Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, and sickle cell disease, impose significant health and social burdens in Nepal, particularly among children and young adults. To strengthen visibility, reduce NCD-related stigma, and foster engagement with the PEN-Plus program, a participatory design process was adopted to develop a national logo. This article outlines and critically reflects on the rationale, participatory development process, and symbolism behind the PEN-Plus Nepal logo, situating it within the broader field of health communication and social branding. Drawing on behavioral science theories and participatory design principles, the PEN-Plus logo was co-created with patients, health workers, government representatives, and communication experts. Ministry of Health and Population, National Health Education, Information and Communication Center officially endorsed the PEN-Plus logo, which now serves as a unifying symbol to raise awareness, foster community ownership, and support long-term advocacy for equitable severe NCD care in Nepal.
Many strategic decisions involve both substantial complexity and time pressure, but the association between decision speed and decision quality of cognitively demanding strategic decisions is not well understood. This paper presents evidence on this question using a setting with exceptionally detailed and precise information about decision times and decision quality-it analyses move-by-move data from in-person professional chess tournaments. Decision quality is measured by comparing actual moves to a computational benchmark of best moves constructed using the artificial intelligence of a chess engine. The results show that faster decisions are associated with higher decision quality, even after accounting for computational complexity, distinctiveness between alternatives, and time pressure. Greater computational complexity and lower distinctiveness between move alternatives are associated with longer decision times, whereas greater time pressure is associated with shorter decision times. All three factors are associated with lower decision quality. We discuss the findings against the predictions of different decision models in which individuals sequentially acquire information about alternatives with uncertain valuations, extending theories originally developed in the context of nonstrategic decisions to a strategic environment.
Vocal performance anxiety is a common psychological barrier among vocal students, severely impacts their skill development, stage performance, and overall wellbeing. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of an integrated pedagogical model for anxiety management, constructed based on music psychology theories, through a mixed-methods study with a pre-test, post-test, and 3 month follow-up. We recruited 60 undergraduate vocal performance majors and randomly assigned them to an experimental group (receiving a 12-week "Awareness-Skill-Simulation-Reflection" four-stage integrated pedagogical intervention) and a control group (receiving traditional technical instruction). We collected data on students' state anxiety in performance, vocal performance quality (expert blind ratings), psychological resilience, self-efficacy, and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) at three time points: pre-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 3 months post-intervention (T3). Additionally, reflective journals from the experimental group were subjected to qualitative analysis. Quantitative findings indicate: (1) Compared to the control group, the integrated intervention significantly reduced the experimental group's vocal performance anxiety and enhanced their performance quality, psychological resilience, and HRV levels. These positive effects remained stable 3 months after the intervention concluded. (2) The intervention's effectiveness was moderated by students' initial trait anxiety levels, meaning the intervention was more potent for students with high trait anxiety. (3) Psychological resilience was identified as a potential statistical mediator of the relationship between the pedagogical intervention and the reduction in anxiety levels. Qualitative results revealed profound subjective experiences among students across four dimensions: "Shifting Mindsets," "Enhanced Bodily Control," "Reconstructing the Stage Experience," and "Trust in Teacher-Student Relationship." This study provides evidence for the effectiveness and durability of this integrated pedagogical model and explores its potential mechanisms, offering a scientific reference for modern vocal education reform.
The adaptive derivative-assembled pseudotrotter variational quantum eigensolver (ADAPT-VQE) is a promising hybrid quantum-classical algorithm for molecular ground-state energy calculation, yet its practical scalability is hampered by redundant excitation operators and excessive measurement costs. To address these challenges, we propose Param-ADAPT-VQE, a novel improved algorithm that selects excitation operators based on a parameter-based criterion instead of a traditional gradient-based metric. This strategy effectively avoids redundant operators. We further developed a sub-Hamiltonian technique and integrated a hot-starting VQE optimization strategy, achieving a significant reduction in measurement costs. Numerical experiments on typical molecular systems demonstrate that Param-ADAPT-VQE outperforms the original ADAPT-VQE in ansatz size, computational accuracy, and measurement costs. Furthermore, our scheme retains the fundamental framework of ADAPT-VQE and is thus fully compatible with its various modified versions, enabling further performance improvements in specific aspects. This work presents an efficient and scalable enhancement to ADAPT-VQE, mitigating the core obstacles that impede its practical implementation in molecular quantum chemistry.
