Cross- and Within-Language Associations Between Phonological, Lexical, and Grammatical Domains in Mandarin-English Bilingual Preschoolers in Singapore.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the associations of phonological, lexical, and grammatical skills within and between languages in Mandarin-English bilingual preschoolers.

Method: Sixty-three Singaporean Mandarin-English bilingual children aged 3-5 years were assessed for articulation, receptive vocabulary, and receptive grammar using standardized instruments in English and compatible tools in Mandarin. Regression analyses were performed on each language outcome, with other language variables as predictors, controlling for age, nonverbal working memory, and home language environment.

Automated Deep Learning-Based Detection and Segmentation of Lung Tumors at CT.

Background Detection and segmentation of lung tumors on CT scans are critical for monitoring cancer progression, evaluating treatment responses, and planning radiation therapy; however, manual delineation is labor-intensive and subject to physician variability. Purpose To develop and evaluate an ensemble deep learning model for automating identification and segmentation of lung tumors on CT scans. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted between July 2019 and November 2024 using a large dataset of CT simulation scans and clinical lung tumor segmentations from radiotherapy plans.

Optimizing LiNO Conversion through a Defective Carbon Matrix as Catalytic Current Collectors for Highly Durable and Fast-Charging Li Metal Batteries.

Lithium nitrate (LiNO) stands as an effective electrolyte additive, mitigating the degradation of Li metal anodes by forming a LiN-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). However, its conversion kinetics are impeded by energy-consuming eight-electron transfer reactions. Herein, an isoreticular metal-organic framework-8-derived carbon is incorporated into the carbon cloth (RMCC) as a catalytic current collector to regulate the LiNO conversion kinetics and boost LiN generation inside the SEI.

Molecular Orbital Tuning of Pentacene-Based Organic Semiconductors through -Ethynylation of Dihydrodiazapentacene.

This study explores the concept of molecular orbital tuning for organic semiconductors through the use of '-diethynylated derivatives of 6,13-dihydro-6,13-diazapentacene ( and ). These novel molecules maintain the same molecular geometry and π-π stacking as their parent pentacene derivatives ( and ), as confirmed by X-ray crystallography. However, they exhibit altered frontier molecular orbitals in terms of the phase, nodal properties, and energy levels.

Optogenetic control of mitochondrial aggregation and function.

The balance of mitochondrial fission and fusion plays an important role in maintaining the stability of cellular homeostasis. Abnormal mitochondrial fission and fragmentation have been shown to be associated with oxidative stress, which causes a variety of human diseases from neurodegeneration disease to cancer. Therefore, the induction of mitochondrial aggregation and fusion may provide an alternative approach to alleviate these conditions.

Multi-Physical Lattice Metamaterials Enabled by Additive Manufacturing: Design Principles, Interaction Mechanisms, and Multifunctional Applications.

Lattice metamaterials emerge as advanced architected materials with superior physical properties and significant potential for lightweight applications. Recent developments in additive manufacturing (AM) techniques facilitate the manufacturing of lattice metamaterials with intricate microarchitectures and promote their applications in multi-physical scenarios. Previous reviews on lattice metamaterials have largely focused on a specific/single physical field, with limited discussion on their multi-physical properties, interaction mechanisms, and multifunctional applications.

Coplanar Dimeric Acceptors with Bathochromic Absorption and Torsion-Free Backbones through Precise Fluorination Enabling Efficient Organic Photovoltaics with 18.63% Efficiency.

Giant dimeric acceptors (GDAs), a sub-type of acceptor materials for organic solar cells (OSCs), have garnered much attention due to the synergistic advantages of their monomeric and polymeric acceptors, forming a well-defined molecular structure with a giant molecular weight for high efficiency and stability. In this study, for the first time, two new GDAs, DYF-V and DY2F-V are designed and synthesized for OSC operation, by connecting one vinylene linker with the mono-/di-fluorinated end group on two Y-series monomers, respectively. After fluorination, both DYF-V and DY2F-V exhibit bathochromic absorption and denser packing modes due to the stronger intramolecular charge transfer effect and torsion-free backbones.

Advancing adolescent bedtime by motivational interviewing and text message: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Sleep deprivation is a prevalent problem among adolescents which is closely related to various adverse outcomes. The lack of efficacy of current sleep education programs among adolescents argues for the need to refine the content and format of the intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based sleep intervention using motivational interviewing plus text reminders in changing adolescent sleep habits.

Kidney failure-related excess mortality during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: a nation-wide, population-based analysis.

Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the healthcare system. Patients with kidney failure and related kidney disease are notably vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it remains unclear how mortality trends associated with kidney failure have evolved over the past three years.

Multi-cohort analysis identifying core ocular surface microbiome and bacterial alterations in eye diseases.

Purpose: Inconsistency exists among reported studies on the composition of human ocular surface microbiome (OSM). The roles of OSM in ocular diseases remain uncertain. In this study, we aimed to determine the composition of OSM and to evaluate its potential roles and functions from multiple cohorts.

Light-promoted aromatic denitrative chlorination.

Nitroarenes are readily accessible bulk chemicals and can serve as versatile starting materials for a series of synthetic reactions. However, due to the inertness of the C-NO bond, the direct denitrative substitution reaction with unactivated nitroarenes remains challenging. Chemists rely on sequential reduction and diazotization followed by the Sandmeyer reaction or the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of activated nitroarenes to realize nitro group transformations.

Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen to lymphocyte ratio serves as a prognostic predictor in elderly patients with colorectal cancer: a multicentre retrospective study.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to derive and validate a reliable indicator for predicting an increased risk of postoperative mortality in elderly patients undergoing curative resection for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Design: This study is of multicentre retrospective design.

Setting And Participants: A total of 1227 CRC patients undergoing curative resection (age ≥65 years) from three distinct cohorts were retrospective enrolled.

A tactfully designed photothermal agent collaborating with ascorbic acid for boosting maxillofacial wound healing.

Maxillofacial injuries that may cause severe functional and aesthetic damage require effective and immediate management due to continuous exposure to diverse microbial populations. Moreover, drug resistance, biofilm formation, and oxidative stress significantly impede timely bacterial removal and immune function, making the exploration of advanced materials for maxillofacial wound healing an appealing yet highly challenging task. Herein, a near-infrared photothermal sterilization agent was designed, encapsulated with liposomes and coated with ascorbic acid known for its antioxidant and immune-regulatory functions.

Targeting intracellular cancer proteins with tumor-microenvironment-responsive bispecific nanobody-PROTACs for enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are pivotal in cancer therapy for their ability to degrade specific proteins. However, their non-specificity can lead to systemic toxicity due to protein degradation in normal cells. To address this, we have integrated a nanobody into the PROTACs framework and leveraged the tumor microenvironment to enhance drug specificity.

From Clinical to Benchside: Lacticaseibacillus and Faecalibacterium Are Positively Associated With Muscle Health and Alleviate Age-Related Muscle Disorder.

Sarcopenia is an age-related muscle disorder that increases risks of adverse clinical outcomes, but its treatments are still limited. Gut microbiota is potentially associated with sarcopenia, and its role is still unclear. To investigate the role of gut microbiota in sarcopenia, we first compared gut microbiota and metabolites composition in old participants with or without sarcopenia.

Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Children With Hematological Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) has shown positive effects in improving psychological and health-related outcomes in children with cancer. However, no evidence has been found in Ethiopia. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CBI on anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) in Ethiopian children with hematological cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Acceptor Elongation Boosted Intersystem Crossing Affords Efficient NIR Type-I and AIE-Active Photosensitizers for Targeting Ferroptosis-Based Cancer Therapy.

Photosensitizers (PSs) featuring type I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) activity offer a promising solution to achieve non-invasive and precise theranostics. However, the reported AIE luminogens (AIEgens) with both AIE characteristic and strong type-I ROS generation are still scarce and the structure-property relationship is still unclear. Herein, an innovative acceptor elongation boosted intersystem crossing (AEBIC) design strategy has been proposed to endow the AIEgen strong type-I ROS producibility.

Exercised gut microbiota improves vascular and metabolic abnormalities in sedentary diabetic mice through gut‒vascular connection.

Background: Exercise elicits cardiometabolic benefits, reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the vascular and metabolic effects of gut microbiota from exercise-trained donors on sedentary mice with type 2 diabetes and the potential mechanism.

Methods: Leptin receptor-deficient diabetic (db/db) and nondiabetic (db/m) mice underwent running treadmill exercise for 8 wk, during which fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was parallelly performed from exercise-trained to sedentary diabetic (db/db) mice.

CDK14 regulates the development and repair of lung.

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 14 regulates cell cycle, tumor expansion by influencing the downstream targets of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. However, the function of CDK14 during organ development and regeneration has not been investigated in genetically-modified animals. Here, we found that genetic ablation of Cdk14 influenced pulmonary vascular endothelial cells and alveolar epithelial cells during mice embryonic development as well as repair of lung after bleomycin or lipopolysaccharide induced injury.