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Retraction: Biogenic sunflower oil-chitosan decorated fly ash nanocomposite film using white shrimp shell waste: Antibacterial and immunomodulatory potential
Trends, sex and socioeconomic inequalities, and future projections of under-five mortality in Ghana from 1992 to 2035
Correction for Huang et al., A magnesium efflux transporter required for seed development and eating quality in rice
Education outside the classroom in Germany: An interdisciplinary multi-methods Study Protocol
Background Schools are a central place in the lives of both children and teachers, with the potential to counteract current challenges such as a physical and emotional disconnection from nature, insufficient physical activity, and increased social isolation. Concepts like Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) offer a variety of approaches and are already established in the curriculum in other countries, while in Germany EOtC is still in the early stages of implementation. Previous studies have focused on the effects of EOtC on students, with little attention paid to teachers, environmental perception, or behavioural analyses. This study aims to evaluate the impact of EOtC on teachers’ stress level, teachers’ well-being and physical activity, pupils’ cognitive performance, school-related well-being, basic psychological needs and classroom behaviour. In addition, this study investigates how the biodiversity of selected outside learning environments affects pupils’ and teachers’ nature connectedness, appreciation of nature and species knowledge. Methods This study protocol describes an exploratory, quasi-experimental, interdisciplinary study conducted in a total of 33 schools throughout Germany. Data collection will be carried out from September 2025 to November 2026. The first results of the data collection are expected in October 2026. It includes approximately 50 EOtC teachers, 50 non-EOtC teachers, 50 EOtC classes, and 18 non-EOtC classes with for intra- and interindividual comparisons. Data collection covers aspects from the fields of health, ecology, school pedagogy, and sociology and includes both pupils and teachers as target groups, as well as the various outdoor learning environments. For pupils and teachers, the study examines the effects of EOtC on nature connectedness, appreciation of nature, and plant and animal species knowledge. This is assessed twice per school year with questionnaires and compared to control classes within the same schools. In addition, for pupils, cognitive performance, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), school-related well-being, and basic psychological needs – both assessed via questionnaires – will be analysed. For teachers, stress levels, emotional well-being, and physical activity will be assessed using salivary cortisol samples, accelerometery, and questionnaires on both EOtC and regular teaching days, enabling intraindividual analyses. Moreover, teaching characteristics will be documented, and video-based analyses of social interactions between teachers, pupils, the outdoor learning environment, and teaching objects are conducted. Finally, biodiversity at the outdoor learning sites and their effects on the other study variables (e.g., nature connectedness, appreciation of nature, species knowledge and well-being of pupils and teachers) will be statistically analysed. Discussion This interdisciplinary study design provides a realistic analysis of the potential effects of EOtC on pupils, as well as teachers, while minimizing interference with the regular teaching process. A strength of this study is the consisted inclusion of teachers as a target group, as well as the ecological perspective and the use of innovative survey methods such as the recording of biodiversity, the video analysis of interactions and the analysis of lesson characteristics in the context of EOtC. This study will thus contribute to closing central research gaps in the German context and provide valuable insights for international EOtC research.
Boosting accuracy for efficient 2D stereo matching via attention-guided fusion and spatially adaptive modulation
Misattributed biospheric carbon sink to the Three-North Program in the Taklamakan Desert may lead to an impractical policy: A commentary
A novel m7G RNA methylation-related signature associated with MAPK signaling pathways in acute ischemic stroke
Objectives Ischemic stroke represents a major global cause of disability and death. Timely recanalization of occluded vessels to salvage the ischemic penumbra is the cornerstone of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treatment. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms driving the transition from salvageable penumbra to infarct core in early AIS remain poorly understood. Recent evidence highlights the role of post-transcriptional methylation, especially N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification, in stroke pathogenesis. This study aimed to systematically characterize transcriptome-wide m7G methylation changes in the ischemic penumbra during early AIS and to explore their potential functional relevance. Methods We performed middle cerebral artery occlusion in 8-week-old male BALB/c mice and applied MeRIP-seq to profile the transcriptome-wide m7G methylome in penumbra tissue. Bioinformatics analyses were conducted to elucidate the functional relevance of m7G-methylated transcripts. Results Compared with controls, AIS penumbra exhibited significant alterations in m7G-modified mRNAs. Specifically, upregulated m7G modifications were notably enriched in mRNAs associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, whereas downregulated modifications were significantly linked to axon guidance pathways. Conclusions This study provides the first systematic landscape of m7G methylation in AIS and m7G RNA methylation-related alterations in the MAPK signaling pathway may serve as potential therapeutic targets for stroke intervention.
