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Abstract The yield of pearl millet, a resilient cereal crop crucial for African food security, is severely impacted by the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, which requires host-released hormones, called strigolactones (SLs), for seed germination. Herein, we identify four SLs present in the Striga-susceptible line SOSAT-C88-P10 (P10) but absent in the resistant 29Aw (Aw). We generate chromosome-scale genome assemblies, including four gapless chromosomes for each line. The Striga-resistant Aw lacks a 0.7 Mb genome segment containing two putative CARLACTONOIC ACID METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (CLAMT1) genes, which may contribute to SL biosynthesis. Functional assays show that P10CLAMT1b produces the SL-biosynthesis intermediate methyl carlactonoate (MeCLA) and that MeCLA is the precursor of P10-specific SLs. Screening a diverse pearl millet panel confirms the pivotal role of the CLAMT1 section for SL diversity and Striga susceptibility. Our results reveal a reason for Striga susceptibility in pearl millet and pave the way for generating resistant lines through marker-assisted breeding or direct genetic modification.

本研究旨在探討設計思考融入創意教學課程對師培生創造傾向、創意教學自我效能和設計思考力之影響。研究對象為臺灣北部某所科技大學選修創意教學策略之28位師培生，採用單一樣本前、後測設計進行18週之教學實驗，以「創造傾向量表」、「創意教學自我效能量表」以及「設計思考力量表」作為研究工具。透過量化資料進行描述性統計分析及相依樣本t檢定分析，探討創造傾向、創意教學自我效能和設計思考力前後測之差異，並於課後進行半結構式訪談，深入瞭解師培生之學習經驗和想法。研究結果發現，將設計思考融入創意教學課程有助於提升師培生之創造傾向（冒險性、好奇心、想像力）、創意教學自我效能（正向信念、負向自覺、抗壓信念）和設計思考力（縝密性、計畫性、完成性、創新性、周詳性和系統性）。最後，根據上述之研究結果提出對未來研究以及實施以設計思考為核心的創意教學課程之建議。 Introduction Creativity has recently become an increasingly prominent research topic in the field of education. Teachers play an indispensable role in enhancing students’ creative performance. Therefore, strategies for stimulating preservice teachers’ motivation for creative teaching and for encouraging teachers to integrate and apply creative teaching skills and methods into curricula have been extensively discussed in the field of teacher education. The literature indicates that teachers’ creative teaching self-efficacy is essential for the implementation of creative teaching; teachers with higher creative teaching self-efficacy engage more in creative teaching behaviors. Hence, methods for enhancing preservice teachers’ creative teaching self-efficacy warrant further exploration. The emergence of design thinking has introduced new educational frameworks and thinking patterns. Design thinking strongly emphasizes the adoption of human-centered approaches, which involve observing and empathizing with real-life situations to explore underlying issues, and the iterative modification of prototypes through testing to develop solutions that optimally meet user needs. In education, design thinking entails a teacher’s ability to solve problems innovatively through a series of lesson plan designs, executions, revisions, and innovations before actual teaching. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the integration of the design thinking steps— namely empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test— into creative teaching courses can promote preservice teachers’ creative tendencies, creative teaching self-efficacy, and design thinking skills. Literature Review Design thinking involves five key steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. The first step (empathize) requires designers to identify user needs by learning about their thoughts and feelings through interviews and observations. The second step (define) entails breaking down and summarizing the information gathered in the first step to further establish user needs. The third step (ideate) encourages designers to brainstorm systematically and generate various ideas. The fourth step (prototype) involves filtering and concretizing ideas generated during the third step to propose test plans for user experience, interaction, and dialog. The final step (test) entails refining solutions by gathering user feedback through the test plans proposed during the fourth step. Recent studies integrating design thinking into education have reported a strong correlation between design thinking processes and creativity. This teaching approach empowers teachers with problem-solving abilities and confidence in creativity; thus, design thinking is an effective method for addressing teaching challenges. The study’s variables are explained as follows: Creative tendencies refer to an individual’s personality traits exhibited during creative activities. Integrating creative thinking and problem-solving methods into curricula effectively enhances a student’s creative tendencies. Creative teaching involves incorporating creativity into teaching methods to stimulate and support students’ creative expression. Creative teaching self-efficacy refers to a teacher’s confidence in their ability to creatively teach and influence student learning outcomes. Teachers with higher creative teaching self-efficacy are more confident in implementing creative teaching practices. Design thinking skills refer to the ability to iteratively generate an extensive array of ideas and then narrow them to optimal options during product development. Such skills involve the continual experimentation, refinement, and resolution of existing problems or recommendation of innovative ideas on existing objects. This study integrated design thinking into creative teaching in order to encourage preservice teachers to identify topics for improvement and generate creative teaching plans through practical application. It further examined whether this integration can enhance teachers’ capabilities such as creative tendencies, creative teaching self-efficacy, and design thinking skills. Methods This study included 28 preservice teachers (14 men, 14 women) with an average (standard deviation) age of 20 (4.80) years. They volunteered to participate in the study and were divided into seven groups of four individuals each. Employing a single-group pre-/post-test design supplemented with qualitative data analysis, we conducted pre- and post-tests at the beginning and end of the semester, respectively. We assessed the participants’ creative tendencies, creative teaching self-efficacy, and design thinking skills by using Lin and Wang’s (1994) Williams Creative Tendency Scale (a revised version of F.E. Williams’ Creativity Assessment Packet), the Creative Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale compiled by Lin and Qiu (2008), and the Design Thinking Ability Scale developed by Xie (2012), respectively. Additionally, after the course concluded, two participants from each group were selected for a 40-min qualitative interview aimed at understanding their learning experiences and attitudes toward the integration of design thinking into creative teaching courses. Results This study analyzed all student metrics by using dependent-sample t-tests. The participants’ overall creative tendencies significantly differed between the pre- and post-test phases (t = 2.96, p < 0.01), indicating that integrating design thinking into creative teaching courses can enhance students’ overall creative tendencies. The participants’ creative teaching self-efficacy also differed significantly between the pre- and post-test phases (t = 5.84, p < 0.01), implying that integrating design thinking into creative teaching courses enhances preservice teachers’ overall creative teaching self-efficacy. Similarly, overall design thinking skills differed significantly between the pre- and post-test phases (t = 5.86, p < 0.01), signifying that integrating design thinking into creative teaching courses can enhance students’ design thinking skills. Discussion and Suggestions The results of this study imply that integrating design thinking into creative teaching courses can enhance preservice teachers’ creative tendencies, creative teaching self-efficacy, and design thinking skills. However, we also noted that during the teaching process, having students repeatedly brainstorm on the same topic led to difficulties in generating new ideas subsequently. Therefore, future research could provide students with flexible adjustments during the ideation stage, offering them different topics to practice various creative ideation strategies. Additionally, despite its positive results, this study did not explore the differences in variables between creative teaching courses incorporating design thinking and standard creative teaching courses. Accordingly, future research could include control groups to address this limitation.

