, and molecular flexibility of celecoxib were reduced, while intermolecular H-bonding was increased as compared to PVP. This work suggests that selection of a pore former that promotes prolonged molecular separation within a nanoporous controlled release membrane structure may serve as an effective strategy to enhance amorphicity preservation inside CRASD.

Abstract Cervical cancer, significantly affecting women worldwide, often involves treatment with bleomycin, an anticancer agent targeting breast, ovarian, and cervical cancers by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce cancer cell death. The Peroxiredoxin (PRDX) family, particularly PRDX1 and 2, plays a vital role in maintaining cellular balance by scavenging ROS, thus mitigating the damaging effects of bleomycin-induced mitochondrial and cellular oxidative stress. This process reduces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and prevents cell apoptosis. However, reducing PRDX1 and 2 levels reverses their protective effect, increasing apoptosis. This research highlights the importance of PRDX1 and 2 in cervical cancer treatments with bleomycin, showing their potential to enhance treatment efficacy by managing ROS and ER stress and suggesting a therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes in cervical cancer treatment.

Abstract Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical for various cellular processes in multiple cell types, including osteoblast (OB) differentiation and function. Exactly how Wnt/β-catenin signaling is regulated in OBs remain elusive. ATP6AP2, an accessory subunit of V-ATPase, plays important roles in multiple cell types/organs and multiple signaling pathways. However, little is known whether and how ATP6AP2 in OBs regulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling and bone formation. Here we provide evidence for ATP6AP2 in the OB-lineage cells to promote OB-mediated bone formation and bone homeostasis selectively in the trabecular bone regions. Conditionally knocking out (CKO) ATP6AP2 in the OB-lineage cells (Atp6ap2 Ocn-Cre ) reduced trabecular, but not cortical, bone formation and bone mass. Proteomic and cellular biochemical studies revealed that LRP6 and N-cadherin were reduced in ATP6AP2-KO BMSCs and OBs, but not osteocytes. Additional in vitro and in vivo studies revealed impaired β-catenin signaling in ATP6AP2-KO BMSCs and OBs, but not osteocytes, under both basal and Wnt stimulated conditions, although LRP5 was decreased in ATP6AP2-KO osteocytes, but not BMSCs. Further cell biological studies uncovered that osteoblastic ATP6AP2 is not required for Wnt3a suppression of β-catenin phosphorylation, but necessary for LRP6/β-catenin and N-cadherin/β-catenin protein complex distribution at the cell membrane, thus preventing their degradation. Expression of active β-catenin diminished the OB differentiation deficit in ATP6AP2-KO BMSCs. Taken together, these results support the view for ATP6AP2 as a critical regulator of both LRP6 and N-cadherin protein trafficking and stability, and thus regulating β-catenin levels, demonstrating an un-recognized function of osteoblastic ATP6AP2 in promoting Wnt/LRP6/β-catenin signaling and trabecular bone formation.

Abstract Background Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based solutions for Gleason grading hold promise for pathologists, while image quality inconsistency, continuous data integration needs, and limited generalizability hinder their adoption and scalability. Methods We present a comprehensive digital pathology workflow for AI-assisted Gleason grading. It incorporates A!MagQC (image quality control), A!HistoClouds (cloud-based annotation), Pathologist-AI Interaction (PAI) for continuous model improvement, Trained on Akoya-scanned images only, the model utilizes color augmentation and image appearance migration to address scanner variations. We evaluate it on Whole Slide Images (WSI) from another five scanners and conduct validations with pathologists to assess AI efficacy and PAI. Results Our model achieves an average F1 score of 0.80 on annotations and 0.71 Quadratic Weighted Kappa on WSIs for Akoya-scanned images. Applying our generalization solution increases the average F1 score for Gleason pattern detection from 0.73 to 0.88 on images from other scanners. The model accelerates Gleason scoring time by 43% while maintaining accuracy. Additionally, PAI improve annotation efficiency by 2.5 times and led to further improvements in model performance. Conclusions This pipeline represents a notable advancement in AI-assisted Gleason grading for improved consistency, accuracy, and efficiency. Unlike previous methods limited by scanner specificity, our model achieves outstanding performance across diverse scanners. This improvement paves the way for its seamless integration into clinical workflows.

