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Digital readiness and family support are associated with later learning engagement through digital self-efficacy among rural Chinese children
Abstract Digital technologies are increasingly embedded in primary education, yet rural children’s engagement may depend not only on access to technology but also on readiness to use digital resources for learning. This two-wave time-lagged study examined whether digital readiness was associated with later learning engagement among rural Chinese children through digital self-efficacy, and whether family support strengthened this indirect association. Participants were 768 Grade 5 and Grade 6 students from 15 rural primary schools in Sichuan Province, China. Digital readiness, family support, baseline learning engagement, and demographic variables were assessed at T1; digital self-efficacy and learning engagement were assessed three months later at T2. After controlling for baseline engagement and demographic covariates, T1 digital readiness was positively associated with T2 learning engagement. Digital self-efficacy partially accounted for this longitudinal association, and family support strengthened the association between digital readiness and digital self-efficacy. Measurement validation, attrition effect sizes, and school-clustered robustness checks supported the robustness of the findings. These results suggest that rural children’s later learning engagement is linked to readiness-related conditions and family support, but the findings should be interpreted as longitudinal associations rather than causal effects.
Hydrodynamic control of fluvial oncoid formation in a modern high-energy tropical cascade system
POTEF upregulation drives hepatocellular carcinoma progression via oncogenic signaling and immune modulation
Sustainable–resilient and climate-responsive e-waste supply chain network design under uncertainty using four-valued refined neutrosophic optimization
A model system test of trophic transmission of RNA interference effects using the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera)
Nanozymatic platform for dual colorimetric and fluorimetric sensing of H₂O₂ and glucose using Ni-CoWO₄ nanoparticles
Synergistic enhancement of athletic performance and psychological resilience through AI-driven personalized exercise regimens network
Open-label placebos reduce hair cortisol concentrations and psychological distress - a randomized controlled trial
Abstract The exposure to stressful events, such as demanding university exams, is associated with psychological distress and elevated physiological stress responses, which may impair performance. Recent research suggests that open-label placebo (OLP) treatments can effectively reduce psychological distress. However, evidence regarding OLP effects on biomarkers remains limited, highlighting the need for systematic investigation. This study presents the first longitudinal randomized controlled trial examining a four-week OLP intervention on hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and psychological distress, using oral university exams as real-life stressors. 134 healthy university students were randomized to an OLP group receiving placebo pills or a control group without treatment. Psychological distress was assessed via a latent factor derived from area under the curve (AUCi) values of negative affect, test anxiety, subjective stress, and exam-related stress, continuously measured during the intervention. Analyses revealed decreasing HCC in the OLP group, demonstrating for the first time a long-term physiological effect of OLPs comparable to other stress-management interventions. Results further indicate reduced psychological distress in the OLP group. Pre-exam negative affect mediated subsequent improvements in exam grades observed in the OLP group, compared to the controls. These findings provide first evidence that OLPs may attenuate physiological and psychological impacts of prolonged stress exposure. Trial registration: This study was registered at the German clinical trials register (DRKS00031423).
Breast cancer risk genes affecting individual radiosensitivity
Abstract Increased radiosensitivity can cause adverse radiotherapy effects. Heterozygote variants in breast cancer risk genes increase cancer risk and may affect radiosensitivity. This study assessed their impact on individual radiosensitivity to determine the radiation risk for gene carriers. Radiosensitivity was analyzed in 273 patients with breast cancer risk gene variants. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FiSH), chromosomal aberrations were quantified as breaks per metaphase (B/M) after ex vivo irradiation of blood lymphocytes. Results were compared with healthy controls and breast cancer cases, both without confirmed non-carrier status, limiting gene-specific conclusions. Gene carriers showed slightly increased radiosensitivity (mean 0.488 B/M ± 0.134) compared with healthy controls (0.411 B/M ± 0.088; p < 0.0001) but similar to breast cancer control group (0.498 B/M ± 0.192; p = 0.563). In BRCA1/2 carriers, radiosensitivity was slightly increased, while single cases in BARD1 , RAD51 , and MSH variants suggested a possible increase ( p < 0.003). Radiosensitivity was influenced by gene locus, variant type, age, and cancer history. 24.5% of carriers exceeded a cutoff of ≥ 0.55 B/M, where dose reduction could be considered. Radiosensitivity of breast cancer risk gene carriers varies and is slightly increased. Individuals with increased radiosensitivity risk should consider testing.
Three-minute walk test as a practical screening tool for detecting exertional hypoxemia in fibrotic interstitial lung disease: a real-world cohort study
Enhancing anomaly-based zero-day attack detection framework using CNN-driven feature extraction and OC-SVM
Plagiarism awareness in post-graduate students: case study
Abstract Plagiarism in academic contexts presents a substantial ethical challenge within the field of publishing, impacting a diverse array of individuals, including faculty members and students. The present study employs a descriptive approach and was conducted using a survey method. The research sample consisted of 291 post-graduate students, selected through a stratified random sampling technique. The research instrument was a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, and correlation coefficients. The collected data were analyzed using independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and correlation coefficients within the SPSS software environment (version 26). The findings demonstrated that the overall average awareness of academic plagiarism is higher among male participants than female participants; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Additionally, the average awareness of academic plagiarism in PhD students was significantly higher than Master’s students. The analysis revealed a significant difference in the average awareness of academic plagiarism among students from their first to fourth year, showing that awareness increased with each subsequent academic year. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship was identified between the average awareness of academic plagiarism and academic level. The study revealed that as students progressed through their academic years, their awareness of the concepts and instances of academic plagiarism increased.