Flood frequency in river source regions is significantly affected by rainfall and snowmelt as part of climatic changes. A traditional univariate flood frequency analysis cannot reflect the complexity of floods, and when used in isolation, it can only underestimate flood risk. For effective flood prevention and mitigation, it is essential to consider the combined effects of precipitation and snowmelt. Copula functions can effectively quantify the joint distribution relationship between floods and their associated variables without restrictions on their distribution characteristics. This study uses copula functions to consider a multivariate probability distribution model of flood peak flow (Q) with cumulative snowmelt (CSm) and cumulative precipitation (CPr) for the Hutubi River basin located in northern Xinjiang, China. The joint frequencies of rainfall and snowmelt floods are predicted using copula models based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 data. The results show that Q has a significant positive correlation with 24-d CSm (r = 0.559, p = 0.002) and 23-d CPr (r = 0.965, p

Abstract Background Lifestyle modification is an essential component of prevention and management of hypertension. Existing instruments in Taiwan focus on assessing lifestyle modifications by evaluating medication adherence or confidence in controlling blood pressure. However, other self-care activities, such as diet, physical activity, weight management, smoking, and alcohol consumption are also important. The Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE) is one such instrument, but there are no similar tools available in Taiwan. Aim This study aimed to translate the H-SCALE into Chinese and test its validity, and reliability in a sample of adults with hypertension. Methods The English version of the 31-item H-SCALE was translated into Chinese using the forward-backward method. The content validity index (CVI) of the translated scale was determined by five experts in hypertension. Item analysis was conducted with a pilot sample of 20 patients with hypertension. Cronbach’s α was used to establish the internal consistency reliability for the Chinese version of the H-SCALE (H-SCALE-C). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) explored the structure of the H-SCALE-C. Additionally, construct validity was examined with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Patients with hypertension were recruited by convenience sampling from a cardiovascular outpatient clinic of a medical center in northern Taiwan. A total of 318 patients met the inclusion criteria and participated in factor analysis in the study. Results Pilot testing of the scale items indicated most patients could not accurately estimate the number of days of alcohol consumption for the previous week. Therefore, three alcohol-related items were removed. The adaptation resulted in a 28-item H-SCALE-C. EFA revealed a 4-factor solution with 13 items that explained 63.93% of the total variance. CFA indicated a good fit for a 4-factor model and construct validity was acceptable. Internal consistency reliability was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha for the four subscales ranged from 0.65 to 0.94). Convergent validity was acceptable, and discriminant validity was significant. Conclusions The H-SCALE-C is a valid, reliable tool for promptly assessing life-style activities for patients with hypertension in Taiwan. The instrument is suitable for assisting healthcare providers in evaluating self-care activities, which could be used to facilitate lifestyle modifications for patients with hypertension.

AIM: To investigate the difference in risk factors between non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and develop a predictive diagnostic nomogram. METHODS: The study included 37 patients with monocular NAION, 20 with monocular CRAO, and 24 with hypertension. Gender, age, and systemic diseases were recorded. Blood routine, lipids, hemorheology, carotid and brachial artery doppler ultrasound, and echocardiography were collected. The optic disc area, cup area, and cup-to-disc ratio (C/D) of the unaffected eye in the NAION and CRAO group and the right eye in the hypertension group were measured. RESULTS: The carotid artery intimal medial thickness (C-IMT) of the affected side of the CRAO group was thicker (P=0.039) and its flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was lower (P=0.049) than the NAION group. Compared with hypertension patients, NAION patients had higher whole blood reduced viscosity low-shear (WBRV-L) and erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI; P=0.045, 0.037), and CRAO patients had higher index of rigidity of erythrocyte (IR) and erythrocyte deformation index (EDI; P=0.004, 0.001). The optic cup and the C/D of the NAION group were smaller than the other two groups (P

Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by large-scale structural changes in a specific pattern. Recent studies developed morphological similarity networks constructed by brain regions similar in structural features to represent brain structural organization. However, few studies have used local morphological properties to explore inter-regional structural similarity in Alzheimer’s disease. Methods Here, we sourced T1-weighted MRI images of 342 cognitively normal participants and 276 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. The relationships of grey matter intensity between adjacent voxels were defined and converted to the structural pattern indices. We conducted the information-based similarity method to evaluate the structural similarity of structural pattern organization between brain regions. Besides, we examined the structural randomness on brain regions. Finally, the relationship between the structural randomness and cognitive performance of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease was assessed by stepwise regression. Results Compared to cognitively normal participants, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease showed significant structural pattern changes in the bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, and olfactory cortex. Additionally, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease showed that the bilateral insula had decreased inter-regional structural similarity with frontal regions, while the bilateral hippocampus had increased inter-regional structural similarity with temporal and subcortical regions. For the structural randomness, we found significant decreases in the temporal and subcortical areas and significant increases in the occipital and frontal regions. The regression analysis showed that the structural randomness of five brain regions was correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination scores of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusions Our study suggested that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease alter micro-structural patterns and morphological similarity with the insula and hippocampus. Structural randomness of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease changed in temporal, frontal, and occipital brain regions. Morphological similarity and randomness provide valuable insight into brain structural organization in Alzheimer’s disease.

Abstract Due to the comprehensive hepatitis B virus vaccination program in Taiwan since 1986, the development of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C infection and covered by National health insurance. Besides, the increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and currently, approved therapy for NAFLD remain developing. The etiology of liver-related diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma required reinterpretation. This study aimed to analyze the incidence and outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to viral (hepatitis B and hepatitis C) infection compared to that of nonviral etiology. We retrospectively analyzed patients with HCC from January 2011 to December 2020 from the cancer registry at our institution. Viral-related hepatitis was defined as hepatitis B surface antigen positivity or anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody positivity. A total of 2748 patients with HCC were enrolled, of which 2188 had viral-related HCC and 560 had nonviral-related HCC. In viral HCC group, the median age at diagnosis was significantly lower (65 years versus 71 years, p

Background: The rating result reflects not only the performance of the candidate but some extent of the examiner’s preference. Examiner bias could be objective, which means it can’t be changed by the examiner like gender, age, race, educational level, or professional experience. No study about examiner bias was performed in the dental education realm, especially in the orthodontic field. Therefore, this study aimed to figure out possible influencing factors in examiners from examples of the Taiwan Board of Orthodontist examination. Methods: The examiner groups comprised 29 males and 21 females selected from the certificated Taiwan Board of Orthodontists. Every examiner would receive a series of lectures about rating standards before the exam. The score data were collected from 2009 to 2019. Results: As for the univariate regression model of the Taiwan Board of Orthodontist examination, the experienced examiner with a certification of more than 15 years tends to rate more leniently, but female examiners tend to rate harsher. The scores would increase with the examiner’s age in both the univariate regression model of self-prepared and assigned cases. Conclusion: As for the multivariate model of self-prepared exams, the elder and the examiner who work in private practice clinics tend to rate more leniently. As for the multivariate model of the assigned case exam, the score would be only affected by age. However, further studies are necessary to determine the direct relation among these factors.

