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Gendered patterns in the associations between in-school physical activity, classroom peer ecology, and academic achievement among primary school students
School is an important setting for increasing students’ engagement in physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary time (ST), both of which are linked to health and academic achievement. Peer interactions within the classroom can influence students’ engagement in PA and sedentary behaviors during the school day, yet research on how classroom peer ecology relates to objectively measured in-school PA and ST is limited. Even less is known about gender differences in these associations. The objective of this study was to examine how students’ perceived classroom peer ecology is associated with in-school PA and ST and how these factors relate to academic achievement. Gendered patterns in these dynamics were also explored. A sample of 517 Finnish primary school students (53% girls, 47% boys, M age = 11.6 years, SD age = 0.9 years) participated in this cross-sectional study in 2013. Students’ perceptions of classroom peer ecology were investigated through a survey. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and ST during school hours were measured by hip-worn accelerometers. Grade point averages (GPA) were calculated based on subject grades. Associations were investigated through multigroup structural equation modeling analyses. In girls, positive classroom peer relations were associated with lower in-school MVPA, while greater in-school ST was linked to higher GPA. Among boys, higher in-school MVPA was related to higher GPA. Although the MVPA-related associations differed in statistical significance across groups, subsequent formal tests did not indicate statistically significant gender differences, and hence further studies are needed on the subgroup-specific patterns to confirm or invalidate the findings. Efforts to promote a physically active school day could benefit from considering how activity opportunities are experienced within peer dynamics and in relation to gender, including the need for socially inclusive approaches.
Polar antivortex in ferroelastic nanodots
Nontrivial topological textures are significant for both scientific research and practical applications. Molecular dynamics simulations with a two-dimensional Landau potential reveal that surface relaxations generate isolated polar antivortices in mono-domain ferroelastic nanodots whose surfaces exhibit twin-boundary-like crystallographic orientation. These antivortices stem from the flexoelectric coupling between polarization and shear strain gradient induced by surface relaxations. As the nanodot size decreases, the average polarization of the antivortex first increases and then decreases, reaching a maximum value of 0.245 C/m2 at the size of 5 × 5 unit cells. Although thermal fluctuations perturb the instantaneous antivortices far below Ttr, where Ttr is the ferroelastic transition temperature of the nanodot, time-averaged dipole configurations reveal stable antivortices even near Ttr. Due to the polarization–strain-gradient coupling, bidirectional switching of the antivortex orientation can be achieved via ferroelastic domain switching, paving the way for applications in topological-based and electromechanical devices. Our findings may guide the discovery and manipulation of polar topological structures in ferroelastics, thereby broadening the range of material candidates for polar topologies.
Integrated assessment of growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economic efficiency of three broiler strains raised under humid-tropical conditions
This study evaluated the growth performance, carcass characteristics, economic efficiency, health status, and growth patterns of three commercial broiler strains (Hubbard, Cobb 500, and Ross 308) reared under humid tropical conditions in Ghana. A total of 300 day-old chicks were allocated to a completely randomized design with five replicate pens per strain and reared for six weeks under uniform management conditions. Performance traits, carcass and internal organ characteristics, mortality, and morbidity were assessed, and growth patterns were modeled using the Gompertz function. Although initial body weights differed among strains, no significant differences were observed in final body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, or feed cost per kg weight gain. Carcass characteristics were also comparable across strains. Cobb 500 exhibited numerically higher growth rate and asymptotic weight based on the Gompertz model, whereas Ross 308 showed slower growth but lower mortality and greater development of digestive organs, suggesting improved adaptability to tropical conditions. Overall, the findings indicate that while the three broiler strains demonstrate similar production performance under tropical conditions, differences in growth dynamics and survivability may influence strain suitability. These results highlight the importance of balancing growth efficiency with environmental adaptability when selecting broiler genotypes for humid tropical production systems.
Band edge states dominated by interface atoms and strong interlayer coupling work together to drive the direct generation of interlayer excitons in vdW heterostructures
Previous generation of interlayer excitons has been limited to heterojunctions of transition-metal dichalcogenides, where excitons form via a two-step process of intralayer excitation followed by interlayer transfer. Herein, we find a series of materials that exhibit efficient one-step generation of interlayer excitons. In type-II systems where band edge states originate from interface atoms, the interlayer coupling maximizes orbital overlap, this distinct feature dramatically enhances the interlayer transition probability. By investigating 57 composite heterostructures composed of polar X2Y3 (X = Al, Ga, and In; Y = S, Se, and Te) and group-VA (As, Sb, and Bi) monolayers, we successfully screened 20 ideal configurations. These configurations exhibit an exceptionally high interlayer transition probability to one-step generate interlayer excitons. This finding deepens the understanding of interlayer exciton formation mechanisms in 2D van der Waals heterostructures.