Societal Impact Statement Conventional pest management measures release large amounts of chemical or plastic pollutants into the environment. Nicotiana benthamiana, a commonly employed laboratory model plant, demonstrated remarkable lethality and attractiveness towards several important Hemiptera and Thysanoptera insect pests. Field trials showed that the N. benthamiana plants can be used as a dead‐end trap to successfully control these pests, comparable to commercial plastic sticky traps. Notably, the N. benthamiana in the field grew well without negatively impacting crop growth, natural enemies, and pollinators. This study unearths a new benefit of N. benthamiana and develops an easy‐to‐apply and sustainable strategy for field pest control. Summary Hemiptera and Thysanoptera insects pose persistent threats to agricultural production. Conventional management strategies involve the release of chemical or plastic agents, causing adverse environmental and global health issues. Notably, Nicotiana benthamiana, a globally utilized model plant, exhibits remarkable lethal effects and attraction towards these pests. In this study, we explored the potential of using N. benthamiana for Hemiptera and Thysanoptera pest control in the laboratory and field. Through net cover and three field assays over 2 years, we demonstrated the efficacy and benefits of using N. benthamiana as a field‐deployed pest control dead‐end trap. N. benthamiana demonstrated nearly 100% lethality to whiteflies, aphids, and thrips, with emitted volatiles attracting these insects. Field trials showed that potted and planted N. benthamiana blocks and traps whiteflies and thrips from several Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae crops effectively, comparable to common commercial yellow and blue sticky boards. Moreover, N. benthamiana in the field exhibited robust growth in commercial greenhouses without negatively impacting crop growth, natural enemies, and pollinators. Our study introduces an innovative, easily implementable, and sustainable approach for controlling Hemiptera and Thysanoptera pests. Moreover, it unveils the novel utility of N. benthamiana in field‐based pest management.

We report that diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI) is a glial messenger mediating crosstalk between satellite glial cells (SGCs) and sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). DBI is highly expressed in SGCs of mice, rats, and humans, but not in sensory neurons or most other DRG-resident cells. Knockdown of DBI results in a robust mechanical hypersensitivity without major effects on other sensory modalities. In vivo overexpression of DBI in SGCs reduces sensitivity to mechanical stimulation and alleviates mechanical allodynia in neuropathic and inflammatory pain models. We further show that DBI acts as an unconventional agonist and positive allosteric modulator at the neuronal [GABA.sub.A] receptors, particularly strongly affecting those with a high-affinity benzodiazepine binding site. Such receptors are selectively expressed by a subpopulation of mechanosensitive DRG neurons, and these are also more enwrapped with DBI-expressing glia, as compared with other DRG neurons, suggesting a mechanism for a specific effect of DBI on mechanosensation. These findings identified a communication mechanism between peripheral neurons and SGCs. This communication modulates pain signaling and can be targeted therapeutically., Introduction Despite remarkable progress in our understanding of the fundamental biology of pain, current therapies for chronic pain are often inadequate and prone to serious side effects within the central [...]

Pronounced voltage hysteresis in Li-excess cathode materials is commonly thought to be associated with oxygen redox. However, these materials often possess overlapping oxygen and transition-metal redox, whose contributions to hysteresis between charge and discharge are challenging to distinguish. In this work, a two-step aqueous redox titration is developed with the aid of mass spectrometry (MS) to quantify oxidized lattice oxygen and Mn3+ /4+ redox in a representative Li-excess cation-disordered rock salt—Li1.2Mn0.4Ti0.4O2 (LMTO). Two MS-countable gas molecules evolve from two separate titrant-analyte reactions, thereby allowing Mn and O redox capacities to be decoupled. The decoupled O and Mn redox coulombic efficiencies are close to 100% for the LMTO cathode, indicating high charge-compensation reversibility. As incremental Mn and O redox capacities are quantitatively decoupled, each redox voltage hysteresis is further evaluated. Overall, LMTO voltage hysteresis arises not only from an intrinsic charge-discharge voltage mismatch related to O redox, but also from asymmetric Mn-redox overvoltages. The results reveal that O and Mn redox both contribute substantially to voltage hysteresis. This work further shows the potential of designing new analytical workflows to experimentally quantify key properties, even in a disordered material having complex local coordination environments.