Abstract Background Automatic segmentation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on computed tomography (CT) scans is in urgent need to assist diagnosis and radiomics analysis. The aim of this study is to develop a deep learning based network to detect HCC from dynamic CT images. Methods Dynamic CT images of 595 patients with HCC were used. Tumors in dynamic CT images were labeled by radiologists. Patients were randomly divided into training, validation and test sets in a ratio of 5:2:3, respectively. We developed a hierarchical fusion strategy of deep learning networks (HFS-Net). Global dice, sensitivity, precision and F1-score were used to measure performance of the HFS-Net model. Results The 2D DenseU-Net using dynamic CT images was more effective for segmenting small tumors, whereas the 2D U-Net using portal venous phase images was more effective for segmenting large tumors. The HFS-Net model performed better, compared with the single-strategy deep learning models in segmenting small and large tumors. In the test set, the HFS-Net model achieved good performance in identifying HCC on dynamic CT images with global dice of 82.8%. The overall sensitivity, precision and F1-score were 84.3%, 75.5% and 79.6% per slice, respectively, and 92.2%, 93.2% and 92.7% per patient, respectively. The sensitivity in tumors 5 cm were 72.7%, 92.9%, 94.2% and 100% per patient, respectively. Conclusions The HFS-Net model achieved good performance in the detection and segmentation of HCC from dynamic CT images, which may support radiologic diagnosis and facilitate automatic radiomics analysis.

Abstract Background As the internet develops and 5G technology becomes increasingly prominent, the internet has become a major source of health-related information. Increasingly, people use the internet to find health-related information, and digital health literacy is now a set of essential capabilities to improve their health in the digital era. However, little is known about the factors that influencing digital health literacy. This study aimed to assess digital health literacy scores and identify its influencing factors among internet users in China. Additionally, this study explored the participant’s actual skills using an additional set of performance-based items from the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI). Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2022. Participants aged ≥18 years were recruited to complete the survey. Data were collected using the Chinese revised version of the DHLI, the self-reported internet use questionnaire, and the sociodemographic questionnaire. We conducted multivariate linear regression analyses to explore the relationships among the sociodemographic variables, behavior of internet use, and the digital health literacy scores. Results In total, 702 participants completed the survey. The mean DHLI score was 2.69 ± 0.61. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that the age groups 35–49 (β = − 0.08, P = 0.033), 50–64 (β = − 0.161, P

The nervous system possesses bidirectional, sophisticated and delicate communications with the immune system. These neuroimmune interactions play a vitally important role in the initiation and development of many disorders, especially neurodegenerative diseases. Although scientific advancements have made tremendous progress in this field during the last few years, neuroimmune communications are still far from being elucidated. By organizing recent research, in this review, we discuss the local and intersystem neuroimmune interactions and their roles in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Unveiling these will help us gain a better understanding of the process of interplay inside the body and how the organism maintains homeostasis. It will also facilitate a view of the diseases from a holistic, pluralistic and interconnected perspective, thus providing a basis of developing novel and effective methods to diagnose, intervene and treat diseases.

Abstract Emergent phenomena such as two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and interfacial superconductivity and ferromagnetism are generally built on the interface between insulating oxide thin films and substrates, e.g., LaAlO3/SrTiO3, where the 2D profiles of these electronic states are precisely confined at the interface of two insulators. Herein we report a high-mobility electron gas state with unusual symmetry at the interface of the Sr2CrMoO6/SrTiO3 (110) heterostructures, the fermiology of which follows the cubic crystallographic symmetry rather than the two-dimensional interface itself, resulting in the identical Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations with applied magnetic field along all the twelve equivalent [110] crystallographic directions of SrTiO3, distinctly different from the 2D nature of the electron gas reported previously. Neutron diffraction verifies the predicted ferrimagnetic ordering between Cr and Mo moments. This, together with the magnetic hysteresis loops and negative magnetoresistance in low-field region, suggests possible spin polarization of itinerant electrons. Therefore, a quasi-3D profile, high mobility (up to 104 cm2 V−1 s−1) and possibly spin polarized electronic state is observed in the double-perovskite-based oxide heterostructures. This finding of the electronic properties in Sr2CrMoO6/SrTiO3 (110) heterostructure expands the knowledge of interfacial physics, as well as shines light on oxide-based electronics and spintronics research.

Abstract Nasopharyngeal (NP) swab is one of the most effective sampling devices for clinical specimens. However, commercial NP swabs often release samples through diluents, lowering analyte concentration and causing inaccurate detections. Here, we developed 3D-printed open-cell microlattice NP swabs with user-friendly high-efficiency controlled sample release (CR) mode. Compared with traditional NP swabs, our microlattice NP swabs show higher (~7–11 times) flexibility, larger (~2.3 times) and customizable release volume, higher (dozens to thousands of times) release concentration, high recovery efficiency (~100%), and the ability to quantify analyte levels. Our microlattice NP swabs have been thus demonstrated to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of antibody detection experiments using rapid detection kits. This study offers a promising approach to enhance sensitivity and accuracy in clinical specimen detections, and is beneficial to inspire the design of a wider range of biomedical devices based on 3D-printed microlattice metamaterials.

Most sugarcane cultivation areas in China have undergone over 30 years of continuous monocropping, and long-term chemical fertilizer application has led to severe soil degradation. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in promoting plant nutrient uptake, enhancing plant stress tolerance, and improving soil quality and restoration. However, in agroecosystems, AMF are susceptible to the effects of cultivation, fertilization, and other factors. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of chemical fertilization on the AMF community in the rhizosphere soil of plant crop of sugarcane. In this study, sugarcane varieties GT58 and GT29 were selected for experiment. Four different chemical fertilization rates were established using controlled-release compound chemical fertilizer (N: P: K = 17:7:17): T1 (0.0 kg/ha), T2 (562.5 kg/ha), T3 (1,125.0 kg/ha), and T4 (2,250.0 kg/ha). The results showed that different fertilization rates significantly affected the cane yield in GT58. T3 and T4 increased the cane yield by 12.67% and 11.11%, respectively, compared to the control T1 (P < 0.05). The impact on the cane yield in GT29 was not significant. The diversity indices of root-associated AMF in GT58 (Chao index and Shannon index) varied significantly in different fertilization rates. T3 had the highest diversity, showing no significant difference from T1 and T2 but significantly higher than T4. For GT29, there were no significant differences in the diversity indices of root-associated AMF among different fertilization rates. Analyzing the differential species in root-associated soil with different fertilization rates in GT58 at the OTU level revealed that T3 had significantly higher abundances for 5 OTUs compared to the other treatments, and all the differentially abundant species belonged to Glomus. The Mantel analysis revealed that the genus Acaulospora was significantly and positively correlated with millable stalks (P < 0.001), and significantly and positively correlated with tiller number (P < 0.05). The genus Scutellospora showed a significant positive correlation with sprouting rate (P < 0.05). However, the other AMF genera did not show significant correlations with the agronomic traits of sugarcane. In summary, different chemical fertilization rates significantly affected the cane yield in GT58 and the AMF community in the rhizosphere soil, but not in GT29, which suggests that sugarcane chemical fertilization should consider different sugarcane varieties and the diversity of AMF communities in soil.

