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A study on the dissemination effectiveness and influencing factors of short videos in scientific journals: An empirical analysis based on the ELM model

Based on data analysis of 4,422 short videos from scientific journals, this study constructs a Dissemination Effectiveness Index comprising Likes, comments, Favorites, and shares. Using an Enhanced Logistic Model (ELM), it examines how different cues influence dissemination performance. Results indicate that video duration and visual quality show significant positive correlations with dissemination effectiveness, while subtitles and clear covers exert stable effects. The impact direction of Hashtags varies depending on usage patterns. Fan base size and content volume exhibit strong correlations with dissemination effectiveness, demonstrating significant moderating effects across several content characteristics. The study further reveals the limited relevance of verification badges, reflecting evolving trends in platform recommendation and user selection mechanisms. Interpreting these patterns through the lens of heuristic processing in algorithmic contexts, this research proposes practical recommendations for scientific journals in short video creation.

Could the regenerative power of the lungs help to reverse disease?

Reduced masticatory stimuli modulate myokine secretion in the masseter muscle in mice

Mastication is essential for oral function and systemic metabolic regulation. The impact of soft diets, which reduce masticatory load, on myokine signaling remains unclear. Accordingly, we examined whether reduced mastication alters myokine secretion from the masseter muscle and affects muscle development and systemic metabolic regulation. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed either hard or soft diets for short-term (1 week) or long-term (7 weeks). Body weight, masseter muscle weight, epididymal fat weight, and fiber cross-sectional area were assessed. The expression of key myokines (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, Nfkb1, and myostatin [Mstn]) was measured using qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction), and myostatin protein levels were evaluated using immunohistochemical assays. Short-term soft diet feeding did not produce any major morphological changes. However, long-term feeding significantly reduced masseter weight and fiber size, while increasing the amount of epididymal fat, despite an unchanged total body weight. At the molecular level, IL-6 expression was consistently lower in soft diet-fed mice, and IL-10 levels declined further with long-term feeding. In contrast, TNF-α, Nfkb1, and Mstn levels were elevated at both ages. The immunohistochemical assays confirmed increased myostatin protein levels in the masseter under soft-diet conditions. These results suggest that reduced masticatory stimulation remodels the biochemical environment of the masseter muscle, suppressing anabolic and anti-inflammatory signals while enhancing catabolic pathways. These alterations impair muscle growth and promote fat accumulation indicating that masticatory load regulates craniofacial muscle development and systemic metabolism through myokine-mediated mechanisms. Therefore, maintaining adequate mastication during growth may be critical for oral health, body composition, and long-term metabolic homeostasis.

Aberrant skeletal muscle morphogenesis and myofiber differentiation characterize equine myotonic dystrophy

Equine myotonic dystrophy (eMD) is a rare neuromuscular disorder of undetermined origin marked by muscle hypertrophy and stiffness, dystrophic muscle histopathology, and myotonic discharges. In humans, myotonic dystrophy (DM) arises from trinucleotide repeat expansions in dystrophia myotonica protein kinase ( DMPK ) (DM1) or tetranucleotide expansions in cellular nucleic acid-binding protein ( CNBP ) (DM2), which disrupt mRNA processing and induce embryonic splicing patterns across multiple genes. In 6 eMD Quarter Horse types, (2–36 months-of-age) and 8 control Quarter Horses we determined: (1) fiber type composition of triceps , gluteal, and semimembranosus muscles; (2) differential gene (DEG) and protein (DEP) expression using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses; (3) presence of repeat expansions in transcripts of DMPK or CNBP and (4) exon 7 retention in CLCN1 or exon 22 splicing in ATP2A1 . Predominance and clustering of type 1 fibers, expression of embryonic myosin, and upregulated mitochondrial and sarcomeric DEPs characterized eMD hindlimb musculature. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of 730 upregulated DEGs identified numerous GO terms related to morphogenesis of mesoderm-derived tissues and upregulated genes impacting myoD expression in eMD muscle. Top upregulated DEG involved myogenesis ( MYOZ2, SBK2, SBK3, PAMR1 ), neurons, transcription/translation, cytoskeleton, basement/plasma membranes, and calcium binding/transport. Top upregulated proteins also impacted muscle morphogenesis (MUSTN1, CSRP3, TMSBX4, PDLIM, CALD1) as well as categories of mitochondria, sarcomere, extracellular matrix/ basement membrane, transcription, translation, cell cycle regulation, neurons amongst others. Downregulated DEP primarily impacted mitochondria, the sarcomere and glycogen metabolism. Notably, unlike human myotonic dystrophy, trinucleotide repeat expansions were not found in the DMPK 3’UTR (CTG) n nor tetranucleotide repeat expansions (CCTG) n in intron 1 of CNBP . Isoforms of CLCN1 containing fetal exon 7 were detected in equal frequency in eMD and control muscle and exon 22 was not alternatively spliced in ATP2A1 as has been found in DM1. Thus, distinct from DM1 and DM2, eMD is driven by unique molecular mechanisms impacting skeletal muscle morphogenesis, neurons and regulation of gene transcription/translation that alter fiber type composition, distribution and morphology. The origin of myotonia does not appear to be driven by a mutation in CLCN1 or retention of exon CLCN 7. Expanded splice site analysis and further research is warranted to elucidate the cause of myotonia and the distinct etiology of eMD.