By virtue of its ability to dissociate the inert N2 molecule under ambient conditions, iron has been pursued as a candidate for prospective near-ambient ammonia electrosynthesis. The competition between adsorbate species in an electrochemical setting, however, leads to kinetic adsorption behavior that deviates significantly from the zero-coverage limit, and here, we present a theoretical framework that captures the possibility of dissociation mediated by fluctuations in otherwise site-blocking adsorbate configurations. While the (111) and (211) facets of iron are known to facilitate N2 dissociation, systematic density functional computations reveal a restrictive increase in activation energy for realistic hydrogen coverages encountered under electrochemical conditions. A half-monolayer coverage of surface-bound hydrogen reduces the dissociation rate by a factor of ca. 106 and 103 on, respectively, Fe(111) and Fe(211). Low coverages are therefore required to maintain a significant rate of N2 dissociation, establishing precise control of surface hydrogenation as another fundamental challenge for nitrogen reduction in proton-rich environments.
Predators can exert top-down effects on their prey by direct consumption, by imposing risk of predation, or a combination of both. However, empirical evidence for these effects is mixed and inconsistent. Barn owls in agriculture present a system with attributes that should, according to theory, lead to strong top-down effects, but research is limited and the distinction between effects on prey abundance and behavior remains unresolved. Understanding the top-down effect of predators on pests is a cornerstone of integrated pest management and important where barn owls may contribute to the control of rodents on farms. Vegetation can mediate the top-down effects of predators on prey, but this has received little attention for barn owls and rodent pests, limiting the information farmers can use to manage their fields to harness the effect of barn owls. To fill these gaps, we surveyed aboveground foraging rodents and monitored barn owl nest boxes at six winegrape vineyards in Napa Valley, California, from February to July in 2023. We deployed chew block grids to determine the effect of barn owls on rodent abundance and used giving-up density (GUD) trays and camera traps to determine the effect of barn owls on rodent perceived predation risk and activity, respectively. We found that, over the range of hunting pressures observed (from nearly no owls to about three occupied boxes with six adults and eight chicks within a 1-km radius), barn owls reduced rodent (predominantly deer mouse, Peromyscus spp.) abundance by 38%-52% and increased perceived predation risk by 16%-38%. Results also suggest that vegetation cover favors the acoustically attuned barn owls over the visually oriented rodent pests. These results contribute to growing evidence that barn owls can be used as biological control in agricultural systems and that vegetation can be managed to optimize their impact. We advise that growers maintain the vine canopy of leaves, pruned twigs on the ground, and vegetation cover in a cover crop row grown between vine rows to elevate perceived predation risk in mice. We also recommend that, to the extent feasible, farmers time mowing to reduce mouse activity when crops are vulnerable.
In this work, we propose a halogen-tuning framework that links electronic reactivity descriptors to enzyme recognition for halomethyl acetates (fluoromethyl, chloromethyl, and bromomethyl acetate). Density Functional Theory calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) level to explain structure property relationships across the F/Cl/Br substitution axis. Geometry optimization shows a systematic elongation of the C5-X bond (F < Cl < Br), while the ester carbonyl remains nearly invariant, suggesting a localized substituent effect. Frontier orbital energies analysis and global descriptors reveal that bromomethyl acetate is the softest and most electronically labile derivative, exhibiting the smallest HOMO-LUMO energy gap, whereas the fluorinated analogue demonstrates the highest kinetic stability. Simulated FT-IR, 1H/13C NMR (GIAO), and TD-DFT UV-Vis spectra provide complementary fingerprints showing halogen-driven electronic modulation. Topological analyses (MEP, DOS, RDG/NCI/DORI) map the redistribution of electron density and weak interaction regions that rationalize the observed trends. Molecular docking against acetylcholinesterase (AChE; PDB: 1EVE) indicates a monotonic enhancement of binding affinity with increasing halogen polarizability, with bromomethyl acetate exhibiting the strongest predicted affinity. Collectively, these results establish a predictive structure reactivity recognition reasoning for halomethyl acetates and support their consideration as electrophile-tuned model systems for exploring substituent-dependent recognition tendencies.