BackgroundHyperuricemia, as a very prevalent chronic metabolic disease with increasing prevalence year by year, poses a significant burden on individual patients as well as on the global health care and disease burden, and there is growing evidence that it is associated with other underlying diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The association between hyperuricemia and dietary inflammatory index (DII) scores was investigated in this study.MethodsThis study enrolled 13, 040 adult subjects (aged ≥ 20 years) from the US National Health and Nutrition Survey from 2003 to 2018. The inflammatory potential of the diet was assessed by the DII score, and logistic regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between the DII score and the development of hyperuricemia; subgroup analyses were used to discuss the influence of other factors on the relationship.ResultsParticipants in the other quartiles had an increased risk of hyperuricemia compared to those in the lowest quartile of DII scores. Stratification analyses stratified by body mass index (BMI), sex, hypertension, drinking, diabetes, education level and albumin-creatinine-ratio (ACR) revealed that the DII score was also associated with the risk of hyperuricemia (P

Introduction: Ilex pubescens (IPES), a traditional Chinese herb widely used in cardiovascular diseases, has shown potential anti-inflammatory capabilities in myocardial infarction. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and the NOD-like Receptor Protein 3 (NLRP3) pathway are significant contributors to aseptic inflammation in heart diseases. This study aims to elucidate the primary mechanism by which IPES inhibits pyroptosis post-myocardial infarction. Methods: By ligating the left coronary artery in C57BL/6 mice, a myocardial infarction model was established to be conducted in vivo. To establish pyroptosis in vitro, primary neonatal cardiomyocytes, extracted from the hearts of Sprague-Dawley rats, were treated in an oxygen-glucose deprivation way. ROS scavenger, NLRP3 inhibitor, and NLRP3 was overexpressed by adenovirus to confirm IPES inhibiting myocardial pyroptosis through the ROS/NLRP3 pathway. Results: In vivo, IPES exerted significant cardioprotective effects, as evidenced by reducing heart injury, improving cardiac function, and decreasing serum markers of cardiac damage. Furthermore, IPES treatment significantly inhibits ROS generation and reduces the expression levels of NLRP3 and its downstream pyroptosis-related proteins. In vitro, IPES therapy significantly decreased cell damage and pyroptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in an oxygen-glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R) cell model. Additionally, IPES demonstrates synergistic cardiomyocyte protection with the ROS scavenger NAC, whereas its inhibition of pyroptosis is not significantly different from that of the NLRP3 inhibitor. More importantly, the inhibitory impacts of IPES on pyroptosis were partially reversed by NLRP3 overexpression. The active components of IPES exhibit the ability to stably and efficiently bind with NLRP3. Discussion: These results demonstrate that IPES inhibit pyroptosis post-MI by suppressing the ROS/NLRP3 pathway, providing a new insight into its potential application in treating MI.

BackgroundSepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) poses an independent risk for mortality due to the absence of highly sensitive biomarkers and a specific treatment plan.ObjectiveInvestigate the association between low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) calcium therapy and prognosis in critically ill SA-AKI patients, and assess the causal relationship through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.MethodsA single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study included 90 SA-AKI patients and 30 septic patients without acute kidney injury (AKI) from the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University. SA-AKI patients were categorized into control or LMWH groups based on LMWH calcium usage. Primary outcome was renal function recovery, with secondary outcomes including 28-day mortality, ICU stay length, number of renal replacement therapy (RRT) recipients, and 90-day survival. MR and related sensitivity analyses explored causal effects.ResultsThe combination of heparin-binding protein (HBP), heparanase (HPA), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) demonstrated high diagnostic value for SA-AKI. MR analysis suggested a potential causal link between gene-predicted HBP and AKI (OR: 1.369, 95%CI: 1.040–1.801, p = 0.024). In the retrospective study, LMWH-treated patients exhibited improved renal function, reduced levels of HPA, HBP, Syndecan-1, and inflammation, along with enhanced immune function compared to controls. However, LMWH did not impact 28-day mortality, 90-day survival, or ICU stay length.ConclusionLMWH could enhance renal function in SA-AKI patients. MR analysis supports this causal link, underscoring the need for further validation in randomized controlled trials.

Measuring elasticity without physical contact is challenging, as current methods often require deconstruction of the test sample. This study addresses this challenge by proposing and testing a photoacoustic effect-based method for measuring the elasticity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) at various mixing ratios, which may be applied on the wide range of applications such as biomedical and optical fields. A dual-light laser source of the photoacoustic (PA) system is designed, employing cross-correlation signal processing techniques. The platform systems and a mathematical model for performing PDMS elasticity measurements are constructed. During elasticity detection, photoacoustic signal features, influenced by hardness and shapes, are analyzed using cross-correlation calculations and phase difference detection. Results from phantom tests demonstrate the potential of predicting Young's modulus using the cross-correlation method, aligning with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard samples. However, accuracy may be affected by mixed materials and short tubes. Normalization or calibration of signals is suggested for aligning with Young's coefficient.

Abstract Background Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) used as an alternative to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for thromboprophylaxis after cancer surgery for venous thromboembolic events (VTE) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of DOACs versus LMWH in these patients. Materials and methods A search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Web of Science was carried out and included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that directly compared DOACs with LMWH for thromboprophylaxis in patients after cancer surgery through July 25, 2023. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were VTE, major bleeding, and clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB) within 30 days of surgery. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2) tool for RCTs and ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023445386). Results We retrieved 5149articles, selected 27 for eligibility, and included 10 studies (three RCTs and seven observational studies) encompassing 3054 patients who underwent postoperative thromboprophylaxis with DOACs (41%) or LMWH (59%). Compared to LMWH thromboprophylaxis, DOACs had a comparable risk of VTE (RR:0.69[95% CI:0.46–1.02], I2 = 0%), major bleeding (RR:1.55 [95% CI:0.82–2.93], I2 = 2%), and CRNMB (RR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.4–1.98], I2 = 31%) during the 30-day postoperative period. Subgroup analysis of VTE and major bleeding suggested no differences according to study type, extended thromboprophylaxis, tumor types, or different types of DOAC. Conclusion DOACs are potentially effective alternatives to LMWH for thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing cancer surgery, without increasing the risk of major bleeding events.