Structurally Encoded Mixed Proton–Electron Transport in Tetrathiafulvalene-Based Lanthanide MOFs
The association between patient preferred language and end-of-life outcomes of home care patients who died from a cancer in Ontario, Canada – A retrospective cohort study
Background Language is an often-forgotten determinant of health. The impact of patient preferred language on health outcomes of patients with cancer remains under-investigated. Aim To explore the association between patient preferred language and end-of-life outcomes of patients who died of cancer. Design/setting/participants We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study of home care recipients who died of cancer between 2013 and 2018 in Ontario, Canada. We identified patient preferred language from standardized home care assessments. The primary outcomes included place of death, emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions within the last 30 days of life. Secondary outcomes included aggressive interventions. We used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models to characterize the association between patient language and end-of-life outcomes in this population. Results 33,958 home care recipients were included, with 28,322 (83.4%) anglophones, 786 (2.3%) francophones, and 4,850 (14.3%) allophones. Allophones were older, more likely to reside in lower-income neighborhoods and more likely to have immigrated to Canada within 5 years. Allophones had significantly higher odds of death in hospital (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.25–1.45), hospital admissions (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.24), ED visits (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08–1.24), and increased odds of aggressive interventions in the last 30 days of life compared to anglophones. Francophones also had increased odds of death in hospital (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.04–1.46) compared to anglophones. Conclusion Our study showed that in patients with terminal cancer, allophone home care recipients had more hospital deaths and aggressive interventions compared to anglophones. Additional research is needed to identify root causes and strategies to improve care.
Manganese‐Chelating L‐Serine Nanoarchitectures: Targeting Kidney Injury Molecule‐1 for Reversing Renal Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury via Senescence Regulation
ABSTRACT Oxidative stress is a central driver of renal ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury, and developing targeted antioxidant systems against it remains an unmet challenge. Here, we address this challenge by engineering a dual‐functional metal‐ion/L‐serine nanoarchitecture integrating two key components: precise kidney targeting via L‐serine's molecular recognition of the injury biomarker kidney injury molecule‐1 (Kim‐1), and bioinspired antioxidant catalysis through metal‐ion/amino‐acid‐coordinated enzyme mimicry. Through systematic screening of metal ions (Mg 2 + , Ca 2 + , Mn 2 + , Fe 3+ , Co 2 + , Cu 2 + , and Ce 3+ ), we identified Mn‐chelating L‐serine (L‐SerMn) as the optimal nanoarchitecture, displaying robust superoxide dismutase (SOD)‐ and catalase (CAT)‐like activities. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed stronger binding affinity of L‐SerMn to Kim‐1 compared to free L‐serine. In vitro, L‐SerMn protected renal tubular epithelial cells from hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)‐induced damage by functioning as a dual SOD/CAT mimic. In vivo, L‐SerMn achieved selective accumulation in injured kidneys via Kim‐1‐mediated targeting, enabling sustained restoration of redox homeostasis that ameliorated renal pathological injury. Mechanistically, L‐SerMn ameliorated renal I/R injury and blocked the acute kidney injury (AKI)‐chronic kidney disease (CKD) transition via suppression of cellular senescence, through regulating the JAK2‐STAT3 and p53 signaling pathways. This work elegantly integrates coordination chemistry and biomimetic enzymology for the rational design of organ‐targeted nanotherapeutics, offering a promising strategy against ischemic diseases.