The investigation of staggered finned manifold microchannel (MMC) for addressing thermal management challenges in high heat flux electronic devices presents promising insights. The research indicates that staggered finned MMCs exhibit superior heat transfer characteristics in comparison to traditional rectangular microchannels, particularly under single-phase flow conditions. When staggered finned microchannels reduce the maximum temperature of the heating surface by around 10 K, the pressure drop is reduced by 1.3 kPa. Notably, as the heat flux escalates, the advantages of staggered finned MMCs become increasingly pronounced, while higher flow rates lead to a gradual diminishment of these advantages. Furthermore, in scenarios involving flow boiling with low heat flux and high flow conditions, staggered finned MMCs demonstrate enhanced heat transfer performance over traditional rectangular microchannels. When staggered finned microchannels reduce the maximum temperature of the heating surface by around 3 K, the pressure drop is improved by 1.2 kPa. Moreover, the study underscores that at lower flow rates, staggered finned MMCs experience a reduced pressure drop relative to traditional rectangular microchannels, whereas at higher flow rates, this trend is reversed. These findings carry significant implications for the optimization of thermal management strategies for electronic devices operating under high heat flux conditions.

Abstract Research background and purpose Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the most common bone diseases worldwide, characterized by low bone mineral density and susceptibility to pathological fractures, especially in postmenopausal women and elderly men. Ferroptosis is one of the newly discovered forms of cell death regulated by genes in recent years. Many studies have shown that ferroptosis is closely related to many diseases. However, there are few studies on ferroptosis in osteoporosis, and the mechanism of ferroptosis in osteoporosis is still unclear. This study aims to identify biomarkers related to osteoporosis ferroptosis from the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database through bioinformatics technology, and to mine potential therapeutic small molecule compounds through molecular docking technology, trying to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in the future. Materials and methods We downloaded the ferroptosis-related gene set from the FerrDb database ( http://www.zhounan.org/ferrdb/index.html ), downloaded the data sets GSE56815 and GSE7429 from the GEO database, and used the R software “limma” package to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE56815, and intersected with the ferroptosis gene set to obtain ferroptosis-related DEGs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed by the R software “clusterProfiler” package. The random forest model was further screened to obtain essential ferroptosis genes. R software “corrplot” package was used for correlation analysis of essential ferroptosis genes, and the Wilcox test was used for significance analysis. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network was constructed using Cytoscape software. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to construct a disease diagnosis model, and a Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic performance, and then GSE7429 was used to verify the reliability of the diagnosis model. Molecular docking technology was used to screen potential small molecule compounds from the Drugbank database. Finally, a rat osteoporosis model was constructed, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were extracted for qRT-PCR detection to verify the mRNA expression levels of crucial ferroptosis genes. Result Six DEGs related to ferroptosis were initially screened out. GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that ferroptosis-related DEGs were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as maintenance of iron ion homeostasis, copper ion binding function, and ferroptosis. The random forest model identified five key ferroptosis genes, including CP, FLT3, HAMP, HMOX1, and SLC2A3. Gene correlation analysis found a relatively low correlation between these five key ferroptosis genes. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network shows that BAZ1B and STAT3 may also be potential molecules. The ROC curve of the disease diagnosis model shows that the model has a good diagnostic performance. Molecular docking technology screened out three small molecule compounds, including NADH, Midostaurin, and Nintedanib small molecule compounds. qRT-PCR detection confirmed the differential expression of CP, FLT3, HAMP, HMOX1 and SLC2A3 between OP and normal control group. Conclusion This study identified five key ferroptosis genes (CP, FLT3, HAMP, HMOX1, and SLC2A3), they were most likely related to OP ferroptosis. In addition, we found that the small molecule compounds of NADH, Midostaurin, and Nintedanib had good docking scores with these five key ferroptosis genes. These findings may provide new clues for the early diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in the future.

Abstract Background Neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly recognized for their association with oxidative stress, which leads to progressive dysfunction and loss of neurons, manifesting in cognitive and motor impairments. This study aimed to elucidate the neuroprotective role of peroxiredoxin II (Prx II) in counteracting oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial damage, a key pathological feature of neurodegeneration. Methods We investigated the impact of Prx II deficiency on endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction using HT22 cell models with knocked down and overexpressed Prx II. We observed alcohol-treated HT22 cells using transmission electron microscopy and monitored changes in the length of mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes and their contact with endoplasmic reticulum mitochondria contact sites (EMCSs). Additionally, RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were conducted to identify the role of Prx II in regulating mitochondrial transport and the formation of EMCSs. Results Our results indicated that Prx II preserves mitochondrial integrity by facilitating the formation of EMCSs, which are essential for maintaining mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and preventing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Further, we identified a novel regulatory axis involving Prx II, the transcription factor ATF3, and miR-181b-5p, which collectively modulate the expression of Armcx3, a protein implicated in mitochondrial transport. Our findings underscore the significance of Prx II in protecting neuronal cells from alcohol-induced oxidative damage and suggest that modulating the Prx II-ATF3-miR-181b-5p pathway may offer a promising therapeutic strategy against neurodegenerative diseases. Conclusions This study not only expands our understanding of the cytoprotective mechanisms of Prx II but also offers necessary data for developing targeted interventions to bolster mitochondrial resilience in neurodegenerative conditions.