Sliding ferroelectricity in bilayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) provides an atomically sharp, nonvolatile knob for engineering interfacial polarization in van der Waals heterostructures. Here, we combine time-dependent density functional theory with nonadiabatic molecular dynamics to study how stacking-dependent ferroelectric polarization in bilayer hBN can be used to tune charge redistribution, electron-phonon coupling, and nonradiative carrier recombination in MoSe2/hBN and WSe2/hBN heterostructures. Switching the bilayer hBN stacking between nonpolar AA' and ferroelectric AB/BA reverses the interfacial potential step and charge-transfer direction, which modulates the nonadiabatic coupling, electronic decoherence, and recombination kinetics. As a result, carrier lifetimes can be tuned over more than one order of magnitude, from 1.46 to 74.6 ns, by choosing the stacking sequence and TMD species. Fourier analysis of band-gap fluctuations identifies mode-selective phonon coupling: long-lived configurations are associated with spectra dominated by low-frequency interlayer shear and breathing modes, whereas short-lived ones show enhanced contributions from intralayer optical phonons of A1', A2″, and E' symmetry that more efficiently modulate the band edges. These results establish sliding-ferroelectric proximity engineering as an effective strategy for programming interfacial charge dynamics in 2D heterostructures and provide microscopic design rules for reconfigurable ferroelectric semiconductor platforms for future optoelectronic and information devices.
Recent studies suggest that Turkish preschoolers exhibit a different pattern of theory of mind development than Western samples, particularly with respect to understanding the diversity of beliefs and knowledge acquisition. The present study posits that such differences extend to distinctions between understanding others' false belief and one's own representational change. Across two experiments, we found that preschoolers in Türkiye (n = 493; 249 Girls and 244 Boys) showed superior performance when asked a question about their own representational change compared with their understanding of another's false belief. These findings support the hypothesis that Turkish children attend to different facets of their own mental states, which might influence reasoning about their own representational change differently from others' false belief.
Large-scale Virtual Screening (VS) campaigns of compound libraries can significantly speed up candidate selection in the early stages of drug discovery. The most promising drug candidates are identified by Scoring Functions (SFs), which enable VS campaigns to rank candidate compounds according to their estimated binding affinities. These SFs are typically trained on experimental data reflecting binding affinities (e.g., Dissociation Constant (Kd) values), commonly used as proxies for protein-ligand binding free energies. Because experimental reference data are often unavailable or collected using inconsistent techniques and/or procedures between laboratories, we developed two computational workflows that generate configurational ensembles of soluble protein-ligand complexes with Molecular Dynamics (MD) and compute the Absolute Binding Free Energies (ABFEs) of the sampled ligand binding poses with implicit-solvent calculations. The resulting consistent large-scale datasets of ABFEs address two complementary aspects of virtual screening: quantitative binding affinity estimation and binding pose assessment. Our Binding Affinity Prediction (BAP) workflow estimated protein-ligand binding affinities for 4000+ complexes from the PDBbind 2020 dataset. Our Pose Selector (PS) workflow computed non-convergence ABFEs from short Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, estimating the stability of 800,000+ related binding poses. To produce ABFE data at this scale, our free-energy workflows classify, check, and repair input structures of protein-ligand complexes in a fully automated fashion. The workflow scripts, molecular dynamics data, and ABFE labels are publicly available, creating an extendable database of reference values for the development of Scoring Functions for Large-Scale Virtual Screening campaigns.
Perovskite catalysts show great promise for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but still face challenges in activity and stability. Here, we report boron incorporation into Sr2(FeCo0.6Mo0.4)O5+δ to tailor the Co-O-Fe covalency and electronic states, delivering 300 mV at 10 mA cm- 2 and a 67 mV dec- 1 Tafel slope with > 140 h durability in 1 m KOH. Spectroscopy shows lowered Co/Fe valences and an increased fraction of lattice oxygen, while Density Functional Theory(DFT) (ELF/DOS/free-energy) indicates strengthened Transition Metal-Oxygen (TM─O) bonding and reduced reaction barriers. These findings support a shift toward an adsorbate evolution like pathway with suppressed lattice oxygen participation, rationalizing both the enhanced activity and robustness. Flexible Zn air batteries using Sr2(FeCo0.6Mo0.4)0.9B0.1O5+δ exhibit lower charging overpotentials and superior cycling stability than Pt/C+RuO2, highlighting device relevance. This work establishes metalloid doping enabled covalency engineering as a general strategy to boost OER performance and stability in perovskites.