High-performance ReS2 photodetectors with graphene auxiliary layers and NbSe2 electrodes
Photodetectors (PDs) are vital in optical communications, environmental monitoring, and military applications. At present, conventional PDs face challenges such as high dark current, which restricts their further development in high-performance photodetection. Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer advantages for next-generation photodetection due to their atomic thickness, defect-free surfaces, and gate-tunable bandgaps, which enable efficient channel modulation and ultralow dark current. This work presents a high-performance phototransistor that integrates topological semimetal NbSe2 source/drain electrodes and an underlying graphene (Gr) auxiliary layer to construct a ReS2/Gr heterojunction. The NbSe2 contacts mitigate Fermi-level pinning, while the underlying Gr auxiliary layer, not directly contacted by electrodes, significantly enhances device performance. At 14.9 mW/cm2 of light intensity and −20 V of gate voltage, the ReS2/Gr device shows a higher responsivity of 1261.59 mA/W, which is 1726% higher than that of the ReS2 device. Besides, the specific detectivity and external quantum efficiency (D* = 7.20 × 1011 Jones and EQE = 2.29 × 104%) are much larger than those of the ReS2 device (D* = 4.17 × 1010 Jones and EQE = 171%). The ReS2/Gr device also exhibits faster response speeds (trise = 32.5 μs, tfall = 45.7 μs) compared to the ReS2 device (trise = 3.23 ms, tfall = 4.27 ms), demonstrating a two-order-of-magnitude improvement in temporal response. Moreover, it shows excellent performance in optical communications and single-pixel imaging, successfully decoding an ASCII signal and capturing a high-contrast pattern. These results validate its potential for practical applications in optical communication and imaging, offering a representative demonstration for the optimization of 2D material PDs.
Health management practices in chronic traumatic brain injury rehabilitation: A scoping review protocol
Introduction Traumatic brain injury is increasingly recognized as a chronic condition requiring long-term rehabilitation and coordinated care beyond the acute phase. Across Europe, substantial variation exists in healthcare system organization, funding structures, and service delivery models, which may influence access to rehabilitation and long-term functional outcomes for adults with chronic moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury. The objective of this scoping review protocol is to systematically characterize systemic factors and management practices that shape rehabilitation access, continuity of care, and recovery outcomes across European healthcare systems. This review will map published evidence on health management practices influencing chronic traumatic brain injury rehabilitation in Europe and identify gaps for future research. Methods and Analysis This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and CINAHL will identify studies published between 2018 and 2025 involving adults aged 18 years or older who are at least 1-year post-injury. Studies examining health management practices (i.e., individual, organization, and systemic factors) within European healthcare context will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen articles using predefined inclusion criteria and documented using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews flow diagram. Data will be synthesized descriptively through tables, figures, and narrative summaries to map existing evidence and identify gaps in the literature.
Visible‐Light Mesoinoic Oxidopyrylium Ylide Photoswitches for Multicolor Photochromism and Dual‐λ Synergistic Photoclick Reactions with Dibenzo[ <i>b</i> , <i>f</i> ][1,4,5]Thiadiazepine‐Dioxide
ABSTRACT State‐of‐the‐art photoclick chemistry leverages photoswitches as dipole/dipolarophile sources for dynamic reactant recovery and spatiotemporal precision in complex environments. Despite rareness, dual‐wavelength (λ) synergy via two orthogonal photoswitch precursors promises dual‐λ accelerated reaction rates and higher‐dimensional control. Here, we introduce thiophene‐fused 2,3‐diaryl indenone epoxides (DIOs) that undergo P‐type photoswitching to mesoionic oxidopyrylium ylides (PYs as bistable photochromic dipole) controlled by visible light. These DIOs derivatives exhibit multicolor photochromism in polymer matrices under sequential irradiation, functioning as dynamic photochromic materials. By coupling the DIO⇌PY P‐type photoswitch with a unique T‐type photoswitch (thermally reversible), dibenzothiadiazepine‐dioxide (DBTDD) as a ring‐strain loadable dipolarophile, we develop a robust [5+2] photoclick reaction. Synergistic dual‐λ stimulation (405 + 445 nm) achieves a remarkable 27‐fold rate acceleration (up to 1.6 × 10 5 M −1 s − 1 ) and dual‐λ orthogonal photo‐control for protein labeling, outperforming the benchmarks, e.g., bicyclo[6.1.0]non‐4‐yn‐9‐ylmethanol (BCN‐OH) and dibenzothiadiazepine (DBTD). The P‐type photoisomerization mechanism of the DIO⇌PY system is clarified for the first time via theoretical calculations together with experimental validation, revealing competitive singlet/triplet diradical pathways during photo‐ring‐opening/closure cycles. Transition‐state analyses rationalize the superiority of DBTDD over DBTD in the [5+2] cycloaddition, offering mechanistic insights and principles for advancing the dual‐λ photoclick platform.