Named entity recognition for coal mining machine assembly based on domain large language model
How game score shapes anticipatory swing decisions in baseball players: a functional MRI study
Comparative mechanical properties of polyester and polyethylene composites reinforced with sunflower seed hull fibers
Multifunctional cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with optimized cobalt doping for enhanced photo-Fenton catalysis, energy storage, and antifungal applications
Abstract Designing cost-effective, eco-friendly, and high-performance nanomaterials remains crucial for advancing next-generation technologies in environmental remediation, energy conversion, and pathogen control. Here, we report the glucose-assisted synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe) nanocomposites (NCs) with tunable Co concentrations (0.025–0.15 M), and utilized for multifunctional applications. XRD confirmed the phase-pure cubic spinel ferrite, and FESEM showed a morphological transition from irregular aggregates to well-defined hexagonal shapes, at the optimal dopant concentration. Among the four batches, CoFe-3 (0.1 M Co) exhibited the highest surface area (74.98 m²/g) with the pore size (16.17 nm), contributing to versatility. CoFe-3 achieved 91.44% efficiency for crystal violet (CV) degradation within 40 min under photo-Fenton conditions and retained 81.73% efficiency after five cycles. Electrochemical studies displayed a high specific capacitance of 614 F/g at 1 A/g with stable cycling over 3000 GCD cycles, indicating battery-type behaviour with promising energy (15.04 Wh/kg) and power densities (217.16 W/kg). Moreover, CoFe-3 displayed significant antifungal activity against Fusarium solani , inducing morphological deformities in hyphae. These results highlight the potential of glucose-engineered CoFe NCs as robust materials for environmental remediation, energy storage, and antifungal applications.
Digit-tracking reveals curiosity-driven visual attention in macaque monkeys
Abstract We used digit-tracking, a touch-based method for assessing visual attention, to investigate spontaneous exploration in macaque monkeys. By engaging with degraded images on a touch-sensitive display, monkeys could uncover high-resolution portions through finger movements, allowing for natural and unrestricted interaction. Monkeys received juice rewards after touching a predetermined number of pixels, but no specific regions were targeted. Attention maps were generated from their interactions, along with data from human digit-tracking and monkey eye-tracking experiments. Direct comparisons across recording methods revealed that monkey digit-tracking attention maps were significantly correlated with both monkey eye-tracking and human digit-tracking maps, indicating shared patterns of visual exploration across species and devices. We further applied a saliency model and a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model to predict the empirical explorations. The correlation between model prediction maps and empirical attention maps indicated that monkeys focused non-randomly on information-rich regions, with the CNN model providing the most accurate predictions. These findings suggest that exploration was driven by intrinsic curiosity, beyond the extrinsic rewards for interaction. Digit-tracking offers a minimally invasive, portable alternative to eye-tracking, expanding research opportunities in visual cognition within ecologically valid settings.
Parasitically coupled 16-port massive MIMO antenna for mmWave applications
Abstract This article presents a 16-port compact (26.2 $$\times$$ 79 $$\times$$ 0.508 mm $$^3$$ ) massive MIMO antenna for mmWave applications. The proposed antenna consists of five triangular-shaped parasitic elements, one triangular-shaped feed-line fed element, and impedance matching network on the radiating plane, whereas defected ground and stubs are used on the ground plane. A systematic study is performed to select an optimal single element antenna (design) among design-1, design-2, design-3 an design-4. Thereafter, a 16-port massive MIMO antenna is implemented using a replica of a single element with modified ground plane structure. The proposed antenna resonates at 40 GHz frequency in mmWave band (37.5–49 GHz) with a 40 dB peak return loss. According to 3GPP bands n259 (39.5–43.5 GHz), n260 (37–40 GHz) and n262 (47.2–48.2 GHz), the resonating band (37.5–49 GHz) of the proposed antenna is part of the upper band of the mmWave spectrum and contains some of the most crucial licensed 5G and beyond wireless communications bands such as 39 GHz, 41 GHz and 47 GHz. Moreover, the proposed antenna achieves a high antenna gain of 17.9 dB and 17.2 dB at 39 GHz and 41 GHz, respectively. In addition, the specific absorption rate analysis of the proposed antenna is conducted by placing the antenna on the right hand of a human male model and 0.045 W/kg of SAR value at 40 GHz is achieved for the proposed antenna. An equivalent circuit of the intended antenna is proposed and simulated using the ADS tool and validated with the results simulated using HFSS.
Urbanization drives phenotypic differences but not asymmetry in the damselfly Ischnura elegans
Abstract Urbanization is a challenging environment and has a profound impact on organisms. Cities may be the source of important phenotypic changes and lead to developmental instability. To explore the effects of urbanization (percentage of impervious surface) on organisms, we collected ~ 800 adult damselflies Ischnura elegans across 22 ponds along an urbanization gradient. These ponds were also characterized by other environmental parameters: percentage of crops and of forested area, pH, salinity and water temperature. Adults were screened for traits related to body size and dispersion (wing morphology). We also investigated fluctuating asymmetry between right and left wings, a measure of developmental instability. We found that along an urbanization gradient, adult size and thorax length decreased, with urban individuals being smaller. The effects of urbanization were also sex-specific for femur length, with a stronger decrease in urban males. Wing shape was affected by urbanization in a sex-specific manner, with more important shape variation observed in females along the urbanization gradient. Urbanization did not increase fluctuating asymmetry, which was rather pond-specific. Our results provide evidence that urbanization shapes adult phenotype and may ultimately influence dispersal ability. Urbanization did not increase developmental instability, suggesting that some organisms may overcome some city stress.