Achillea arabica Kotschy, known locally as "Thafera'a" in Saudi Arabia, has been widely used in traditional medicine for treating various human ailments, including diabetes and skin inflammation. In the current investigation, we sought to unravel the phytochemical profile, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities of A. arabica ethanolic extract (AAEE) using in vitro and in silico approaches. The extract contained substantial total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC = 87.15 ± 1.15 mg GAE/g DE and TFC = 26.2 ± 0.15 mg QE/g DE). Furthermore, UHPLC-QTOF-MS2 analysis exhibited a broad spectrum of metabolites, chiefly phenolic acids and flavonoids. Key compounds included chlorogenic acid, isorhamnetin, kaempferide, Kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, delphinidin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside, naringenin and apigenin. This rich phytochemical profile underpinned the extract's potent bioactivities, as demonstrated by its ability to scavenge DPPH• radicals (IC50 = 135.99 ± 0.87 µg/mL) and ABTS+• radicals (IC50 = 422.02 ± 11.02 µg/mL), reduce metals (FRAP EC50 = 548.70 ± 0.06 µmol Trolox/g dry extract), inhibit α-amylase enzyme (IC50 = 233.65 ± 5.03 µg/mL), and suppression of protein denaturation (IC50 = 138.33 ± 2.23 µg/mL). Docking analysis showed strong binding of flavonoids to the target proteins with energies of -8.3 to -9.8 kcal/mol, while 200 ns molecular dynamics confirmed stable binding of the 1OSE-cosmosiin complex. ADMET predictions indicated favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles for naringenin and apigenin, and DFT calculations supported these findings by revealing suitable electronic properties. These results demonstrate that A. arabica is recognized as a significant source of biologically active metabolites with therapeutic potency, validating its traditional medicinal use and warranting further in vivo and clinical investigations to confirm its effectiveness.
We consider transport through a multilevel interacting quantum dot (N-QD) in the Kondo regime. Using the Kotliar-Ruckentein slave boson approach (SBMFA) for an N-level Anderson model, we define effectively noninteracting quasiparticles of the SU(N) Kondo system (N = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Kondo resonance transmission coefficients determine linear noise describing quasiparticle partitioning. To discuss nonlinear conductance, susceptibilities, and shot noise in the strong coupling regime, we apply Fermi liquid theory with parameters expressed by susceptibilities of pseudofermions determined within SBMFA. Nonlinear shot noise is dominated by two-quasiparticle scattering. However, we demonstrate that for occupation regions distant from the electron-hole symmetry point, the role of three-body correlations must be considered.
Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) remains deeply silenced in many Black communities, where cultural stigma, historical trauma, and systemic mistrust often discourage disclosure and limit access to supportive resources. These barriers contribute to delayed intervention, untreated trauma, and long-term psychological, emotional, and relational harms. This theoretical manuscript synthesizes interdisciplinary scholarship to examine CSA disclosure among Black children through three interconnected frameworks: Critical Race Theory, Attachment Theory, and Trauma-Informed Care, which illuminate how structural racism, relational dynamics, and trauma shape children's safety, trust, and willingness to seek help. Using a theory-synthesized conceptual framework approach, this paper integrates cultural, systemic, and relational influences to explain how silence surrounding CSA is produced and sustained within Black families, churches, and community institutions. This manuscript also explores facilitators of disclosure, including caregiver responsiveness, culturally grounded education, and trauma-informed practices that validate children's experiences and reduce stigma. Practical implications are offered for mental health professionals, educators, and faith leaders who seek to create safe and supportive environments that promote early disclosure and healing. By situating CSA within its broader sociocultural and historical context, this manuscript advances a culturally responsive framework to guide prevention, community engagement, and survivor-centered interventions. Breaking the silence requires intentional efforts that honor cultural values, address systemic inequities, and empower trusted adults to protect children and support children's recovery and resilience.
