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Individual and collective positive health behaviors and academic achievement among U.S. undergraduate students
Background Behaviors associated with chronic disease can become habituated during young adulthood and may influence students’ academic achievement, affecting their future health and economic prospects. However, more research is needed to understand this relationship. This study therefore examined the connection, both individually and collectively, between undergraduate students’ chronic disease prevention behaviors and academic performance. Methods We examined the relationship between 14 positive health behaviors related to diet, physical activity, sedentary screen time, and tobacco product use and cumulative grade point average (GPA; A, B, C, D/F) using the Spring 2023 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III (N = 50,792 students; N = 125 institutions). Log binomial regressions produced adjusted prevalence ratios for performing each health behavior based on GPA, controlling for year in school, sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and BMI. A composite health index was also calculated, and multivariate negative binomial regression examined the health index score by GPA category. Results Analyses found that A and B GPA categories were significantly different than D/F for all dietary behaviors, all physical activity behaviors, watching TV and gaming, and using vaping products. Students with a higher GPA had significantly more positive health behaviors based on the composite index than each proceeding GPA group. Conclusions This study found a relationship between students’ academic achievement and engagement in positive behaviors that prevent or mitigate chronic disease and is the first to examine college students’ health behaviors cumulatively. Initiatives that support college student well-being may benefit students’ academic success as well as reduce chronic disease risk.
A Multi-Threshold Micelle Improves Tumor Accumulation and STING Immunotherapy
Resting-state memory consolidation in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
This study examined declarative memory consolidation across a period of post-learning rest in individuals diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While eyes-closed waking rest after learning typically provides a memory benefit, we hypothesized that individuals diagnosed with ADHD would show reduced memory improvement after rest, compared to controls. N = 24 ADHD and N = 28 control participants listened to a short story followed by either 15 min of rest or a 15 min distractor task (within-subjects). A recall test was administered immediately afterwards and 24hrs later. EEG (electroencephalography) was recorded during the rest period, along with EOG (electrooculography) and EMG (electromyography). While ADHD and control groups differed substantially in resting-state mental and neural activity, the effect of rest on memory consolidation did not differ between groups. However, in exploratory analyses controlling for inattention symptoms, rest impaired memory in participants with ADHD, while improving memory in controls. These observations add to a growing literature describing how persons with ADHD differ from controls in resting state brain and mental activity.
Sterically Induced Acceleration of Aryl Halide Activation by Pd(0): A Radical Alternative to 2-Electron Oxidative Addition
Evolutionary characteristics and influencing factors of non-grain of cultivated land in main grain-producing areas—A case study of Lianyungang City, China
It is significant to explore the evolution pattern and driving mechanism of non-grain of cultivated land in the main grain-producing areas to promote the sustainable development of agriculture and guarantee national food security. Taking Lianyungang City in Jiangsu Province as an example, the study uses remote sensing image interpretation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and geographically weighted regression model to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of non-grain of cultivated land, reveal the driving mechanism and formulate zonal regulation strategies. The results show that: (1) the level of non-grain of cultivated land in Lianyungang City increased gradually from 6.01% to 11.10% from 2002 to 2022, and grain cultivation was mainly shifted to greenhouse vegetables, construction and development and abandonment. (2) the level of non-grain of cultivated land showed a spatial pattern of high along the north-west-south-east and decreasing to the two sides, and the pattern showed a trend of gradual weakening, with Moran’s I decreased from 0.90 to 0.42. (3) The dominant factors of the spatial differentiation of non-grain of cultivated land in different periods are different, among which GDP, population density, NDVI, and precipitation are always the main influencing factors. The evolution of non-grain of cultivated land is a complex result of the joint action of resource endowment of farm households, location conditions, and economic policies. (4) The evolution of non-grain of cultivated land can be classified into single-factor-dominated, two-factor-dominated, and multifactorial effects. Three primary zones and differentiated zoning regulation strategies are proposed from three perspectives: subject synergy, government regulation, and system element enhancement. The study can provide a reference basis for promoting the protection and use of cultivated land and formulating differentiated agricultural management strategies in grain-producing areas similar to Lianyungang City.
