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Schizophrenia, a chronic psychiatric disorder, profoundly affects social functioning and quality of life. The Sense of Coherence (SOC), a core construct in salutogenic theory, plays a pivotal role in stress coping and recovery outcomes. While SOC has been studied in general populations, its determinants in stabilized schizophrenia inpatients remain underexplored. This study comprehensively investigated the Sense of Coherence (SOC) profile among stabilized schizophrenia inpatients by assessing its current status, exploring the interrelationships between SOC and demographic factors/Big Five personality traits (CBF-PI)/social support (SSRS), and identifying factors associated with SOC to inform potential personalized resilience-enhancing interventions. Findings may guide clinical strategies to enhance resilience and mental health recovery and potentially facilitate functional recovery in this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a Guangzhou tertiary psychiatric hospital with 438 stabilized schizophrenia inpatients from November 2024 to February 2025. Data collection included demographic/clinical variables, Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory (CBF-PI), 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13), and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data and independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to compare SOC scores across demographic and clinical groups. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between personality traits, social support, and sense of coherence and multiple linear regression analysis was utilized to identify independent factors influencing sense of coherence (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.05). The mean SOC score among the 438 stabilized schizophrenia inpatients was 53.35 &#xb1; 11.81. SOC correlated positively with all five dimensions of CBF-PI-B (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.05), as well as subjective social support (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.01), while showing inverse correlations with objective support (p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.01) and support utilization subscales (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.01), Multiple regression identified personal income(yes), frequency of physical activity (&#x2265;3 times/week), and primary caregiver (Children) as significant SOC predictors. This study demonstrates that stabilized schizophrenia inpatients in a tertiary psychiatric setting exhibit generally lower Sense of Coherence (SOC) levels compared with healthy normative values and moderately lower than several outpatient schizophrenia samples. Higher SOC was significantly associated with having a personal income, frequent physical activity (&#x2265;3 times/week), having children as primary caregivers, and Chinese Big Five Personality traits. Notably, while subjective support was positively correlated with SOC, objective support and support utilization showed negative associations. Given the moderate internal consistency of the SSRS (Cronbach's &#x3b1; = 0.626), the differential associations with social support dimensions should be interpreted cautiously. Concurrently, personality traits are relatively stable, their associations with SOC may inform indirect supportive strategies leveraging existing strengths rather than direct modification. These findings underscore the potential value of tailored interventions that enhance subjective support, promote structured recreational activities, and foster patients' perceived coping resources. Further cross-sectional and longitudinal outpatient studies are warranted to validate these results and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the support paradox.

In this study, we expand research on climate change mitigation behavior by exploring individuals' protective actions in the face of a diverse set of environmental hazards including air pollution, water and soil contamination, spillage of toxicants, polluted food and consumer products. Also, we investigate protective actions related to consumption choices (food and cleaning products) or behavioral change (staying indoors). Those actions reflect a broader range of responses of at-risk individuals who wish to reduce the health-related ramifications of pollution-type hazards. We build on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to describe the factors that motivate individuals' behavior. In particular, we emphasize the emergence of risk perceptions and their subsequent effects on behavior. We also account for PMT's coping appraisal by assessing the role of the government in motivating protective actions. We use American national-level data from a survey that highlights environmental health and employ both regression and structural equation modeling (SEM). The empirical analysis reveals the critical role of risk perceptions that have both a direct effect on mitigation behavior and it mediates the effects of several antecedents on protective actions. Our findings extend research on individual protective behavior to mitigate the detrimental health effects of less common hazards like air and water pollution or soil contamination and toxicants release. In particular, we offer evidence on the drivers of mitigating actions to reduce the health-specific risks from environmental hazards that are not necessarily natural and can be a result of human action.

Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are powerful tools with therapeutic potential because they can upregulate or downregulate proteins of interest within biological systems. Small activating RNAs (saRNAs) are a type of dsRNA, identical in structure and composition to small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). We previously observed that RNA duplexes with modifications such as 2'-O-methyl (2'-O-Me), 2'-fluoro (2'-F), locked (LNA), and unlocked nucleic acids (UNA), and a C3-propyl spacer linker affect gene upregulation potency, where some of these chemical modifications are commonly used in siRNA design. In this study, we tested whether some of these same chemically modified saRNAs, along with new duplex variants, could also modulate gene silencing of the same target gene, STING, using an endogenous plasmid system. We demonstrate that saRNAs, shown to induce gene expression via RNA activation (RNAa), can also perform gene silencing as siRNAs. We show that the type and number of chemical modifications on the guide strand have strong influence on siRNA and saRNA activities, but do not identify any that specifically bias one over the other. In exploring the effects of chemical modifications on short RNAs, our long-term goal aims to reveal how specific chemical modifications influence the RNA interference (RNAi) or RNAa pathway.