Detection, localization, and measurement of endotracheal tube positioning on adults’ chest X-ray: developing a prediction model
Reply to Uma Shaanker: Pollen aggregations, genomic conflict, and single paternity in multiseeded fruits
The impact of cancer therapy-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of childhood cancer survivors: A scoping review
Objective This study aimed to review the scientific literature on the effects of cancer treatment-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of children surviving cancer. This study updates a previous review, from 2012, evaluating the oral health related quality of life and well-being of childhood cancer survivors and exploring the extent to which children’s perspectives are considered in research. Methods We used a scoping review methodology informed by established frameworks: Arksey and O’Malley, Levac et al. and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Articles were retrieved from five electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and PsychInfo) using a predefined search strategy. Screening and study selection were performed independently by two reviewers using Rayyan software (QCRI), with a third reviewer resolving disagreements. Reporting followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Inclusion criteria included articles focused on the impact of oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of child cancer survivors (aged 0–17 years at the time of diagnosis), written in English or French, and published from 2012–2025. Exclusion criteria included articles involving non-childhood cancers, and with non-specific disease categories. The protocol for this review was published in PLOS ONE ( https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290364 ). Results 79 articles were included in this scoping review. The majority of studies had quantitative designs. In contrast to the original review, a substantial number of studies (47) reported children-reported symptoms and completed assessment tools rather than relying solely on their parents and health care providers to provide this information. Furthermore, since the original review, reporting of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures has increased, however they were reported in a limited number of studies. Conclusion Our review suggests that there is growing implementation of patient-reported outcomes and subjective measures of OHRQoL in assessing oral complications in pediatric cancer patients. Future studies should incorporate qualitative approaches to capture children’s or parents’ perspectives on cancer therapy, thereby complementing quantitative findings and providing a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted impact of oral complications on children’s quality of life.
Distinct correlations between clinical and laboratory-based instrumented balance measures in individuals with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently leads to balance impairments and an increased risk of falls. Because laboratory-derived stability metrics are rarely feasible in clinical routine, clinicians commonly rely on functional balance assessments. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined associations between six clinical balance tests (DGI, BBS, TUG, Mini-BESTest, SSST, CTSIB) and laboratory-derived measures of static and dynamic balance, including margin of stability (MoS), whole-body angular momentum (WBAM), and center of pressure (CoP) in 30 people with MS (EDSS 3.6 ± 1.1). Patients completed 3D gait analysis, force-plate posturography, and clinical tests. Spearman correlations and nonparametric bootstrapping were used to estimate associations and 95% confidence intervals. Clinical test scores generally showed moderate-to-strong correlations with CoP measures, with the strongest association observed for the BBS ( r = 0.76). For dynamic outcomes, larger MoS values were associated with poorer clinical test performance, most prominently for the TUG, suggesting that MoS may partly reflect compensatory gait strategies rather than superior balance capacity. Frontal-plane WBAM showed its strongest correlation with the TUG ( r = 0.67). In conclusion, the BBS was most closely associated with static balance, whereas the TUG showed the most consistent associations across selected static and dynamic laboratory-derived balance measures.