Amplification of Asymmetry for Dynamic Helical Polymers through 1:1 Host–Guest Interactions: Theoretical Models for Majority Rule and Sergeants and Soldiers Effects
Data and methods for assessing urban green infrastructure using GIS: A systematic review
Comprehensive and visual assessments utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer an empirical foundation for the planning, construction, and optimization of Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI), effectively promoting its sustainable development. A comprehensive review of this field clarifies the research methods, application scope, trends, and challenges associated with using GIS to advance UGI development. This study synthesizes research findings from the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) within the Web of Science (WOS) database, as well as from the Scopus database, for the period from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2024. The initial dataset included 640 articles from WOS and 952 articles from Scopus. After removing 1,572 duplicates and irrelevant studies, the final selection consisted of 20 articles. The integration of both WOS and Scopus databases ensures a comprehensive capture of current trends and limitations in GIS-based UGI assessments. This study centers on the scope, data sources, theoretical models, analyses, and objectives of GIS-based UGI assessments. The research indicates that over the past five years, GIS-based UGI assessments have primarily focused on areas such as accessibility, ecosystem service potential, resilience, and environmental justice, in addition to non-ecological aspects such as social benefits and aesthetics. While the integration of diverse data and analytical indicators into GIS has enhanced assessment comprehensiveness, and AI technologies have deepened data analysis, field research with urban residents remains crucial, underscoring the importance of inclusiveness in the study. This study also reveals a significant increase in interdisciplinarity in GIS-based assessments of UGI. The integration of assessment methods from ecology, computer science, urban planning, sociology, aesthetics, and other disciplines demonstrates that research in this field has fully considered ecological, social, economic, and humanistic factors, thereby more comprehensively reflecting the integrated needs of sustainable urban development.
Ambiphilic Reactivity of Iridium Complexes with <i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Vinylidene Ligands
Biological control under climate change: Distribution patterns of the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus and two of its parasitoids in the Americas
Climate change affects the distribution of insects, such as pests and parasitoids. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been developed to determine distribution patterns and risk areas for pests and biological control agents under different climate change scenarios. The South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an important pest of cultivated fruits throughout the Americas that can be controlled by natural enemies, such as the native parasitoid Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the introduced parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). However, the control efficacy and parasitism performance of these organisms could be affected by changing environmental conditions. SDMs were conducted using Random Forest to predict suitable areas for the establishment of A. fraterculus, D. areolatus, and D. longicaudata under different climate scenarios or Representative Concentration Pathways (SSPs) (SSP 2–4.5 and 5–8.8) in two different periods (2021–2040 and 2041–2060). Our results predicted an increase in suitable areas for A. fraterculus in the Americas, especially in some South American countries such as Colombia and Brazil. Moreover, the projected distribution of these species is intricately linked to the regional climatic patterns. Temperate and tropical areas were more suitable for the establishment of A. fraterculus; D. areolatus was better suited to temperate climates; while tropical climates were more suitable for D. longicaudata. Suitable areas for the establishment of both parasitoid species were predicted to increase in future climate scenarios, with D. longicaudata having a greater geographical expansion than D. areolatus. These parasitoids could be used as biocontrol agents in almost all areas suitable for the establishment of A. fraterculus.
Australian general practice registrars perceived development of cultural safety for Indigenous patients: A qualitative study
Objective It is poorly understood how general practice registrars develop skills towards providing culturally safe care to Indigenous patients. Finding ways to enable the patient to determine culturally safe care, but not be responsible for teaching or correcting, is a challenge for health education systems. This study aims to explore how Australian general practice registrars perceive they develop towards cultural safety in readiness to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. Design This study utilised a pragmatic philosophical position. It is a qualitative study involving administration of a survey for demographic details alongside semi-structured interviews to explore how general practice registrars develop towards cultural safety. Data collection was conducted from March to August 2022. Transcripts were studied using a content analysis approach. Setting Regional Queensland, Australia. Participants General practice registrars Results Sixteen registrars completed the survey and semi-structured interview. Registrars described four main factors that contribute towards their development of cultural safety: shared or similar life experiences, learning from cultural safety training, experiential learning, and critical reflection. Registrars thought it was acceptable for patients to educate, teach or correct culturally unsafe care and did not reflect on the power imbalance in these relationships. Conclusion Cultural safety appears to be a lifelong learning journey balancing critical self-reflection against an external determination of cultural safety. Understanding this process warrants further research and review of medical education teaching.