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a common industrial chemical with endocrine-disrupting properties, which is capable of causing developmental abnormalities in the male reproductive system, while the effect of DEHP on testicular cell autophagy and its specific molecular mechanism has not been fully clarified. In the present study, Leydig cells were adopted as the research cell model, and multiple experimental techniques including CCK-8 assay, ELISA, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were applied to explore the effects of DEHP on Leydig cell autophagy and its correlation with Arg2. The experimental results showed that DEHP exposure could inhibit the proliferation and secretory function of Leydig cells, decrease testosterone levels and trigger cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, DEHP treatment significantly elevated the autophagy level of Leydig cells, accompanied by the upregulated expression of autophagy-related genes Beclin1 and LC3B. Moreover, DEHP exposure induced the upregulation of Arg2 expression in Leydig cells, and the knockdown of Arg2 could partially reverse the increased autophagy level and alleviate Leydig cell damage caused by DEHP. Further mechanistic experiments verified that Arg2 might regulate DEHP-induced autophagy via the mTOR signaling pathway. This study confirms that Arg2-mediated autophagy participates in the process of DEHP-induced Leydig cell injury, which provides a novel theoretical basis and research perspective for further exploring the toxic mechanism of DEHP on the male reproductive system.

Passive working memory (WM) is rarely detectable because it is thought to rely less on persistent neural firing, leaving a minimal trace in ongoing brain activity. This elusive nature poses a major challenge for exploring its neural basis. While the activity-silent working memory (ASWM) framework proposes that such latent representations are maintained through transient reconfiguration in intrinsic functional connectivity, tracking these rapid dynamics via functional MRI remains methodologically difficult. Alternatively, investigating the brain's intrinsic functional architecture provides insights into the baseline "neural scaffolding" that predisposes individuals to successful passive WM. To explore this, we combined pre-task resting-state fMRI, structural MRI, and behavioral data from a sequential change-detection paradigm in 151 healthy adults. Functional connectivity-behavior associations revealed that individual differences in passive WM performance were significantly reflected by intrinsic connections among large-scale networks encompassing dorsal attention, control, and sensorimotor. Granger causality analyses further revealed a group-level temporal dependency pattern linking these functional systems. Furthermore, exploratory structural analyses suggested spatial convergence between uncorrected cortical-thickness associations and certain functionally identified sensorimotor nodes. Overall, this study adopts an exploratory approach to demonstrate that baseline intrinsic functional architecture-complemented by preliminary structural findings-is significantly associated with individual differences in passive WM.

Griscelli syndrome (GS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by pigmentary dilution of hair and skin. There are three known types of this disease. GS type 1 (GS1), due to mutations in MYO5A, is associated with neurological impairment and hypotonia, while GS type 2 (GS2; RAB27A variants) involves immune dysregulation (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis [HLH]) and GS type 3 (MLPH variants) causes isolated pigmentary defects. We report a 27&#x2011;month&#x2011;old Afghan girl, born to consanguineous parents, presenting with developmental delay and hypotonia without the classic silvery hair. A complete evaluation was performed to determine the cause of the developmental delay. Whole exome sequencing revealed a novel homozygous MYO5A variant (c.3508C >T), confirming GS1. Despite the absence of the characteristic silvery hair, microscopic hair examination of the patient showed melanin distribution abnormalities. This case highlights the phenotypical variability in GS1 and emphasizes on the importance of considering genetic testing even in atypical presentations. Exploring these novel mutations can expand the known genotype/phenotype spectrum of GS1.