Correction for Green et al., The intestinal microbiota impacts nutritional immunity and resistance to <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> pneumonia
Retraction: Physical fitness characteristics and comprehensive physical fitness evaluation model of basketball players based on association rule algorithm
Influence of pollen from different species on the fruit quality of ‘Hongyang’ kiwifruit
Toward quantum sensing of electron beams using solid-state spins
Scattering experiments with energetic particles, such as free electrons, have been historically used to reveal the quantum structure of matter. However, realizing coherent interactions between free-electron beams and solid-state quantum systems has remained out of reach, owing to their intrinsically weak coupling. Realizing such coherent control would open up opportunities for hybrid quantum platforms combining free electrons and solid-state qubits for coincident quantum information processing and nanoscale sensing. Here, we present a framework that employs negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV − ) in diamond as quantum sensors of a bunched electron beam. We develop a Lindblad master equation description of the magnetic free-electron–qubit interactions and identify spin relaxometry as a sensitive probe of the interaction. Experimentally, we integrate a confocal fluorescence microscopy setup into a microwave-bunched electron beam line. We monitor charge-state dynamics and assess their impact on key sensing performance metrics (such as spin readout contrast), defining safe operating parameters for quantum sensing experiments. By performing T 1 relaxometry under controlled electron beam exposure, we do not resolve a measurable reduction in T 1 within experimental uncertainty, and instead establish an upper bound on the free-electron–spin coupling strength. Our results establish NV − centers as quantitative probes of free electrons, providing a metrological benchmark for free-electron–qubit coupling under realistic conditions, and chart a route toward solid-state quantum control with electron beams.
Stage-dependent dynamics of Apolipoprotein C3 across the spectrum of MASLD
Background Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a systemic disorder closely linked to cardiometabolic risk and dysregulated lipid metabolism. Apolipoprotein C3 (ApoC3), a key regulator of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and mediator of cardiovascular disease, has been implicated in hepatic steatosis. However, its stage-specific role across the MASLD spectrum remains incompletely defined. Methods In this cohort study, serum ApoC3 concentrations were quantified in 197 patients with MASLD across different disease stages (non-fibrotic MASLD, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)) and compared with 204 blood donor controls. Associations with metabolic parameters, non-invasive fibrosis markers, histology, cardiometabolic comorbidities, and genetic risk variants were analyzed. Results ApoC3 levels exhibited a stage-dependent pattern, with significantly lower concentrations in cirrhotic MASLD and HCC compared to non-fibrotic MASLD and controls (median 18.7 vs. 26.6 vs. 27.4 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Lower ApoC3 levels were associated with markers of advanced liver disease, including higher bilirubin, liver stiffness, Fibrosis-4 index, and NAFLD fibrosis score. In contrast, higher ApoC3 levels were observed in early-stage MASLD and were associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities and dyslipidemia. ApoC3 correlated positively with triglycerides (r = 0.485, p < 0.001) and controlled attenuation parameter values (r = 0.274, p = 0.004), and was highest in patients with severe steatosis (S3) and increased inflammatory activity (NAS ≥ 5). Diagnostic performance for cirrhosis was modest (AUC 0.642) and for HCC 0.673. Conclusion ApoC3 demonstrates a biphasic, stage-dependent profile in MASLD, with elevated levels reflecting hepatic steatosis, and metabolic dysfunction in early disease, and declining levels likely indicating impaired hepatic function in advanced stages. These findings position ApoC3 as a link between hepatic lipid accumulation and cardiovascular risk rather than a linear marker of disease severity. Its clinical utility may lie in integrative, multi-parameter models rather than as a standalone biomarker.
An interpretable machine learning model for diabetic foot risk classification in patients with diabetes
Sampling bias inflates claims of floral monogamy: A reassessment of Bawa et al. (2025)
Dual chaotic encryption method for wireless communication privacy data based on deep learning
In wireless communication, the multipath effect and the time-varying channel due to mobility will directly lead to the key update cycle lagging far behind the channel change, which is difficult to effectively resist various malicious attacks and stealing behaviors, and affects the effect of privacy data protection in wireless communication. To this end, a deep learning-based dual chaos encryption method is proposed for wireless communication privacy data. Combining the chaotic characteristics of one-dimensional Logistic mapping and two-dimensional Henon mapping, the dual chaotic key is generated to extend the key space and improve the anti-attack ability; and the bidirectional long and short-term memory network (BiLSTM) is used to analyze the data such as key usage records, accurately predict the timing of the key updating, and generate a new key when anomalies are detected, and then distribute it securely. Taking the updated double chaotic key as input, the AES algorithm is used to realize wireless communication privacy data encryption through key expansion, initial round encryption, multiple rounds of iterative encryption and final round encryption, while the decryption process restores the plaintext by inverse operation. Experiments demonstrate that the method can effectively realize wireless communication privacy data encryption, and the security index can reach more than 0.94 in the face of different types of network attacks. It demonstrates that the proposed method can have the ability to resist all kinds of attacks and protect the security of private data.