Protonation of pyridinic nitrogen (pyri-N) sites in nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts under acidic conditions converts pyri-N to pyri-NH+, leading to severe catalytic deactivation. Restoring activity requires transforming pyri-NH+ back to pyri-NH, an energetically demanding process that limits oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) efficiency. To overcome this challenge, we developed an N-doped porous carbon catalyst (NpC-7) featuring surface pyri-N active sites and a subsurface graphitic nitrogen (grap-N) layer. The 2D growth of cyanuric acid (CA)-functionalized 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) polymer within graphene oxide layers ensures uniform N-doping which modulates π-electron and spin states. This engineered architecture delivers ORR activity approaching Pt/C and surpasses conventional nitrogen doped graphene oxide (NrGO) (Eonset = 0.86 V, E1/2 = 0.70 V vs. 0.76 and 0.61 V, respectively). Enhanced performance arises from subsurface grap-N, which donates electron to protonated pyri-NH+, generating an active pyri - NHδ +  state that promotes O2 adsorption. In situ electrochemical Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm efficient O2 adsorption and intermediate formation, indicating a (2 + 2)e- ORR pathway. These findings highlight the critical role of subsurface grap-N in overcoming acidic deactivation through electronic modulation, offering a blueprint for designing acid-stable carbon electrocatalysts.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite recommendations for screening to begin at the age of 45 years, significant disparities persist, particularly among medically underserved populations. This study examines the effectiveness of SMS text messaging reminders in improving CRC screening rates across 2 large federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serving vulnerable populations. The study included 4822 adults aged ≥45 years, receiving care at 2 large FQHC networks in Texas and California. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: (1) control (no SMS text messages), (2) single-outreach SMS text overdue message, (3) three-week SMS overdue and reminder text messages, and (4) six-week SMS text messages that were informed by behavior theory. Data were collected from May 2023 to July 2024. The outcome measure was a binary indicator of whether the participant underwent 1 of 3 CRC tests, fecal immunochemical test, colonoscopy, and Cologuard, within 90 days of completing the SMS text messaging reminders. Independent variables included demographic, geographic, clinical, and primary care access variables. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine associations between CRC screening completion and the SMS text messaging reminder groups, adjusting for covariates. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs were reported. In the combined 3-test model, patients in the single-outreach SMS text message (aOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.00-1.47) and the 3-week SMS text message (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05-1.53) groups had higher odds of completing the screening test compared to those in the control group. Within the fecal immunochemical test-only model, patients in the 3-week SMS text message group (aOR 1.25, 95% CI 1.00-1.56) were more likely to complete the screening test. Within the Cologuard-only model, patients in the 3-week SMS text message group (aOR 7.01, 95% CI 1.96-25.07) and the 6-week SMS text message group (aOR 5.75, 95% CI 1.53-21.61) had significantly higher odds of CRC screening completion. The findings highlight that moderate-frequency SMS text messaging reminders can effectively increase CRC screening rates in FQHCs; however, critical factors include the timing and frequency of these reminders. The 3-week intervention was associated with improved screening uptake, whereas the 6-week theory-informed intervention did not demonstrate a significant advantage over the control group, potentially reflecting a ceiling effect or message fatigue associated with more frequent messaging. Additionally, the study highlights unique screening patterns that contradict previous literature, underscoring the importance of a tailored approach for vulnerable communities.
Achieving intrinsic stability of reaction-formed catalytic sites, and understanding its origin, remains a central challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. Although CO-driven restructuring of atomically dispersed metals into subnanometer clusters has been observed in methane reforming and related reactions, the electronic basis of the resulting stability and the catalytic mechanism on these sites remain unknown. In this study, we show that atomically dispersed Rh on CeO2 nanorods spontaneously evolves into Rh3(CO)4 clusters during the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction, and that this restructuring resolves the inherent activity-stability trade-off. Metastable Rh3(CO)3 clusters with higher initial activity transform into thermodynamically stable Rh3(CO)4 that sustains performance over 5000 h at 300°C without apparent deactivation. Combining in situ spectroscopy, kinetic analysis, and density functional theory calculations, we reveal the dual origins of this intrinsic stability. Coordination of the fourth CO ligand lowers the cluster formation energy by 2.15 eV, driven by d z 2 ${{d}_{{{{\mathrm{z}}}^2}}}$ -π* hybridization through Rh-to-CO back-donation, rendering Rh3(CO)4 a thermodynamic sink resilient to reaction-induced perturbations. Meanwhile, surface hydride species generated at oxygen vacancies open a concerted COOH dehydrogenation pathway, markedly lowering the rate-determining barrier. This work demonstrates that reactive atmospheres can steer catalytic sites toward configurations where structural stability and catalytic function coexist.