The role of stroma in esophagogastric cancer is ambiguous, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-restrictive properties. Several non-invasive biomarkers of stroma have recently been identified, but their relationship with stromal composition and clinical outcome in esophagogastric cancer remains insufficiently understood. We aimed to investigate the association of serum stromal biomarkers with overall survival and stroma composition in esophagogastric cancers. Eleven stromal biomarkers were retrospectively measured in pre-treatment serum of 78 patients with esophagogastric cancer and 11 healthy controls. Elastic net Cox regression was applied to associate serum concentration of stromal biomarkers with overall survival in patients with esophagogastric cancer. These associations were later confirmed with Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analysis. RNA-sequencing was performed on 17 matched tumor biopsies and an independent validation cohort of 100 pre-treatment biopsies to explore the relation between stromal biomarker and stromal subtype. This study revealed that serum formation fragment of collagen V as a stromal biomarker was high in patients with esophagogastric cancer compared to healthy subjects. A high serum concentration of the formation fragment of collagen V was independently prognostically favorable in patients with esophagogastric cancer. The formation of collagen V correlated with a distinct normal stroma subtype in the matched tumor biopsies. A gene signature specific for the formation fragment of collagen V was also independently prognostically favorable and correlated with a normal stroma subtype in the validation cohort. In conclusion, the formation of collagen V reflects a distinct normal stroma subtype in patients with esophagogastric cancer that associates with favorable outcomes. A collagen-related blood marker may help predict survival and is linked to differences in the tissue surrounding tumors in esophagogastric cancer Why was the study done? Esophagogastric cancer (cancer of the esophagus and/or stomach) does not consist of cancer cells alone. Tumors also contain stroma, the supportive tissue around the cancer made up of collagens and other structural proteins. Stroma can sometimes help tumors grow, but in other cases it may restrict them. This study looked at whether stroma-related markers in blood are linked to different stroma types in esophagogastric tumors, and if that informs on prognosis. What did the researchers do? The researchers measured 11 stroma-related biomarkers in blood (serum) taken before treatment from 78 people with esophagogastric cancer, and 11 healthy people for comparison. They then used a statistical modeling method to see which biomarkers were linked to overall survival. After that, they examined 17 tumor biopsy samples from the same patients to understand whether the most important biomarker was connected to a specific subtype of stroma. They validated their findings in a different group of 100 patients for which they had gene expression data available. What did the researchers find? A fragment in the blood indicating formation of collagen V was higher in patients with esophagogastric cancer compared to healthy people. In patients, higher levels of this marker were linked to better survival. In the biopsies, this marker was associated with a distinct &#x201c;normal stroma&#x201d; subtype. In the larger group of patients, high expression of genes related to this marker were also linked to better survival and a &#x201c;normal stroma&#x201d; subtype. What do the findings mean? Formation of collagen V in the surrounding tissue of esophagogastric tumors indicates a more &#x201c;normal like&#x201d; stroma and this is linked to better outcomes for patients.

Although the intergenerational transmission of parenting has been widely documented, its relation to third-generation (G3) behavioral problems remains insufficiently explored. Drawing on family systems theory, this study examined how intergenerational relationships mediated the intergenerational transmission of parenting and how this process related to children's behavioral problems. We surveyed 2,120 families, including children and their parents, using the Parental Authority Questionnaire, Intergenerational Relationship Scale, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results: (1) G1 authoritative parenting was indirectly associated with G2 authoritative parenting through intergenerational affection, and was further related to G3 internalizing and externalizing problems via the sequential mediation of intergenerational affection and G2 authoritative parenting. (2) G1 authoritarian parenting was indirectly associated with G2 authoritarian parenting through intergenerational conflict, and was further related to G3 internalizing and externalizing problems through the sequential mediation of intergenerational conflict and G2 authoritarian parenting. By delineating a three-generation transmission mechanism, this study advances understanding of the intergenerational processes through which parenting is associated with child behavioral outcomes. The findings suggest that reinforcing the intergenerational transmission of authoritative parenting and interrupting that of authoritarian parenting may be an effective strategy to reduce behavioral problems in third-generation children.

Precise identification of motor states in Parkinson's disease (PD) is critical for adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) therapies. Recent developments in implantable neurostimulators now support continuous neural recordings, enabling long-term monitoring of PD-related neural dynamics under real-world conditions. However, the real potential of such deep brain continuous recordings in chronic home-based conditions has not been explored yet. In this work, we introduce a multimodal classification framework that integrates subthalamic nucleus local field potentials (STN-LFPs), wearable sensors, and patient-reported diaries to distinguish between three key motor states: ON, OFF, and SLEEP. The framework was initially validated on data collected from three patients over an average of 30 days (totaling 2,136 h of LFP recordings), and then applied to a larger dataset from thirteen patients recorded over an average of 14 days (totaling 4,440 h of LFP recordings). Feature extraction was performed in the time, frequency and time-frequency domains, after applying principal component analysis (PCA) to decrease dimensionality, which preserved 95% of the variance of the data and reduced computational complexity. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) classifier using time-frequency domain features achieved the highest F1-score among the models tested. For the three validation patients, the MLP reached F1-scores of 81.1% with wearable sensor data and 94.3% with diary-derived data. When evaluated across all thirteen patients, it maintained a strong F1-score of 93.1% using diary time-frequency features. These results demonstrate that chronic LFP recordings available 24/7 from implantable aDBS devices enable robust motor state classification, thus supporting the personalization and optimization of aDBS systems for real-life use.