Abstract Springtails (Collembola) inhabit soils from the Arctic to the Antarctic and comprise an estimated ~32% of all terrestrial arthropods on Earth. Here, we present a global, spatially-explicit database on springtail communities that includes 249,912 occurrences from 44,999 samples and 2,990 sites. These data are mainly raw sample-level records at the species level collected predominantly from private archives of the authors that were quality-controlled and taxonomically-standardised. Despite covering all continents, most of the sample-level data come from the European continent (82.5% of all samples) and represent four habitats: woodlands (57.4%), grasslands (14.0%), agrosystems (13.7%) and scrublands (9.0%). We included sampling by soil layers, and across seasons and years, representing temporal and spatial within-site variation in springtail communities. We also provided data use and sharing guidelines and R code to facilitate the use of the database by other researchers. This data paper describes a static version of the database at the publication date, but the database will be further expanded to include underrepresented regions and linked with trait data.

Abstract For a discrete symmetry that is anomalous under QCD, the domain walls produced in the early universe from its spontaneous breaking can naturally annihilate due to QCD instanton effects. The gravitational waves generated from wall annihilation have their amplitude and frequency determined by both the discrete symmetry breaking scale and the QCD scale. The evidence of stochastic gravitational waves at nanohertz observed by pulsar timing array experiments suggests that the discrete-symmetry-breaking scale is around 100 TeV, assuming the domain-wall explanation. The annihilation temperature is about 100 MeV, which could naturally be below the QCD phase transition temperature. We point out that the QCD phase transition within some domains with an effective large QCD θ angle could be a first-order one. To derive the phase diagram in θ and temperature, we adopt a phenomenological linear sigma model with three quark flavors. The domain-wall explanation for the NANOGrav, EPTA, PPTA and CPTA results hints at a first-order QCD phase transition, which predicts additional gravitational waves at higher frequencies. If the initial formation of domain walls is also a first-order process, this class of domain-wall models predicts an interesting gravitational wave spectroscopy with frequencies spanning more than ten orders of magnitude, from nanohertz to 100 Hz.

Abstract The T5 family of viruses are tailed bacteriophages characterized by a long non-contractile tail. The bacteriophage DT57C is closely related to the paradigmal T5 phage, though it recognizes a different receptor (BtuB) and features highly divergent lateral tail fibers (LTF). Considerable portions of T5-like phages remain structurally uncharacterized. Here, we present the structure of DT57C determined by cryo-EM, and an atomic model of the virus, which was further explored using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The structure revealed a unique way of LTF attachment assisted by a dodecameric collar protein LtfC, and an unusual composition of the phage neck constructed of three protein rings. The tape measure protein (TMP) is organized within the tail tube in a three-stranded parallel α-helical coiled coil which makes direct contact with the genomic DNA. The presence of the C-terminal fragment of the TMP that remains within the tail tip suggests that the tail tip complex returns to its original state after DNA ejection. Our results provide a complete atomic structure of a T5-like phage, provide insights into the process of DNA ejection as well as a structural basis for the design of engineered phages and future mechanistic studies.

Abstract Forest soils are a critical component of terrestrial ecosystems and host a large number of animal decomposer species. One diverse and abundant decomposer taxon is oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida), whose species composition varies with forest type and tree species composition. We used functional traits that indicate different niche dimensions, to infer assembly processes of oribatid mite communities in monocultures and mixed forests of native and introduced tree species. We found that coexisting species differed more in the resource‐related niche dimension, i.e., reproductive mode and trophic guild, than in the morphological dimension, e.g., body length and width, sclerotization and concealability. These results suggest that both filtering and partitioning processes structure oribatid mite communities. In native European beech forests, but not in non‐native Douglas fir forests, oribatid mites were mainly structured by filtering processes acting via traits related both to environmental tolerance and to resources. Furthermore, oribatid mite trait diversity, but not phylogenetic diversity, differed significantly between monocultures and mixed forests, demonstrating that multidimensional diversity indices provide additional information on soil biodiversity. Overall, the study provides evidence that traits representing different niche dimensions need to be considered for understanding assembly processes in soil animal communities and thereby soil biodiversity.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel human coronavirus, which has triggered a global pandemic of the coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). Outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases continue to challenge human health worldwide. The virus conquers human cells through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor-driven pathway by mostly targeting the human respiratory tract. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid widely represented in the plant kingdom. Cumulative evidence has demonstrated that quercetin and its derivatives have various pharmacological properties including anti-cancer, anti-hypertension, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-hyperglycemia, anti-microbial, antiviral, neuroprotective, and cardio-protective effects, because it is a potential treatment for severe inflammation and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Furthermore, it is the main life-threatening condition in patients with COVID-19. This article provides a comprehensive review of the primary literature on the predictable effectiveness of quercetin and its derivatives docked to multi-target of SARS-CoV-2 and host cells via in silico and some of validation through in vitro, in vivo, and clinically to fight SARS-CoV-2 infections, contribute to the reduction of inflammation, which suggests the preventive and therapeutic latency of quercetin and its derived-products against COVID-19 pandemic, multisystem inflammatory syndromes (MIS), and long-COVID.

ObjectivesSuicide is a global health concern, exacerbated by stigma around mental illnesses. Online platforms like Twitter and Sina Weibo have seen a rise in “online broadcast suicide,” where individuals share suicidal thoughts and actions. However, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological characteristics, particularly in China. This study aims to analyze the demographics and behaviors of individuals engaging in online broadcast suicide in China to inform targeted prevention strategies.MethodsA total of 525 incidents were identified through systematic retrieval of relevant news reports from online sources. Subsequently, a content analysis was performed on these reports to extract detailed information on the characteristics of each individual incident.ResultsAmong the incidents analyzed, the male-to-female ratio was 1:1.6, with an average age of 23.1 ± 5.9 years. Approximately 71.9% took place in Southern China. Unemployment was reported in 15.0% of incidents. Relationship breakup (62.3%) was cited as the leading cause of suicide. Wrist cutting (58.2%) emerged as the predominant suicide method, and home (36.2%) was the most common location for these tragic events. Instant messaging apps were the primary platforms (54.7%) for conveying suicidal thoughts and actions. Additionally, among the 525 incidents examined, 12.0% disclosed having a mental disorder, and 7.6% had a history of prior suicide attempts. Significant variations were observed across age, gender, region, and occupation categories.ConclusionThis study emphasizes the importance of developing suicide prevention programs for internet users. Besides, interventions should be customized to meet the specific needs of various populations.