Understanding of how skulls transmit and resolve forces during biting currently derives from several independent frameworks originating mostly from carnivorans and primates. This new biomechanical model integrates this classic jaw lever theory with structural mechanics to explain how the highest magnitude stresses and strains arise through the tetrapod cranium during biting. The model proposes that bite forces are resolved through compression-dominant arcs spanning the skull between jaw muscle origins, biting teeth, and jaw joints. The apex, or "vertex," of a compression arc corresponds to the most efficient load-bearing geometry for resisting the muscle resultant force vector. Finite element simulations of a dietary generalist (Didelphis virginiana), a bone-cracking specialist (Sarcophilus harrisii), and an encephalized primate (Cacajao calvus), combined with novel visualization of subsurface stresses, demonstrate that withstanding high bite-induced reaction forces benefits from skull geometries that optimize compressive load paths while minimizing peak tensile stresses. Skull functions that impede generation of continuous compression arcs, such as enlarged braincase size, increase reliance on more diffuse stresses and tensile support. By contrast, when selection favors resisting higher bite reaction forces, bone structure is predicted to evolve toward funicular shapes, thereby consolidating compressive stress fields. However, geometry will always be constrained by development, phylogenetic history, and functional trade-offs that can impact the continuity or efficiency of compressive resolution. Compression arcs are therefore often supported by tensile ties, thus framing the tetrapod skull as a tied-arch bridge analog. The model provides a first-principles framework for predicting and interpreting evolutionary optimization in skull structure and biting performance.
Employed informal caregivers in Iran navigate caregiving responsibilities within a context of absent formal support infrastructure, rigid cultural expectations, and economic constraints. This study explored their lived experiences, focusing on work-care balance, stress management, and interactions with support structures. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured in-depth interviews with five employed female informal caregivers of older persons (aged 65 and above) in urban Iran. Interviews were conducted in Persian via Zoom between January and March 2025, lasting 60 to 120 min. Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, informed by Role Theory and Lazarus and Folkman's Stress and Coping Theory. Six themes emerged: (1) onset and context of caregiving, (2) work-care role balance, (3) stress and coping strategies, (4) social and workplace support, (5) personal and cultural experiences, and (6) advice and future perspectives. Findings reveal a distinctive "triple burden" where structural barriers (absent caregiver leave policies, inadequate insurance coverage, limited respite services), cultural expectations (filial piety norms, gendered care obligations), and economic pressures (inability to reduce work hours, high caregiving costs) converge to create unsustainable caregiving conditions. Participants sacrificed sleep, personal relationships, and career advancement while experiencing chronic exhaustion, workplace discrimination, and social isolation. Coping strategies proved insufficient without formal support structures. Unlike developed countries with established support systems, Iranian caregivers operate within institutional silence where caregiving remains an exclusively private burden. Urgent policy reforms are needed: caregiver leave policies, subsidized respite services, insurance coverage for home care, workplace accommodations, and culturally sensitive counseling programs.
As a scientific issue characterized by both controversy and sensitivity to public risk, genetically modified (GM) technology has become an important entry point for understanding contemporary science communication through its dissemination and acceptance among young people. This study takes 25 Chinese youth aged 19-27 as its research participants, collects data through semi-structured in-depth interviews, and analyzes the process of attitude formation by applying grounded theory through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The findings show that young people usually take government announcements, expert interpretations, and mainstream media reports as their initial points of reference, while also conducting cross-source verification through social media, peer discussion, and personal experience, thereby displaying the coexistence of authoritative dependence and rational skepticism. On this basis, respondents did not generally develop attitudes of absolute support or outright rejection, but instead showed a tendency toward limited acceptance with conditional reservations. Further analysis indicates that accumulated socialization experiences and institutional trust give a certain degree of continuity to such judgments in subsequent encounters with information. On this basis, this article proposes an interpretive framework of authoritative dependence - rational skepticism - balance effect - trust inertia. The findings presented here constitute an interpretive understanding of the logic of attitude formation within a specific sample, rather than a population-level generalization.