Chiral graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and carbon dots (CDs) represent a groundbreaking fusion of carbon nanotechnology and chirality science. These nanomaterials transcend their achiral counterparts by integrating exceptional biocompatibility and tunable photoluminescence with sophisticated chiroptical properties and the chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. This review provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of the rapid evolution of this dynamic field. We first elucidate the fundamental origins of chirality-from chiral surface functionalization and intrinsic lattice distortion to supramolecular assembly-and detail the advanced spectroscopic techniques for its quantification. A systematic evaluation of synthetic methodologies, spanning one-step, two-step, and chiral composite strategies, is presented, highlighting the critical trade-offs between structural control and chiroptical strength. The discussion of core properties delves beyond conventional photoluminescence to explore the mechanisms and tunability of circularly polarized luminescence, room-temperature phosphorescence, and the transformative CISS effect. We subsequently explore how these properties enable state-of-the-art applications in enantioselective biosensing, targeted bioimaging and drug delivery, asymmetric catalysis, and next-generation spin-optoelectronics. The review concludes with a forward-looking perspective, outlining the key scientific challenges in synthesis, stability, and fundamental understanding that must be overcome to transition these promising materials from laboratory demonstrations to practical technologies.

Accurate assessment of arterial blood pressure (BP) and vascular stiffness is critical for diagnosing and monitoring cardiovascular disease. Arterial tonometry (AT) enables direct pulse wave acquisition and has been widely explored for noninvasive, continuous, wearable BP estimation. However, tonometry-based approaches typically rely on generalized arterial biomechanical parameters that exhibit substantial intersubject variability and can limit accuracy, particularly in pathological conditions. To address this limitation, we present a hybrid sensing framework that integrates shear wave elastography (SWE) with arterial tonometry to enable patient-specific biomechanical parameterization. The proposed device simultaneously acquires arterial stiffness metrics and pulse pressure waveforms, which are incorporated into a validated physics-driven model for continuous BP estimation. By combining elastography-derived mechanical priors with direct pulse wave measurements, this approach improves personalization and physiological fidelity of noninvasive, continuous BP monitoring. The proposed hybrid system demonstrates the potential for more accurate, patient-specific, and continuous blood pressure assessment, with implications for wearable cardiovascular monitoring and precision diagnostics.

Physical activity levels modulate the gut microbiota and thereby influence health status. However, few studies have focused on rural populations. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the gut microbiota of rural residents under different physical activity levels. A total of 311 rural residents (range: 18-90&#x202f;years) were included in this cross-sectional study. Physical activity levels were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Gut microbial composition was evaluated via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to examine the associations between gut microbiota and physical activity level, age, Body mass index (BMI), and sex. Multiple regression analyses were also performed to further explore these associations. Among the surveyed rural residents, 9.97% engaged in low-intensity physical activity, 23% in moderate-intensity physical activity, and 67% in high-intensity physical activity. Across different levels of physical activity, age was the most broadly influential variable affecting the microbiota. Sex and smoking/alcohol habits had significant effects on specific genera. BMI was positively correlated with Escherichia_Shigella (r&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.192, p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001) and negatively correlated with Bacteroides (r&#x202f;=&#x202f;-0.121, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.033). After adjusting for covariates in multiple regression analysis, Blautia [B (95% CI): -0.002 (-0.003, -0.001)] was negatively associated with age, Collinsella [B (95% CI): -0.015 (-0.027, -0.004)] was negatively associated with sex, and Segatella [B (95% CI): 0.000005 (0.0000006, 0.0000009)] was positively associated with physical activity level. Although Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the relative abundances of a few bacterial genera were positively or negatively correlated with physical activity level, all effect sizes were very small. Our study indicated that there were no differences in gut microbiota diversity across different physical activity levels, and only specific genera were associated with physical activity level. Age was the most important factor influencing the gut microbiota. In addition, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, and pesticide exposure were also significantly associated with gut microbiota composition. However, the LPA group was composed predominantly of males (93.5%), and the effects observed in the LPA group were essentially limited to males.