Migraine is a highly prevalent disease worldwide, imposing enormous clinical and economic burdens on individuals and societies. Current treatments exhibit limited efficacy and acceptability, highlighting the need for more effective and safety prophylactic approaches, including the use of nutraceuticals for migraine treatment. Migraine involves interactions within the central and peripheral nervous systems, with significant activation and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system (TVS) in pain generation and transmission. The condition is influenced by genetic predispositions and environmental factors, leading to altered sensory processing. The neuroinflammatory response is increasingly recognized as a key event underpinning the pathophysiology of migraine, involving a complex neuro-glio-vascular interplay. This interplay is partially mediated by neuropeptides such as calcitonin gene receptor peptide (CGRP), pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and/or cortical spreading depression (CSD) and involves oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome formation, activated microglia, and reactive astrocytes. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), crucial for the nervous system, mediate various physiological functions. Omega-3 PUFAs offer cardiovascular, neurological, and psychiatric benefits due to their potent anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, antioxidant, and neuromodulatory properties, which modulate neuroinflammation, neurogenic inflammation, pain transmission, enhance mitochondrial stability, and mood regulation. Moreover, specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), a class of PUFA-derived lipid mediators, regulate pro-inflammatory and resolution pathways, playing significant anti-inflammatory and neurological roles, which in turn may be beneficial in alleviating the symptomatology of migraine. Omega-3 PUFAs impact various neurobiological pathways and have demonstrated a lack of major adverse events, underscoring their multifaceted approach and safety in migraine management. Although not all omega-3 PUFAs trials have shown beneficial in reducing the symptomatology of migraine, further research is needed to fully establish their clinical efficacy and understand the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of omega-3 PUFAs and PUFA-derived lipid mediators, SPMs on migraine pathophysiology and progression. This review highlights their potential in modulating brain functions, such as neuroimmunological effects, and suggests their promise as candidates for effective migraine prophylaxis.

Background & Aim: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) attenuates cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activation. This study was performed to examine the relationships between CTLA-4 genotypes/haplotypes, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) levels, and their potential impact on the clinical course of chronic HBV infection. Methods: We recruited 145 treatment-naïve patients with genotype B or C chronic HBV infection who were initially hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-positive and had been followed from a mean age of 7.08 years for a total of 4,787 person-years in the study cohort. We also recruited another 69 treatment-naïve adults with genotype B or C chronic HBV infection as a validation cohort. We assessed the CTLA-4 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms rs4553808 (–A1661G)/rs5742909 (–C318T) in both cohorts, and the serum HBsAg and HBcrAg levels in the study cohort. Results: CTLA-4 promoter haplotypes were associated with HBsAg and HBcrAg levels at 10 and 15 years of age in the study cohort. Patients with the CTLA-4 AA/CC haplotype showed earlier spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion (hazard ratio = 1.58; p = 0.02), and a more rapid annual decline in the serum HBsAg level than other patients (0.09 vs. 0.03 log10 IU/ml/year, p = 0.02). The CTLA-4 AA/CC haplotype was also predictive of HBeAg seroconversion in the validation cohort (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Chronic HBV-infected patients with a CTLA-4 AA/CC haplotype had lower serum HBsAg and HBcrAg levels in childhood and earlier spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion. Impact and implications: The role of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) in chronic HBV-infected children has not been studied previously. In a very long-term cohort followed from childhood to adulthood, we showed that CTLA-4 haplotypes are associated with HBV biomarker levels in childhood and are correlated with the clinical course of chronic HBV infection. CTLA-4 pathway may serve as a future target for the development of therapeutic agents against HBV infection.

Abstract Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. The delay in treatment will induce metastasis, resulting in a poor prognosis and even death. Here, a two‐step strategy for on‐site diagnosis of MM is developed based on the extraction and direct visual quantification of S100A1, a biomarker for melanoma. First, a swellable microneedle is utilized to extract S100A1 in skin interstitial fluid (ISF) with minimal invasion. After elution, antibody‐conjugated magnetic microparticles (MMPs) and polystyrene microparticles (PMPs) are introduced. A high expression level of S100A1 gives rise to a robust binding between MMPs and PMPs and reduces the number of free PMPs. By loading the reacted solution into the device with a microfluidic particle dam, the quantity of free PMPs after magnetic separation is displayed with their accumulation length inversely proportional to S100A1 levels. A limit of detection of 18.7 ng mL−1 for S100A1 is achieved. The animal experiment indicates that ISF‐based S100A1 quantification using the proposed strategy exhibits a significantly higher sensitivity compared with conventional serum‐based detection. In addition, the result is highly comparable with the gold standard enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay based on Lin's concordance correlation coefficient, suggesting the high practicality for routine monitoring of melanoma.

ObjectivesWorkplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers (HCWs) has reached significant levels globally, impeding the quality and accessibility of healthcare systems. However, there is limited available knowledge regarding the determinants linked with WPV among HCWs and the discrepancies observed across various levels of hospitals in China. The objective of the present research was to investigate the factors linked to WPV and job satisfaction among HCWs in China.MethodsA self-developed questionnaire based on WeChat was employed to collect data. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information as well as occupational factors. To measure WPV, the Chinese version of the Workplace Violence Scale was utilized. Career satisfaction was assessed through two questions regarding career choices. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regressions.ResultsA total of 3,781 valid questionnaires (1,029 doctors and 2,752 nurses) were collected. Among all participants, 2,201 (58.2%) reported experiencing at least one form of WPV in the past year, with emotional abuse being the most frequent occurrence (49.7%), followed by threats (27.9%). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed several risk factors associated with WPV, including male gender, shift work, senior professional title, bachelor’s degree education, employment in secondary-level hospitals, and working over 50 h per week (p

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinesis) is a vital leafy vegetable crop that thrives within the temperature range of 12 °C to 22 °C. However, high temperatures can adversely impact its growth, development, and yield. To address this issue, we investigated the potential of eugenol and clove essential oil in enhancing stress tolerance in Chinese cabbage. Transcriptome profiling of Chinese cabbage exposed to eugenol, clove essential oil, and heat stress revealed significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that treatment with eugenol and clove essential oil significantly influenced defense responses, hormone signaling pathways, and leaf senescence. Additionally, WRKY, ERF, and NAC transcription factors were found to be enriched among the significant DEGs. Notably, eugenol and clove essential oil treatments, as well as exposure to heat stress, were associated with the regulation of leaf senescence. Furthermore, the application of eugenol and clove essential oil mitigated the heat-induced reductions in the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll in Chinese cabbage. In summary, our findings suggest that eugenol and clove essential oil effectively enhance thermotolerance in Chinese cabbage by modulating leaf senescence and hormone responses.