Purpose:. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, segmental ureterectomy (SU) of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a considerable option for selected mid- and distal ureteral urothelial carcinoma (UC). As a UTUC endemic area, Taiwan lacks treatment outcome analysis of SU. Materials and methods:. This study retrospectively reviewed the treatment outcomes of SU for clinically localized UTUCs. Patients with biopsy or washing cytology-confirmed UTUCs who underwent open, laparoscopic, or robot-assisted management with curative intent were retrospectively reviewed for the eligibility of analysis. Cox regression was applied for univariable and multivariable analyses. Results:. A total of 161 patients who underwent SU were reviewed and analyzed. The median follow-up period was 44.5 (interquartile range, 21.6–84.9) months. After SU, 56/161 (34.8%) patients were free of UTUCs after the follow-up, 25/161 (15.5%) patients had local recurrence, and 35/161 (21.7%) had lymph node or distant metastasis. Surgical margin involvement was a risk factor associated with worse cancer-specific survival. Higher bladder recurrence and local recurrence rates were observed with concurrent bladder UC. Lymphovascular invasion and previous radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for UC were related to higher local recurrence rates. Patients with pathological T3/T4 stage and end-stage renal disease tended to have higher metastasis rates. For the management of local recurrence, 19 patients received salvage RNU and 25 patients had adjuvant chemotherapy. However, 26/161 (16.1%) patients died of UTUCs and 2/161 (1.2%) patients died of surgery-related complications. Conclusion:. SU provides acceptable oncological outcomes if the surgeons select candidates carefully. SU is not recommended if the patient has T3 or higher stage or comorbidity of end-stage renal disease. Concurrent bladder UC is a risk factor for worse bladder recurrence-free survival and local recurrence-free survival. Lymphovascular invasion and previous RNU for UC were related to higher local recurrence rates. After SU, periodic follow-up is mandatory because the local recurrence rate is higher than radical surgery.

This study delves into the intricate usage of certainty stance adverbs in the academic writings of the Chinese. The object of this study is to conduct a contrastive analysis of certainty stance adverbs between Chinese linguistic MA novices and linguistic experts. The subject of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in the use of these adverbs within the academic discourse of the two groups mentioned. In addressing these disparities, the study seeks to analyze them from the perspective of interlanguage and interpersonal function, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the production of high-quality academic papers by the Chinese. The study employs two key methods: the contrastive analysis method and the corpus-based method. The novelty of the study lies in its contrastive examination of certainty stance adverbs between Chinese linguistic MA novices and experts. Through an in-depth analysis of theoretical frameworks and linguistic data extracted from the MA theses of Chinese linguistic novices and research articles of linguistic experts, the study underscores the importance of considering the similarities and differences in the use of certainty stance adverbs within the realm of second language acquisition and pragmatic studies. This consideration aims to refine learners’ syntactical and pragmatic command of certainty stance adverbs to align with expert academic discourse, ultimately fostering effective interpersonal communication in academic writing. The findings of this research offer valuable insights into the specific linguistic challenges encountered by the Chinese, thereby laying a solid groundwork for the development of targeted pedagogical strategies to bolster their academic writing skills.