Crystallographic Visualization of Distinct Iodic Aggregations in Isostructural Metal–Organic Frameworks
Can analyst coverage reduce corporate tax avoidance? Evidence from China
Tax avoidance is a widespread problem, much explored in the literature. Using a sample of A-share listed companies in China from 2009 to 2021, this study finds that analyst coverage significantly inhibits corporate tax avoidance behavior, mainly by improving the information environment and alleviating agency problems. Further analysis finds that the role of analyst coverage is more significant in firms where investment in innovation is limited, state-owned enterprises, and those with low management shareholding. The paper enriches the relevant literatures about analyst coverage and corporate tax avoidance, identifies the potential to inhibit corporate tax avoidance from the perspective of information environment and agency costs and provides suggestions for regulators and corporate governance.
Effective Near-Infrared Triplet Emitter Based on Hetero-Metal–Metal Interaction
Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 antibody response in a healthcare worker cohort utilising the Abbott Alinity® anti-nucleocapsid assay
Introduction Healthcare workers (HCWs) in Ireland bore a particularly high burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections, representing over 30% of infections during initial waves. We describe the prevalence, incidence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) IgG positivity in a cohort of HCWs working in a Dublin inner-city tertiary hospital, over 48 weeks. Methods The SORTeD (Seroprevalence, Seroconversion Rates and Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 among Healthcare Workers) study was a longitudinal cohort study of HCWs working in an inner-city hospital in Dublin between July 2020 and September 2021. Participants had either a prior history of PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (Group 1) or no prior history of SARS-CoV-2 (Group 2). Serum samples were obtained at weeks 0, 12 and 48, and tested for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (NC) antibody using a qualitative immunoassay (Abbott Alinity®). Seroprevalence rates are presented using descriptive statistics, with univariate and multivariate analysis examining associations between participant characteristics, IgG status and refractive index in Group 1. Data is presented as n (%) or median (interquartile range (IQR)) where appropriate. Results Of the 395 HCWs who were recruited, 304 (77.0%) were female, median age was 33 (28−45) years, and 343 (86.8%) had patient-facing roles. In Group 1, time from infection to sampling was 173 (144.0–202.0) days. Seroprevalence of IgG in Group 1 at 0, 12 and 48 weeks was 47.4%, 19.0% and 7.3%, respectively; while seroprevalence in Group 2 was 5.4%, 4.3% and 2.6%, respectively. A lower refractive index was seen in higher sampling intervals (r = −0.5, 95% CI −0.576 to −0.427; p < 0.001). Fourteen incident infections were reported by the cohort during the study, and 3 documented reinfections. Conclusion Our study shows low seroprevalence in prior confirmed cases among our HCW population, possibly explained by reduced sensitivity of this assay with increasing time from SARS-CoV-2 exposure and timing of testing. Confirmatory testing with a quantitative assay would help understand the true seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in this cohort.
Molecular Steganography Using Multistate Photoswitchable Hydrazones
Immune response induced by the recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine (Adenovirus type 5 vector) (Ad5-nCoV) in persons living with HIV (PLWH)
Background Despite higher risk of poorer outcomes and potential sub-optimal vaccine effectiveness, people living with HIV (PLWH) are underrepresented in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad5-nCoV vaccine (CanSino Biologics Inc./The Beijing Institute of Biotechnology) in PLWH. Methods In this single arm, open-label Phase 2b trial, PLWH were enrolled in Argentina. Participants received two doses of Ad5-nCoV vaccine (intramuscular, dosage 5x10 10 viral particles) at days 0 and 56. The primary outcomes were safety as serious adverse events [SAE], solicited and unsolicited local and systemic adverse events, impact on HIV viral load and CD4 counts and immunogenicity measured by S-RBD IgG and pseudo-virus neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) up to 52 weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT05005156). Findings Between June 2021-January 2022, 140 PLWH received at least one dose of Ad5-nCoV vaccine. At baseline, the majority were on antiretroviral therapy (99.3%), virologically suppressed (93.6%), with a median (IQR) CD4-cell count:736 (531–946) cells/ul. At baseline, 38 (27%) participants were seropositive for S-RBD antibodies, and 40 (28%) for nAbs. There were no SAEs related to the vaccine. Solicited AE within 7 days after first and second dose occurred in 93 (69%) and 75 (60%) participants, mostly grade 1, included pain, drowsiness and headache. The incidence of unsolicited AE within 28 days of vaccination was 10.7%. There were no significant changes in plasma viral load, CD4 count, CD4/CD8 ratio and no new AIDS-defining illnesses were reported. There were significant increases in the geometric mean titers (GMT) of S-RBD and nAbs between baseline to week 52. Seroconversion rates 28 days after the first and second doses (day 84) were 80% and 94% for S-RBD, and 35% and 78% for nAbs. Interpretation The Ad5-nCoV vaccine was safe and induced an adequate immune response in virologically suppressed PLWH, maintaining high antibody titers at least during the first year post-vaccination. No significant changes were observed in plasma viral load, CD4 count and CD4/CD8 ratio