<i>In situ</i> surface etching-assisted deposition for module-level optimization of pSOT-MRAM with sub-nanometer perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
In perpendicular spin–orbit torque (SOT) magnetic random-access memory, the SOT-track and the perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) stack are typically deposited sequentially without vacuum break to minimize interfacial contamination. However, this requirement fundamentally limits interface engineering between the SOT-track and pMTJ, restricting independent optimization of each module and reducing process flexibility. This study demonstrates an in situ surface etching-assisted deposition (ISED) process that enables efficient interface engineering without sacrificing interfacial integrity. By integrating ion beam etching (IBE) and magnetron sputtering within a single vacuum system, the ISED process decouples the deposition of the SOT-track and pMTJ stack, enabling integrated module-level optimization. We demonstrate the ISED process using a β-W/CoFeB/MgO/Ta heterostructure. The IBE process effectively smoothed the β-W surface under optimized etching conditions, reducing surface roughness by 30.1%. Consequently, the ISED stack revealed a clear and smooth interface, leading to improved MgO crystallinity compared with the stack without ISED. The x-ray-based analyses confirmed that the ISED process modifies crystallinity and bonding of the β-W surface, reducing interface contamination and enhancing β-W/CoFeB bonding. The magnetic characterizations confirmed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in ISED-processed stacks, both in the as-deposited sample and after annealing, even at sub-nanometer (down to 5 Å) CoFeB thicknesses. Moreover, ISED-processed stacks exhibited PMA after the β-W layer was exposed to ambient air prior to CoFeB/MgO deposition, underscoring its effective surface plasma cleaning capability.
Orbital-Ordering-Induced Two-Dimensional Valence Bond Solid in Nitride/Boron[3]Triangulene Crystals
High-density single nucleotide polymorphism markers analysis reveals the genetic diversity and population structure in tropical highland maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines
Genetic diversity is critical for crop improvement, germplasm conservation, and sustainable agriculture. It enables breeders to assess genetic relationships among germplasm, select suitable parents, and develop resilient varieties. In this study, a total of 11,203 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity of 93 maize inbred lines adapted to the East African tropical highlands. The results revealed moderate genetic diversity across the panel. Gene diversity, polymorphic information content (PIC), and genetic distance ranged from 0.10 to 0.67, 0.10 to 0.59, and 0.03 to 0.52, with mean values of 0.46, 0.40, and 0.44, respectively. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis identified 36,904 SNP pairs (7.5% of 487,225 comparisons) showing relatively strong LD ( r 2 ≥ 0.20), with an overall mean r 2 of 0.067. Genome-wide LD decayed to r 2 = 0.2 at approximately 93.82 kb, suggesting rapid decay and substantial historical recombination. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 95% of the total variation resided within germplasm source groups, whereas 5% was attributed to differences among groups, indicating low to moderate genetic differentiation. Multivariate analyses, including neighbor-joining, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis, consistently grouped the lines into three clusters, which largely corresponded with pedigree information. The observed diversity highlights the presence of valuable alleles that can be harnessed in maize breeding to enhance productivity and resilience in highland environments. Furthermore, the identified SNP markers in this study provide a useful genomic resource for future studies, including marker-trait association studies aimed at identifying genomic regions underlying key agronomic traits and accelerate genetic improvement in challenging environments.
Outside Back Cover: Terminal Hydroxylated Side‐Chains Enhance Ionic‐Electronic Coupling Efficiency in Small‐Molecule Semiconductors (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 26/2026)
Edge-free continuous MTJ array enables robust skyrmion creation at scaled dimensions
Magnetic skyrmions in synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) systems are promising information carriers for next-generation spintronic devices owing to their nanoscale size, high stability, and minimized magnetic stray fields. For high-density stationary integration, the SAF architecture is essential to eliminate dipolar crosstalk between adjacent memory cells. However, as conventional discrete magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures are scaled down to achieve such high densities, strong edge-induced effects emerge, leading to increased voltage thresholds for skyrmion nucleation and reduced nucleation speed. Our micromagnetic studies show that Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction boundary constraints at discontinuous edges create a size-dependent energy peak, significantly impacting skyrmion nucleation in scaled nanodevices. To overcome this limitation, we propose a voltage-controlled continuous MTJ (C-MTJ) device array featuring a shared SAF free-layer design that eliminates magnetic boundaries. By suppressing edge-effect-induced constraints, the C-MTJ architecture enables smooth energy evolution and rapid, deterministic skyrmion creation even at scaled dimensions. These findings establish the C-MTJ array as a scalable and energy-efficient platform for high-density skyrmion-based memory and logic applications.