Abstract Purpose We aimed to explore the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD), bone metabolism markers, and blood lipid-related indicators, body mass index (BMI) in elderly individuals. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 710 patients. Patients’ gender, age, height, weight, bone density values, T-scores, bone metabolism markers (including serum N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (s-PINP), serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (s-CTX) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and lipid-related indicators (including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and Castelli index 1 (TC/HDL-C index) and Castelli index 2 (LDL-C/HDL-C index) were recorded. Correlations between variables were analyzed, and patients were grouped according to gender and T-score for intergroup comparisons. Results HDL-C negatively correlates with BMD and s-CTX. TG, Castelli index, and BMI positively correlate with BMD. BMI negatively correlates with s-PINP. 1,25(OH)2D3 negatively correlates with TC, LDL-C, and Castelli index. LDL-C positively correlates with BMD in males, and TC negatively correlates with s-PINP. In females, HDL-C negatively correlates with BMD, and s-CTX positively correlates with Castelli index. 1,25(OH)2D3 negatively correlates with TC, LDL-C, and Castelli index. TG and Castelli index were higher in normal bone mass group, while HDL-C is higher in the osteoporosis group. TG and BMI positively predicted bone mass density, while HDL-C negatively predicted bone mass density. Conclusions HDL-C may have a predictive role in osteoporosis, particularly in women. The likelihood of osteoporosis is lower in individuals with high BMI or hyperlipidemia. Some lipid metabolism markers can be used to predict osteoporosis, and further research is needed.

The use of optical interconnects has burgeoned as a promising technology that can address the limits of data transfer for future high-performance silicon chips. Recent pushes to enhance optical communication have focused on developing wavelength-division multiplexing technology, and new dimensions of data transfer will be paramount to fulfill the ever-growing need for speed. Here we demonstrate an integrated multi-dimensional communication scheme that combines wavelength- and mode- multiplexing on a silicon photonic circuit. Using foundry-compatible photonic inverse design and spectrally flattened microcombs, we demonstrate a 1.12-Tb/s natively error-free data transmission throughout a silicon nanophotonic waveguide. Furthermore, we implement inverse-designed surface-normal couplers to enable multimode optical transmission between separate silicon chips throughout a multimode-matched fibre. All the inverse-designed devices comply with the process design rules for standard silicon photonic foundries. Our approach is inherently scalable to a multiplicative enhancement over the state of the art silicon photonic transmitters.

Background: Symptomatic Tarlov cysts are extremely rare, and there is no consensus on the optimal treatment for this condition. Here, we encountered a patient with a symptomatic giant sacral Tarlov cyst and reviewed the relevant literature.Case descriptionA 55-year-old male patient was diagnosed with a large sacral canal cyst based on an MRI examination four years ago. Due to mild symptoms, the patient received conservative treatment. In 2023, the patient's symptoms worsened, significantly affecting daily activities. It was suspected that the symptoms were related to the cyst. Subsequently, the patient underwent laminectomy and microsurgical excision of the cyst. Postoperatively, the patient experienced an improvement in symptoms. We conducted a review of the surgical approach used for this patient and explored alternative treatment methods proposed in the literature for similar conditions. Conclusions: We achieved favorable outcomes by performing microsurgical excision of symptomatic giant Tarlov cysts in a 55-year-old patient. Additionally, we reviewed relevant literature regarding Tarlov cysts. The treatment approaches for this condition vary, and conservative, interventional, or surgical treatments have all shown efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to choose an appropriate treatment plan based on the patient's specific circumstances.

Process overlap theory (POT) is a new theoretical framework designed to account for the general factor of intelligence ("g"). According to POT, g does not reflect a general cognitive ability. Instead, "g" is the result of multiple domain-general executive attention processes and multiple domain-specific processes that are sampled in an overlapping manner across a battery of intelligence tests. POT explains several benchmark findings on human intelligence. However, the precise nature of the executive attention processes underlying g remains unclear. In the current paper, we discuss challenges associated with building a theory of individual differences in attention and intelligence. We argue that the conflation of psychological theories and statistical models, as well as problematic inferences based on latent variables, impedes research progress and prevents theory building. Two studies designed to illustrate the unique features of POT relative to previous approaches are presented. In Study 1, a simulation is presented to illustrate precisely how POT accounts for the relationship between executive attention processes and "g." In Study 2, three datasets from previous studies are reanalyzed (N = 243, N = 234, N = 945) and reveal a discrepancy between the POT simulated model and the unity/diversity model of executive function. We suggest that this discrepancy is largely due to methodological problems in previous studies but also reflects different goals of research on individual differences in attention. The unity/diversity model is designed to facilitate research on executive function and dysfunction associated with cognitive and neural development and disease. POT is uniquely suited to guide and facilitate research on individual differences in cognitive ability and the investigation of executive attention processes underlying "g."