Fluorescence Visualization of Strain by Tetraphenylethylene/Ruthenium Complex Three-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Assemblies
Generate vector graphics of fine-grained pattern based on the Xception edge detection
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence(AI) approaches to innovatively generating the vector graphics of fine-grained patterns has become an important task in image edge extraction, particularly on the domain of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) images where they are typically fine-grained and having the complex edges. With higher autonomy, the machine learning algorithms are able to accurately extract the image information, understand and convey the concept contained in it. In this paper, we take Qiang embroidery patterns as an example due to containing fine-grained patterns, which is more suitable for the study of image processing and pattern recognition techniques. We firstly adopt appropriate pre-processing methods, improved adaptive median filtering(IAMF) and non-local mean for the two different types of Qiang embroidery patterns to reduce image noise. Then, the Xception algorithm based on convolutional neural networks(CNNs) is used for edge detection and extraction to generate vector graphics of the patterns. Experimental results show that Qiang embroidery patterns, after denoising and edge extraction, can be clearly identified the shape characteristics of the patterns. Based on this approach, the images can be converted into vector graphics for the digital preservation and further artistic reinterpretation. The use of the Xception algorithm effectively solves the problem of extraction of Qiang embroidery in two-dimensional vectorial images. In addition, our proposed method provides a reliable practical reference for the preservation of other related ICH images.
Drosophila models uncover substrate channeling effects on phospholipids and sphingolipids in peroxisomal biogenesis disorders
Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorders Zellweger Spectrum (PBD-ZSD) disorders are a group of autosomal recessive defects in peroxisome formation that produce a multi-systemic disease presenting at birth or in childhood. Well documented clinical biomarkers such as elevated very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) are key biochemical diagnostic findings in these conditions. Additional, secondary biochemical alterations such as elevated very long chain lysophosphatidylcholines are allowing newborn screening for peroxisomal disease. In addition, a more widespread impact on metabolism and lipids is increasingly being documented by metabolomic and lipidomic studies. Here we utilize Drosophila models of pex2 and pex16 as well as human plasma from individuals with PEX1 mutations. We identify phospholipid abnormalities in Drosophila larvae and brain characterized by differences in the quantities of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) with long chain lengths and reduced levels of intermediate chain lengths. For diacylglycerol (DAG), the precursor of PE and PC through the Kennedy pathway, the intermediate chain lengths are increased suggesting an imbalance between DAGs and PE and PC that suggests the two acyl chain pools are not in equilibrium. Altered acyl chain lengths are also observed in PE ceramides in the fly models. Interestingly, plasma from human subjects exhibit phospholipid alterations similar to the fly model. Moreover, human plasma shows reduced levels of sphingomyelin with 18 and 22 carbon lengths but normal levels of C24. Our results suggest that peroxisomal biogenesis defects alter shuttling of the acyl chains of multiple phospholipid and ceramide lipid classes. In contrast, DAG species with intermediate fatty acids are actually more abundant in PBD. These data suggest an imbalance between de novo synthesis of PC and PE through the Kennedy pathway and remodeling of existing PC and PE through the Lands cycle. This imbalance is likely due to overabundance of very long acyl chains in PBD and a subsequent imbalance due to substrate channeling effects. Given the fundamental role of phospholipid and sphingolipids in nervous system functions, these observations suggest PBD-ZSD are diseases characterized by widespread cell membrane lipid abnormalities.