Syringic acid pretreatment potentiates antioxidant mechanism and downregulates inflammatory signaling towards doxorubicin-related oxidoinflammatory hepatorenal damage in rats
GARN3: A coarse-grained helix centered technique for RNA 3D structures prediction
The study of predicting three-dimensional structures of RNA (ribonucleic acids) has increased over the last few decades, especially with advances in artificial intelligence. Despite these advances, there are still many gaps. Among the known techniques, the GARN (Game Algorithms for RNa 3D sampling) framework has demonstrated good performance on large RNA molecules. Nevertheless, the GARN technique also left room for improvement in the final 3D structures of predicted molecules, which can be further refined by including additional elements, also known as pseudoatoms. We present GARN3, an extension of GARN2 in which additional pseudoatoms are placed along helices to improve the granularity of 3D models, and a machine learning component is incorporated into the scoring function to estimate interaction distances. In our experiments, GARN3 achieved RMSD values comparable to or better than those of several existing RNA 3D structure prediction methods. TM-score evaluations indicate that GARN3 achieves a consistent global structural accuracy across multiple molecules, comparable to that of several existing methods. Relative to previous versions of GARN, GARN3 lowers the RMSD on most molecules in Test Set A and remains competitive on Test Set B (CASP targets), while providing a finer coarse-grained representation; performance is particularly consistent on large RNA structures. The implementation of the GARN3 technique is publicly available at https://github.com/jhonatans01/garn3 , written and executable in Java.
Alloy‐Regulated Heterointerface Engineering for Kinetics‐Driven Sulfur Redox in Li‐S Batteries
ABSTRACT Lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries offer exceptional theoretical energy density, yet their practical deployment is fundamentally constrained by sluggish sulfur redox kinetics and persistent shuttle of polysulfides. Here, we report a NiMo‐alloy‐assisted quantitative heterointerface engineering strategy that regulates the phase balance, interfacial abundance, and electronic coupling in Mo 2 C/MoC heterostructures. By tuning the Ni/Mo ratio as a continuous control parameter, NiMo incorporation drives controlled Mo 2 C→MoC phase reconstruction to maximize the density and accessibility of catalytically active Mo 2 C/MoC heterointerfaces, while the resulting NiMo domains primarily function as a structural modulator and metallic electron‐transport pathway, complementing the conductive nitrogen‐doped carbon framework. In situ/ex situ characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal Mo 2 C/MoC heterointerfaces intrinsically exhibit the most favorable polysulfide adsorption strength and the lowest energy barriers for bidirectional sulfur conversion. As a result, Li‐S cells equipped with the catalytic separator deliver a high reversible capacity of 1477.8 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and sustain long‐term cycling with an ultralow decay rate of 0.032% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 0.5 C, enabling an areal capacity of 15.2 mAh cm −2 at high sulfur loading. This work establishes a quantitative heterointerface design paradigm for regulating sulfur electrochemistry and provides general insights into heterostructure‐enabled catalysis in metal‐sulfur batteries.
Young's modulus and pressure-induced bandgap changes in CsPbX3 nanoparticles
The nanomechanical properties of lead-halide perovskites are vital for flexible electronics but are challenging to measure directly in individual nanocrystals. Here, we present an original experimental method based on atomic force microscopy for the direct and precise measurement of Young's modulus for single CsPbX3 (X = Br, Cl) nanoparticles via uniaxial compression. The method is based on the measurement of the loading curves followed by their simulations, with a precise reproduction of the nanoparticle and probe tip's shapes. It revealed an apparent size-dependent behavior in the measured Young's moduli, which can be attributed to geometric and instrumental factors of the experiment. Subsequent multi-physical simulation of the experiment revealed more accurate elastic moduli of 16 and 24 GPa for CsPbBr3 and CsPbCl3, respectively. In addition, our calculations based on density functional theory demonstrate that mechanical compression induces bandgap narrowing, particularly strong in CsPbCl3. The study establishes a direct correlation between mechanical stress and electronic structure in perovskite nanomaterials, providing a foundation for the development of compression-resistant and strain-engineered optoelectronic devices.