Abstract Background Taiwan’s unique health behaviour, such as extensive exposure to Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM), has introduced a risk of inadvertent doping among competing athletes. Pharmacy professionals have an imperative role in advising athletes on the safe use of medicines. This study provides an overview of anti-doping knowledge and educational needs among pharmacists in Taiwan and examines influencing factors. Methods A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey consisting of five domains, namely demographic characteristics, source of prohibited substances, identification of prohibited substances, understanding of doping control, and education needs on anti-doping, was distributed to the registered pharmacists in Taiwan. In total, 491 responses were included in the analyses. Results Respondents (65% female, aged 41.9 ± 11.4 years, with 68% having a Bachelor’s degree) reported a moderate anti-doping knowledge score of 37.2 ± 4.9, ranging from 21 to 48 (out of 51). Fifteen per cent of them had the experience of being counselled about drug use in sports. Higher knowledge scores were observed in younger respondents, showing an age-dependent effect (p

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most important causes of disability worldwide. While recent work provides insights into the molecular alterations in the brain of patients with MDD, whether these molecular signatures can be associated with the expression of specific symptom domains remains unclear. Here, we identified sex-specific gene modules associated with the expression of MDD, combining differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses in six cortical and subcortical brain regions. Our results show varying levels of network homology between males and females across brain regions, although the associations between these structures and the expression of MDD remain highly sex specific. We refined these associations to several symptom domains and identified transcriptional signatures associated with distinct functional pathways, including GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, metabolic processes and intracellular signal transduction, across brain regions associated with distinct symptomatic profiles in a sex-specific fashion. In most cases, these associations were specific to males or to females with MDD, although a subset of gene modules associated with common symptomatic features in both sexes were also identified. Together, our findings suggest that the expression of distinct MDD symptom domains associates with sex-specific transcriptional structures across brain regions.

Theabrownins (TBs) are the characteristic functional and quality components of dark teas such as Pu'er tea and Chin-brick tea. TBs are a class of water-soluble brown polymers with multi-molecular weight distribution produced by the oxidative polymerisation of tea polyphenols during the fermentation process of dark tea, both enzymatically and non-enzymatically. TBs have been extracted and purified from dark tea all the time, but the obtained TBs contain heterogeneous components such as polysaccharides and caffeine in the bound state, which are difficult to remove. The isolation and purification process was tedious and required the use of organic solvents, which made it difficult to industrialise TBs. In this study, epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin gallate (ECG), EGC/EGCG (mass ratio 1:1), EGCG/ECG (mass ratio 1:1), EGC/ECG (mass ratio 1:1) and EGC/EGCG/ECG (mass ratio 1:1:1) as substrates and catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) in turn to produce TBs, named TBs-dE-1, TBs-dE-2, TBs-dE-3, TBs-dE-4, TBs-dE-5, TBs-dE-6 and TBs-dE-7. The physicochemical properties and the antibacterial activity and mechanism of TBs-dE-1–7 were investigated. Sensory and colour difference measurements showed that all seven tea browning samples showed varying degrees of brownish hue. Zeta potential in aqueous solutions at pH 3.0–9.0 indicated that TBs-dE-1–7 was negatively charged and the potential increased with increasing pH. The characteristic absorption peaks of TBs-dE-1–7 were observed at 208 and 274 nm by UV-visible (UV-vis) scanning spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra indicated that they were phenolic compounds. TBs-dE-1–7 showed significant inhibition of Escherichia coli DH5α (E. coli DH5α). TBs-dE-3 showed the strongest inhibitory effect with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.25 mg mL–1 and MBC of 10 mg mL–1, followed by TBs-dE-5 and TBs-dE-6. These three TBs-dEs were selected to further investigate their inhibition mechanism. The TBs-dE was found to damage the extracellular membrane of E. coli DH5α, causing leakage of contents, and increase intracellular reactive oxygen content, resulting in abnormal cell metabolism due to oxidative stress. The results of the study provide a theoretical basis for the industrial preparation and product development of TBs.

Abstract Recently developed Long (≥100 cm) axial field of view (AFOV) PET/CT scanners are capable of producing images with higher signal‐to‐noise ratio, or performing faster whole‐body acquisitions, or scanning with lower radiation dose to the patient, compared with conventional PET/CT scanners. These benefits, which arise due to their substantially higher, by more than an order of magnitude, geometric efficiency, have been well described in the recent literature. The introduction of Long AFOV PET/CT technology into the clinic also has important implications for the design and workflow of PET/CT facilities and their effects on radiation exposure to staff and patients. Maximising the considerable benefits of this technology requires a thorough understanding of the relationships between these factors to optimise workflows while appropriately managing radiation exposure. This article reviews current knowledge on PET/CT facility design, workflows and their effects on radiation exposure, identifies gaps in the literature and discusses the challenges that need to be considered with the introduction of Long AFOV PET/CT into the clinic.

Abstract Despite technological advances, some core disturbances due to piston coring process still occur and can be extremely difficult to identify characteristics of sedimentary structures during qualitative visual core description and core lithologies. Few quantitative methods have offered plausible ways to define the exact magnitude of the distorted sedimentary structures in imperfect sedimentary records in the context of overly limited sedimentary records. In this study, an investigation was conducted on the Kaoping slope offshore southwestern Taiwan, a region known for its high sedimentation rate (> 0.9 g/cm2/year), using both the LGD-GPC (giant piston corer) and giant gravity corer techniques. To examine how GPC procedures have shaped the retrieval of sedimentary sequences and affected core quality, we apply well-developed, non-destructive analyses, including physical property measurements, visible color reflectance and digital core images with quantitative curvature index (CI), to recovered sediments. Cores at 22° 23′N, 120° 13′E were as the basis for non-destructive measurement comparison. Evidence from digital core imaging and the CI calculation further supports the mechanism of piston suction. We suggest that shear deformation of sediment against the core barrel would be the prominent factor that govern the observed core disturbances in LGD-GPC cores. Meanwhile, excessive pulling forcing from a modified TORI piston and a slowly lift speed during LGD-GPC coring process may further aggravate core disturbances at the revisited site. The sedimentary length of core LGD-T43-B-PC is overestimated by more than 200%. We further demonstrate that an integration of the CI and color reflectance is an effective way to evaluate the transformation and distorted sedimentary sequences.

This study investigated the distribution of copper in sediment dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM) based on their size. The DOM and alkaline extracted POM (AEOM) were separated into five size fractions using a cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF) system. The results showed that Cu mass was mainly distributed in the low molecular weight (AEOM) ranged from 17.0 to 149.6 μmol/g-C in site-1 and from 20.6 to 143.7 μmol/g-C in site-2. The HMW CuBAAEOM ratios were significantly higher than the LMW ratios. The Cu and DOM binding affinity ratios (CuBADOM) ranged from 5.6 to 358.6 μmol/g-C and 17.2 to 126.6 μmol/g-C in site-1 and site-2, respectively. However, the LMW CuBADOM ratios were significantly higher than the HMW ratios. Optical indices suggested that the AEOM had more aromaticity and terrestrial and allochthonous contributions than the DOM. The optical indices were significantly correlated with the CuBAAEOM ratios but weakly correlated with the CuBADOM ratios. Sediment exchange between POM and DOM may affect copper distribution. DOM has a low-molecular-weight composition, while POM retains high-molecular-weight organic matter.