Effect of perchlorate on biocementation capable bacteria and Martian bricks

With the recent discovery of perchlorate (0.5–1%) in Martian regolith, more experiments related to the impact of perchlorate on microbial life are crucial to understanding the possibility of earth life forms that could sustain on the Martian terrain. While we are familiar with the idea of bioconsolidated Martian bricks made via Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP), studies on the effect of perchlorate on Martian bricks & biocementation capable microbes have been obscure. In this work, we investigated the effect of perchlorate (MgClO 4 - salt) on a lab-isolated biocementation capable bacteria & Martian bricks bioconsolidated by the same, with 1% perchlorate in Mars Global Simulant-1 (MGS-1). The screening of biocementation-capable bacteria involved phenol red assay for urease activity followed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) study of the precipitate formed through MICP via ureolytic pathway. The biocementation capable bacterium SI_IISc_isolate was found to be phylogenetically closest to Sporosarcina pasteurii strain S2135 with a draft genome size of 3.69 Mb. To understand the effect of perchlorate on SI_IISc_isolate, we majorly relied on Gram-staining & SEM. The negative effect of perchlorate stress on the isolate was evident by its decreased growth in the presence of varying concentrations of perchlorate through plate assays, growth curve studies in broth & live-dead staining. Gram-staining study and SEM both revealed that perchlorate induces the release of extracellular matrix (ECM) and promotes clustering of cells by the bacteria, which we termed as ‘multicellularity-like behavior.’ Further, we constructed Martian bricks with Martian Global Simulant (MGS-1) along with 1% perchlorate, utilizing the microbially induced calcite precipitation ability of the Sporosarcina sp. strain SI_IISc_isolate via ureolysis, following an established protocol at our lab. The bioconsolidation experiments showed that in the presence of a natural adhesive – guar gum, perchlorate tends to significantly improve the compressive strength of Martian bricks. However, the end result eventually relies on the overall effect of various additives in the regolith.

The impact of tournament incentives on corporate credit repair: Evidence from China

This study investigates the impact of tournament incentives on corporate credit repair and re-repair. Drawing on tournament and agency theory, respectively, we argue that tournament incentives improve corporate credit repair and re-repair by motivating non-CEO executives'  effort and risk-taking, and by inducing incumbent CEOs to supervise subordinates to restrain opportunistic behavior. Using data from Chinese listed companies from 2009 to 2023 and employing SHAP values and benchmark traditional econometric methods, our results show that tournament incentives have a positive impact on corporate credit repair and re-repair. Furthermore, CEO shareholding strengthens the positive impact of tournament incentives on corporate credit repair, whereas firm age weakens the positive impact of tournament incentives on corporate credit repair. Additionally, firm size and leverage weaken the positive impact of tournament incentives on corporate credit re-repair. This paper sheds light on the role of tournament incentives on corporate executives for policymakers to enhance corporate credit repair.

Correction: Research on multi-physical field coupling modeling and multi-condition dynamic load capacity evaluation of oil-immersed transformers

Genetic predisposition to elevated BMI and adult asthma phenotypes in a Japanese population

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for asthma, with genetic factors influencing both conditions. This study investigates the impact of genetic predisposition to increased body mass index (BMI) on adult asthma phenotypes. We recruited 1532 non-asthmatic healthy individuals and 779 adult asthma patients to assess the relationship between BMI-related genetic risk scores (BMI-GRS) and asthma. Among the 85 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with BMI in Japanese populations, significant associations with BMI were confirmed for 6 SNPs in the healthy individuals. Using these, BMI-GRS was calculated for both groups. While asthma patients had higher BMI than healthy individuals (p = 0.004), no significant difference in BMI-GRS was observed between the groups (p = 0.56). A cluster analysis identified six distinct phenotypes of adult asthma patients: two overweight/obese clusters (one with elevated BMI-GRS, one without) and four non-obese clusters (with one showing significantly elevated BMI-GRS). This study demonstrates a genetic heterogeneity in the phenotype of adult asthma among a Japanese population, showing that genetic variants associated with BMI contribute to specific subtypes of asthma. Prospective longitudinal studies are essential to delineate the interactions between genetic predisposition, elevated BMI, subsequent changes in adiposity, and the evolution of asthma phenotypes, which would facilitate the development of mechanism-based therapeutic strategies tailored to genetically-defined patient subgroups.