Candida albicans is a ubiquitous commensal fungus and is capable of transitioning from commensalism to infection. To isolate and identify Candida spp. from oral swabs of domestic cats. Detection of virulence factors, agglutinin-like sequence agglutinin-like sequence 1 (ALS), and Candidalysin (ECE1) genes exploration of the possible relationship between Candida and potential risk factors in cat owners. A total of 119 oral swabs were collected from cat owners and streaked directly on Sabouraud's dextrose and chrome agars. Confirmation was performed by testing the isolates using the Vitek 2 compact system and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific to the ITS4 and ITS5 regions. ALS and ECE1 genes were detected using conventional PCR. The total number of Candida spp. isolated from the oral cavity of cat owners was 10/119 (8.40%). Correlations were reported between the isolation of Candida from the oral cavity and age group; use of oral antibiotic drops; diabetes mellitus; oral lesions; and vitamin D3 deficiency (p value < 0.001). No significant correlation was reported between sex, season, smoking habit, denture wearing, steroid inhalation, immune suppression, and Candida isolation from the oral cavity of cat owners. ASL1 and ECE1 were detected in 100% of C. albicans isolated from the oral cavity of cat owners. This study reveals a low prevalence but high pathogenic potential of oral C. albicans in domestic cat owners, as evidenced by the universal presence of major virulence genes (ALS1, ECE1). Older age, antibiotic drops, Diabetes miletus, oral lesions, and vitamin D3 deficiency were associated with the risk of colonization. The commonly suspected risk factors showed no association. The universal presence of ALS1 and ECE1 highlights the pathogenic threat posed by these yeasts.

To report results of the first-in-human trial of intravitreal tropomyosin-related kinase receptor type B (TrkB) agonist BI 754132 in participants with geographic atrophy (GA). To discuss BI 754132 clinical data in the context of the preclinical findings and their translation into human data. An open-label, uncontrolled, nonrandomized phase I trial (NCT04002310) assessing the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of BI 754132 in participants with GA supported by preclinical data. Participants with GA recruited between July 2019 and August 2022 in the United States and UK. Clinical trial comprising a single rising dose (SRD) part (n = 15) and multiple dose (MD) part (n = 3). Of 18 participants treated, 16 received a single dose of BI 754132 0.3 to 6 mg (SRD, n = 15; MD, n = 1) and 2 received 3 doses each of BI 754132 6 mg (MD part). The primary SRD endpoint was the incidence of ocular and systemic dose-limiting events until day 100; the primary MD endpoint was treatment-related adverse events (AEs) until day 155. Exploratory endpoints included change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), GA lesion area, central retinal thickness, and selected electroretinogram parameters. Preclinical data supported a potential treatment effect and a favorable safety profile of BI 754132, supporting clinical development. In the phase I study (SRD and MD parts), 12 of 18 (67%) participants had an AE; of which, 4 had ischemic optic neuropathy in the study eye. Considering the frequency of ischemic optic neuropathy in the absence of efficacy data, the benefit-risk assessment of BI 754132 could not be considered as positive, and the clinical study was terminated. There was a mild increase in central retinal thickness (&#x2264;25 &#x3bc;m) of all study eyes. No relevant changes in BCVA, GA lesion area, or electroretinogram parameters were noted. Clinical data suggested a potential association between BI 754132 and development of ischemic optic neuropathy. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, these data warrant caution during further exploration of TrkB agonism in GA and highlight the role of monitoring safety data during early clinical development, especially when studying new modes of action. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Plant growth systems tested on the International Space Station (ISS) are small-area growth units that mostly use solid media. With NASA's plan to send astronauts on long-duration exploration missions, there is a need to produce larger amounts of fresh food with limited upmass and resources. The eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS) is an aeroponic-hydroponic nutrient delivery system designed for exploration missions and was tested on the ISS. Post-harvest samples were returned for microbiological analyses of the plant leaves, roots, and fruit from lettuce, mizuna mustard, wheat, radish, tomato, and pea plants grown in the XROOTS. The microbiological food safety of crops was evaluated through culture-based microbial enumeration and identification. The microbial communities were compared between different plants and plant tissues by sequencing the prokaryotic V4 variable region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicons and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The microbial counts from the root module surface samples demonstrated a reduction after cleansing. The bacterial counts in the nutrient solution ranged from 65 to 3,800 CFU/ml. The bacterial counts in the distal leaf sections were lower than those in the leaf proximal, wick, and roots in all plant samples. The tomato fruit and the pea pod samples had the lowest average counts. The microbial counts from the leaves and wicks harvested from XROOTS were similar to the ranges found on previous Veggie (Vegetable Production System)-grown leafy greens. All screening tests for potential foodborne pathogenic bacteria were negative. Sequencing analyses showed that diversity was low in the leaves and higher in the roots, and the microbial community was more diversified in the XROOTS samples compared with previous Veggie experiments. Pseudomonas had the highest relative abundance in the majority of samples. Although some microbes were shared in the majority of plant tissues, unique microbes were identified for each plant type grown in XROOTS and when compared with previous Veggie demonstrations. Microbial surveys of ISS-grown plants and the associated hardware provide valuable data that can reveal potential challenges in deep-space crop production operations and ensure the quality of crops intended for crew consumption.