Greater neural pattern similarity to the native language is associated with better novel word learning.

Introduction: Previous neuroimaging studies on bilingualism revealed that individuals tend to apply their native-language (L1) neural strategies to second language (L2) learning and processing. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how the utilization of the L1 neural strategies affects visual word learning in a new language.

Methods: To address this question, the present study scanned native Chinese speakers while performing implicit reading tasks before 9-day form-meaning learning in Experiment 1 and before 12-day comprehensive word learning in Experiment 2.

Language proficiency is associated with neural representational dimensionality of semantic concepts.

Previous studies suggest that semantic concepts are characterized by high-dimensional neural representations and that language proficiency affects semantic processing. However, it is not clear whether language proficiency modulates the dimensional representations of semantic concepts at the neural level. To address this question, the present study adopted principal component analysis (PCA) and representational similarity analysis (RSA) to examine the differences in representational dimensionalities (RDs) and in semantic representations between words in highly proficient (Chinese) and less proficient (English) language.

Hydrogel Films with Impact Resistance by Sacrificial Micelle-Assisted-Alignment.

Various strategies are developed to engineer aligned hierarchical architectures in polymer hydrogels for enhanced mechanical performance. However, chain alignment remains impeded by the presence of hydrogen bonds between adjacent chains. Herein, a facile sacrificial micelle-assisted-alignment strategy is proposed, leading to well-aligned, strong and tough pure chitosan hydrogels.

Rh(iii)-catalyzed building up of used heterocyclic cations: facile access to white-light-emitting materials.

The first example of rhodium-catalyzed nondirected C-H activation/annulation reactions for the construction of fused heterocyclic cations is reported herein with excellent regioselectivity. Deuterium-labeling experiments indicated that the C(sp)-H bond cleavage of the -methyl group might be the rate-limiting step during the reaction process. This protocol provides an opportunity to rapidly access highly π-conjugated fused heterocyclic cations, which opens up a new avenue for efficient screening of single-molecular white-light-emitting materials, pure red-light-emitting materials, and π-conjugated radical materials.

Advancements in the impact of human microbiota and probiotics on leukemia.

The human gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that plays a crucial role in promoting the interaction between the body and its environment. It has been increasingly recognized that the gut microbiota has diverse physiological functions. Recent studies have shown a close association between the gut microbiota and the development of certain tumors, including leukemia.

Risk of stress cardiomyopathy associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors: a real-world pharmacovigilance analysis.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are reported to cause stress cardiomyopathy (SC). This study evaluated the association between SSRI/SNRI use and the occurrence of cardiomyopathy in the publicly available U.S.

COVID-19 vaccination before or during pregnancy results in high, sustained maternal neutralizing activity to SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and Delta/Omicron variants of concern, particularly following a booster dose or infection.

Objectives: To investigate multi-dose and timings of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing antenatal infection.

Design: Prospective observational study investigating primary vaccinations, boosters, antenatal COVID-19 infections, neutralizing antibody (Nab) durability, and cross-reactivity to Delta and Omicron variants of concern (VOCs).

Results: Ninety-eight patients completed primary vaccination prepregnancy (29.

CuS homojunction coatings empower titanium implants with near-infrared-triggered antibacterial and antifouling properties.

For decades, implant-associated infections (IAIs) caused by pathogenic bacteria have been associated with high failure and mortality rates in implantation surgeries, posing a serious threat to global public health. Therefore, developing a functionalized biomaterial coating with anti-fouling and anti-bacterial functions is crucial for alleviating implant infections. Herein, a near-infrared-responsive anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive coating (Ti-PEG-CuS) constructed on the surface of titanium (Ti) implants is reported.

Sex differences and dietary patterns in the association of air pollutants and hypertension.

Background: Hypertension is one of the major public health problems in China. Limited evidence exists regarding sex differences in the association between hypertension and air pollutants, as well as the impact of dietary factors on the relationship between air pollutants and hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the sex-specific effects of dietary patterns on the association between fine particulate matter (PM), ozone(O) and hypertension in adults residing in Jiangsu Province of China.

Self-healing hydrogel based on poly (vinyl alcohol)-poly (lysine)-gum arabic accelerates diabetic wound healing under photothermal sterilization.

Diabetic wounds are a significant clinical challenge. Developing effective antibacterial dressings is crucial for preventing wound ulcers caused by bacterial infections. In this study, a self-healing antibacterial hydrogel (polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-polylysine-gum arabic, PLG hydrogels) with near-infrared photothermal response was prepared by linking PVA and a novel polysaccharide-amino acid compound (PG) through borate bonding combined with freeze-thaw cycling.

Simultaneous Screening of 172 Veterinary Drugs by Modified QuEChERS-LC-MS/MS in TCM Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum.

An analytical method was developed for the screening of 172 veterinary drugs in traditional Chinese medicine Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The samples were pretreated by a modified QuEChERS method. A Zorbax Eclipse plus C18 column (1.

Rapid quantification of 50 fatty acids in small amounts of biological samples for population molecular phenotyping.

Efficient quantification of fatty-acid (FA) composition (fatty-acidome) in biological samples is crucial for understanding physiology and pathophysiology in large population cohorts. Here, we report a rapid GC-FID/MS method for simultaneous quantification of all FAs in numerous biological matrices. Within eight minutes, this method enabled simultaneous quantification of 50 FAs as fatty-acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in femtomole levels following the efficient transformation of FAs in all lipids including FFAs, cholesterol-esters, glycerides, phospholipids and sphingolipids.