This study investigated the distribution and binding affinity of dissolved copper (Cu) and organic carbon (OC) in size-fractioned dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a constructed wetland (CW). Two sites were studied: one at the inflow (P-1) and one within the wetland (P-2). The DOMs (DOM) was 74.9 ± 24.0 μmol/g-C at site P-1 and 17.3 ± 2.6 μmol/g-C at site P-2. The CuBADOM ratios were decreased in wetlands of bulk and size-fractioned DOM (p < 0.001 to p = 0.073). The SUVA254 values for bulk DOM solution were 2.54 ± 0.15 and 1.68 ± 0.18 L/mg-C/m, and humidification index (HIX) values were 1.74 ± 0.16 and 2.09 ± 0.19 for sites P-1 and P-2, respectively. Optical indicators suggested that the wetland process decreased aromaticity but increased the humification degree of DOM. Furthermore, the CuBADOM ratios positively correlated with SUVA254 and HIX within the constructed wetland DOM but not in the influent DOM. Understanding the Cu distribution and binding affinity to size-fractioned DOM makes it possible to develop strategies to mitigate the potential effects of copper pollution in wetlands.

Global climate change has resulted in unusual climatic events of increasing intensity and frequency with severe impacts. An individual disaster is often coupled with another at the same time or in the form of a cascade. Major issues discussed in disaster management range from risks, environmental vulnerability, and resiliency, to the identification of human disaster-inducing land uses and their locations across a region, particularly in watersheds. The accurate identification of these disaster-inducing areas – that is, those locations of land use that may cause or contribute to making downstream impacts worse than they would be in the absence of such land uses – would be of assistance for disaster management agencies in order to mitigate disasters in advance. This study applies spatial autocorrelation statistics to explore the spatial and temporal dynamics associated with compound disasters. The study then utilizes the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to calculate runoff volume and sediment discharge to identify the locations of human disaster-inducing land uses. Our modeling outcomes show that there are various kinds of spatial and temporal clusters among compound disasters, and that certain areas are affected by similar disasters regularly while other locations might be the cause of these regular disasters.

This paper empirically examines the signaling role of feedback in the repeated public goods game. To eliminate the potential impact of feedback's informative function, we test whether the provision of detailed yet redundant feedback leads to increased contributions. Our findings demonstrate that redundant information significantly promotes contributions. Given the equal informative power in both treatments, the observed increase in contributions can be attributed to the signaling effect. Furthermore, an examination of cooperative disposition heterogeneity reveals that conditional cooperators primarily utilize feedback for its informative function, while free riders primarily exploit it for its signaling function. These results offer empirical evidence of the signaling function of feedback and offer valuable insights into the design of feedback provision in repeated public goods settings.

We investigate the dynamic characteristics of Covid-19 daily infection rates in Taiwan during its initial surge period, focusing on 79 districts within the seven largest cities. By employing computational techniques, we extract 18 features from each district-specific curve, transforming unstructured data into structured data. Our analysis reveals distinct patterns of asymmetric growth and decline among the curves. Utilizing theoretical information measurements such as conditional entropy and mutual information, we identify major factors of order-1 and order-2 that influence the peak value and curvature at the peak of the curves, crucial features characterizing the infection rates. Additionally, we examine the impact of geographic and socioeconomic factors on the curves by encoding each of the 79 districts with two binary characteristics: North-vs-South and Urban-vs-Suburban. Furthermore, leveraging this data-driven understanding at the district level, we explore the fine-scale behavioral effects on disease spread by examining the similarity among 96 age-group-specific curves within urban districts of Taipei and suburban districts of New Taipei City, which collectively represent a substantial portion of the nation's population. Our findings highlight the implicit influence of human behaviors related to living, traveling, and working on the dynamics of Covid-19 transmission in Taiwan.

BackgroundThe mental health of healthcare workers during the coronavirus-2019 pandemic was seriously affected, and the risk of mental health problems was high. The present study sought to systematically evaluate the mental health problems of healthcare workers worldwide during the pandemic and to determine the latest global frequency of COVID-19 associated mental health problems.MethodsData in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Elsevier, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO and the Web of Science before November 11, 2022, were systematically searched. Cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies were included. The meta-analysis used a random effects model to synthesize the comprehensive prevalence rate of mental health problems. Subgroup analyses were performed based on time of data collection; whether the country was or was not developed; continent; doctors and nurses; doctors/nurses vs. other healthcare workers; and psychological evaluation scale.ResultsA total of 161 studies were included, including 341,014 healthcare workers worldwide, with women accounting for 82.8%. Occupationally, 16.2% of the healthcare workers were doctors, 63.6% were nurses and 13.3% were other medical staff. During the pandemic, 47% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35-60%) of healthcare workers reported job burnout, 38% (95% CI, 35-41%) experienced anxiety, 34% (95% CI 30-38%) reported depression, 30% (95% CI, 29-31%) had acute stress disorder, and 26% (95% CI, 21-31%) had post-traumatic stress disorder.ConclusionsThe study found that there were common mental health problems among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most common was job burnout, followed by anxiety, depression, acute stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. Although the global pandemic has been brought under control, its long-term impact on the mental health of healthcare workers cannot be ignored. Additional research is required to develop measures to prevent, monitor and treat psychological disorders among healthcare workers.

Investigating functional facets of biodiversity across elevation gradients provides the perspective to deepen understanding of the response of communities to global changes. Functional ecology approaches typically assume that filtering of traits across broad environmental gradients is largely due to species turnover rather than intraspecific trait variability. However, few studies quantified the relative importance of species turnover versus intraspecific variability for the composition of soil animal communities across environmental gradients. Here, for the first time, we investigated the relative contribution of species turnover, intraspecific trait variability and their covariation to changes in Collembola body size based on measurements at the individual level along a temperate-boreal elevation gradient in northeastern China. The results indicated that community weighted mean (CWM) body size of Collembola varied significantly with elevation as well as with life form, with the variations in CWM body size in total, epedaphic and hemiedaphic species being similar and more pronounced than in euedaphic Collembola. These variations in body size were driven to a similar extent by intraspecific trait variability and species turnover, with the former being somewhat higher in total, epedaphic and euedaphic but not in hemiedaphic Collembola. Further, variations in body size were better explained by local habitat-related soil factors than by temperature, but the relative importance of these factors differed among ecological groups of Collembola. Overall, these findings show that intraspecific variations in traits may be of similar importance than the turnover of species and needs closer consideration when using trait approaches to understand biodiversity – ecosystem functioning relationships in face of global change.