Wikipedia is needed now more than ever, 25 years on

Protective effect of EVA layers under quasi-static loading for veneer-like ceramic discs

Correction: Design of a multi-epitope recombinant BCG vaccine targeting Brucella OMP31, LptE and VirB2 in immunoinformatics approaches

A bendable AI chip for wearable technology

The metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) drug resmetirom exhibits broad nuclear receptor activity with minimal functional impact

Abstract In 2024, the FDA granted approval for resmetirom, a selective but moderately potent agonist of the thyroid hormone receptor (THR) β, marking the first drug for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in the US. Given the absence of selectivity data, we conducted a comprehensive screening against other nuclear receptors implicated in metabolic regulation, in addition to THRβ. Reporter gene assays revealed that resmetirom also binds several off-target nuclear receptors, including constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors (RORs), and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α). However, subsequent in vitro experiments, designed to better recapitulate physiological conditions, showed that THRβ modulation is functionally dominant. These preliminary findings suggest that pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of resmetirom remains intact despite the identified off-target effects, supporting its clinical application in the treatment of MASH.

Correction: Renal cancer survival in clear cell renal cancer compared to other types of tumor histology: A population-based cohort study

Metadata driven malicious URL detection using RoBERTa large and multi source network threat intelligence

Retraction: Enhancing pipa tuning stability with piezoelectric materials: An adaptive system for real-time performance adjustment

Medical knowledge representation enhancement in large language models through clinical tokens optimization

Abstract During the training of medical large language models (LLMs), conventional tokenizers frequently segment domain-specific medical terms into multiple subword tokens, resulting in suboptimal recognition and representation of specialized vocabulary. As a consequence, the model encounters difficulties in effectively acquiring medical domain knowledge during the fine-tuning process. To address this limitation, the present study introduces “clinical tokens”—medical subword units—by augmenting the vocabulary of the original LLaMA2 tokenizer. This adapted tokenizer retains medical terms as whole tokens wherever feasible, thereby enhancing tokenization accuracy and enabling the model to learn and interpret medical knowledge more effectively. For downstream task adaptation, this study employs the Byte Pair Encoding (BPE) algorithm to construct a domain-specific vocabulary and tokenization model, ensuring the inclusion of medical subword units (clinical tokens). We compare the tokenization performance of three variants: the original LLaMA2 tokenizer, the Chinese-LLaMA2 tokenizer (expanded with an extended Chinese vocabulary), and the clinical token-augmented tokenizer. This was followed by fine-tuning the large language models on curated medical datasets. The experimental results indicate that the enhanced tokenizer improves encoding and decoding efficiency, extends the model’s effective context window, and yields superior performance on downstream medical tasks.

Symmetry, presumptions, and the judges design

An instrumental variables approach called ‘the judges design’ used frequently in social sciences relies on an assumption called ‘average monotonicity’. This assumption pertains to how different judges’ (or other classifiers’) decision making processes relate to each other. Violations of it are hard to detect, which raises the importance of it being supported by a plausible theory. Decisions of judges who solve Bayesian decision problems violate average monotonicity as long as the signals they process are symmetric and they do not possess strong presumptions. This result is extended to cases where judge presumptions are symmetrically distributed and may include strong presumptions. The analysis reveals factors that can be considered while discussing the plausibility of an assumption made to identify causal effects whose violations are difficult to detect and has important policy implications. “In other cases, however where instrumental variables are used [monotonicity is] not so plausible. Specifically in what are now called judge lenience designs” Guido Imbens, 2021 Nobel Prize Lecture

A synergistic strategy of crosslinking and filler toughening enabling stretchable organic photovoltaics for wearable applications

Optimizing the operational conditions for microalgae biomass drying using tray dryers

Abstract Drying is a critical yet energy-intensive step in the valorization of microalgae biomass, essential for ensuring long-term stability and enabling downstream processing. This study investigates the technical feasibility and performance of tray drying as an alternative to conventional methods, using Chlorella sp. biomass. Experiments were conducted at drying temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 °C and biomass layer thicknesses between 0.3 and 1.0 cm, simulating industrial tray dryer conditions. Drying kinetics were assessed through moisture ratio and water content conditions, with a power-law model applied to describe the drying rate as a function of moisture content. The results demonstrated that thinner layers and higher temperatures significantly reduced drying time, with full dehydration within 5 h at 80 °C and 0.3 cm thickness. However, spectrophotometric analysis revealed a trade-off between drying efficiency and biomass quality, with pigment degradation increasing with temperature and time. A polynomial model was developed to predict pigment deterioration based on operational parameters. These findings provide a robust foundation for the design and scale-up of tray drying systems and offer a practical framework for optimizing the balance between process efficiency and product quality in microalgae biorefineries.