An NIR light-driven AgBiS@ZIF-8 hybrid photocatalyst for rapid bacteria-killing.

Bacterial infection is the most common risk factor that causes the failure of implantation surgery. Therefore, the development of biocompatible implants with excellent antibacterial properties is of utmost importance. In this study, NIR light-driven AgBiS@ZIF-8 hybrid photocatalysts for rapid bacteria-killing were prepared.

Simultaneously quantifying hundreds of acylcarnitines in multiple biological matrices within ten minutes using ultrahigh-performance liquid-chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.

Acylcarnitines are metabolic intermediates of fatty acids and branched-chain amino acids having vital biofunctions and pathophysiological significances. Here, we developed a high-throughput method for quantifying hundreds of acylcarnitines in one run using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). This enabled simultaneous quantification of 1136 acylcarnitines (C0-C26) within 10-min with good sensitivity (limit of detection < 0.

How the intrinsic functional connectivity patterns of the semantic network support semantic processing.

Semantic processing, a core of language comprehension, involves the activation of brain regions dispersed extensively across the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices that compose the semantic network. To comprehend the functional structure of this semantic network and how it prepares for semantic processing, we investigated its intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) and the relation between this pattern and semantic processing ability in a large sample from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset. We first defined a well-studied brain network for semantic processing, and then we characterized the within-network connectivity (WNC) and the between-network connectivity (BNC) within this network using a voxel-based global brain connectivity (GBC) method based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

[Vitamin A and vitamin D nutritional status among children and adolescents aged 6-17 years in Jiangsu Province during 2016-2017].

Objective: This study aimed to investigate vitamin A and vitamin D conditions and related factors among children and adolescents aged 6-17 years in Jiangsu Province of China.

Methods: All the data were derived from China Nutrition and Health Surveillance of Children and Lactating Mothers in 2016-2017. By applying multiple stage stratified cluster random sampling method, 3244 children aged 6-17 years were selected from 12 survey sites in Jiangsu Province.

Early Prediction of Wound Healing Outcome Based on Chronic Wound Registry Database.

Chronic wounds cause a number of unnecessary amputations due to a delay in proper treatment. To expedite timely treatment, this paper presents an algorithm which uses a logistic regression classifier to predict whether the wound will heal or not within a specified time. The prediction is made at three time-points: one month, three months, and six months from the first visit of the patient to the healthcare facility.

Treatment and mechanism for hot melting starch by reducing the molecular chain winding and crystallinity.

Unlike thermoplastic petroleum-based materials, starch-based materials rely on aqueous systems but are incapable of hot melting, resulting in low processing efficiency and limited large-scale industrial applications. In this study, the combination of α-amylase liquefaction and urea plasticization was used for the first time to obtain enzymatic thermoplastic starch (ETPS) for hot melting by changing the molecular chain of starch. ETPS showed an apparent hot melting phenomenon when heated below 200 °C.

Psycho-linguistic and educational challenges in Teaching Chinese (Mandarin) Language: voices from None-Chinese teachers of Mandarin language.

Background: Chinese/Mandarin language instruction to undergraduate students from non-Chinese speaking countries has become a topic of increasing interest, driven by China's influential role in global political and economic dynamics. With Mandarin being the language spoken by approximately 70% of Chinese speakers, it is not only taught within China but also in institutions around the world. While teaching any second or foreign language presents unique challenges, the specific challenges faced in Mandarin language education have not received comprehensive scrutiny, prompting the need for further investigation.

A novel endogenous retention-index for minimizing retention-time variations in metabolomic analysis with reversed-phase ultrahigh-performance liquid-chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Consistent retention time (t) of metabolites is vital for identification in metabolomic analysis with ultrahigh-performance liquid-chromatography (UPLC). To minimize inter-experimental t variations from the reversed-phase UPLC-MS, we developed an endogenous retention-index (endoRI) using in-sample straight-chain acylcarnitines with different chain-length (L, C0-C26) without additives. The endoRI-corrections reduced the t variations caused by the combined changes of mobile phases, gradients, flow-rates, elution time, columns and temperature from up to 5.

Characterization of natural peptides in Pheretima by integrating proteogenomics and label-free peptidomics.

Pheretima, also called "earthworms", is a well-known animal-derived traditional Chinese medicine that is extensively used in over 50 Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition). However, its zoological origin is unclear, both in the herbal market and CPMs. In this study, a strategy for integrating in-house annotated protein databases constructed from close evolutionary relationship-sourced RNA sequencing data from public archival resources and various sequencing algorithms (restricted search, open search, and de novo) was developed to characterize the phenotype of natural peptides of three major commercial species of Pheretima, including (PA),   (PV), and (MM).

Phytosterol conversion into C9 non-hydroxylated derivatives through gene regulation in Mycobacterium fortuitum.

Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) and 22-hydroxy-23,24-bisnorchol-4-ene-3-one (4-HBC) are important drug intermediates that can be biosynthesized from phytosterols. However, the C9 hydroxylation of steroids via 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KSH) limits AD and 4-HBC accumulation. Five active KshAs, the oxidation component of KSH, were identified in Mycobacterium fortuitum ATCC 35855 for the first time.