Academic cheating interferes with learning among middle school children.

There has been extensive research on the causes of academic cheating, but little is known about its consequences. The current research sought to fill this gap in the literature by examining how cheating by middle school children (total N = 198) affects their learning outcomes. In a naturalistic paradigm, children scored a math test they had taken previously, which gave them an opportunity to cheat by falsely scoring incorrect answers to be correct. Results from this phase showed that 54 % of the children cheated on at least one question. One week later, the children took the same test again, but this time without being given an opportunity to cheat. Among children who cheated, items they had answered incorrectly on the first round showed significantly less improvement on the second round if they had dishonestly scored them as correct rather than honestly scoring them as incorrect. This finding provides the first experimental evidence that academic cheating can interfere with children's learning.

Role of NOS and Inflammatory Markers in the Early Restenosis After the Application of Femoral Arterial Stent.

The objective of this research was to investigate the role of inflammatory markers, including the interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9), tumor necrotic factor α (TNF-α), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the early restenosis after the application of femoral arterial stent. According to this, serum samples were collected from the patients who accepted the implantation of arterial stents due to the atherosclerotic occlusive disease in the lower extremities at the following timepoints: 24 h before implantation, 24 h, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after implantation. With the samples, we detected the levels of IL-6, TNF-α and MMP-9 by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum, levels of ET-1 in plasma by using the non-balanced method of radioimmunity assay and the activity of NOS by using the chemical analysis. Results showed that during the 6-month follow-up, 15 patients (15.31%) reported restenosis; at postoperative 24 h, the level of IL-6 in the restenosis group was much lower than that of the non-restenosis group (P < 0.05), while the level of MMP-9 was higher than that of the non-restenosis group (P < 0.01); besides, at postoperative 24 h, 1, 3, and 6 months after the operation, the average level of ET-1 in the restenosis group was higher than that in the non-restenosis group (P < 0.05 or 0.01). In the restenosis group, the level of NOS in the serum of patients after the implantation of the stent decreased evidently, which was rescued by the treatment of atorvastatin in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). In conclusion, at postoperative 24 h, the levels of IL-6 and MMP-9 increased, while the level of NOS decreased, and the level of ET-1 in the plasma of restenosis patients keeps higher than the baseline.

Effects of test difficulty messaging on academic cheating among middle school children.

Academic cheating is a serious worldwide problem that begins during childhood. However, to date there has been little research on academic cheating with children before high school age. The current study used a naturalistic experimental paradigm to evaluate the possibility that systematically manipulating messages about the difficulty of a test can affect whether middle school children (N = 201) would cheat by reporting a falsely inflated test score. We found that test difficulty messaging significantly affected children's cheating behavior. Specifically, telling children that a test was either easy or hard produced higher rates of cheating than telling them that the difficulty level was on par with their current skills. In addition, among the children who chose to cheat, telling them that the test was easy led to a greater degree of cheating. These findings are consistent with theories of academic cheating that point to the importance of approach and avoidance motives in achievement motivation. The findings also suggest that simple messaging can have a significant impact on children's moral behavior and that seemingly innocuous messages such as describing the difficulty of a test can influence children's decisions about whether and how much to cheat.

Effects of Trust and Threat Messaging on Academic Cheating: A Field Study.

Morality-based interventions designed to promote academic integrity are being used by educational institutions around the world. Although many such approaches have a strong theoretical foundation and are supported by laboratory-based evidence, they often have not been subjected to rigorous empirical evaluation in real-world contexts. In a naturalistic field study (N = 296), we evaluated a recent research-inspired classroom innovation in which students are told, just prior to taking an unproctored exam, that they are trusted to act with integrity. Four university classes were assigned to a proctored exam or one of three types of unproctored exam. Students who took unproctored exams cheated significantly more, which suggests that it may be premature to implement this approach in college classrooms. These findings point to the importance of conducting ecologically valid and well-controlled field studies that translate psychological theory into practice when introducing large-scale educational reforms.

Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Type B Aortic Dissection Associated with Retrograde Type A Intramural Hematoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate feasibility and efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for type B aortic dissection (TBAD) associated with retrograde type A intramural hematoma (IMH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2013 to January 2017, 15 consecutive patients with TBAD associated with retrograde type A IMH who underwent TEVAR were reviewed retrospectively. There was no cardiac tamponade, aortic regurgitation, involvement of coronary artery, or sign of cerebral ischemia in these patients. Enhanced CT was used in 4 patients to diagnose malperfusion of abdominal visceral arteries or lower extremity artery and underwent emergent TEVAR. For the remaining 11 patients, repeated enhanced CT after initial medical treatment within 24 hours from onset of pain showed expansion of IMH in 8 patients or presence of periaortic hematoma in 3 patients. Delayed TEVAR was scheduled for these cases. RESULTS: Successful deployment of the stent graft was achieved in all patients. There were no severe postoperative complications, such as retrograde type A aortic dissection or aortic rupture. Sudden death occurred in 1 patient 3 months after the procedure. Thrombosis of the false lumen, shrinkage of the diameter of the aorta, and complete absorption of the IMH were observed in the remaining patients at a mean follow-up of 19.8 months ± 6.57. CONCLUSIONS: TEVAR for treatment of TBAD with retrograde type A IMH is feasible and effective. It represents a treatment option for patients with TBAD associated with type A IMH with a proximal entry tear located in the descending aorta.

Identification and quantification of bipyridyl dicarboxylic acid isomers by ion mobility spectrometry.

The identification of positional isomers is of interest because different isomers have different chemical or biological functions and applications. The analysis of positional isomers is sometimes challenging since they have similar chemical structures and properties. For example, the analysis of mass cannot identify different positional isomers because they have identical mass-to-charge ratios and show a single mass peak in mass spectrometry. In this study, an efficient and simple qualitative and quantitative analytical method for differentiating 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-dicarboxylic acid (3,3'-BDA), 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (4,4'-BDA), and 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid (5,5'-BDA) was developed by using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). The results revealed that the three BDA isomers formed non-covalent complexes with cyclodextrins (CDs) and Mg2+ ions in the gas phase: [ß-CD+3,3'/4,4'/5,5'-BDA+Mg]2+ and [γ-CD+3,3'/4,4'/5,5'-BDA+Mg]2+, which were distinguished by measuring the mobility of the complexes because of their spatial conformational differences. The peak-to-peak resolution (Rp-p) values of the three isomers of [γ-CD+3,3'/4,4'/5,5'-BDA+Mg]2+ reached 2.983 and 2.892, respectively. The conformations of the ternary complexes simulated by the theoretical calculations revealed the different interactions and shapes of the stereoisomers, and the predicted results agreed with the experimental results. Simultaneously, further studies on the collisional dissociation of the ternary complexes revealed that the dissociation energies of the different complex ions varied were different owing to the diverse different conformations. Finally, the relative quantitative analysis of the different isomers in mixed samples was performed and satisfactory linearity results (R2 > 0.99) were obtained. Thus, an effective analytical method was proposed for the identification and quantification of BDA isomers without chemical derivatization, offering a promising approach for the identification of similar derivatives or positional isomers that could be applied in various fields including chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Homemade fenestration and chimney techniques for the left subclavian artery revascularization during zone 2 thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Background: To investigate the safety and efficacy of homemade fenestration and chimney techniques for the left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization during zone 2 thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Methods: From February 2017 to February 2021, 41 patients undergoing fenestration technique (group A) and 42 patients undergoing chimney technique (group B) to preserve the LSA during zone 2 TEVAR were enrolled in the present study. The procedure was indicated for dissections with unsuitable proximal landing zone with refractory pain and hypertension, rupture and malperfusion, and high-risk radiographic features. The baseline characteristics, peri-procedure, and follow-up clinical and radiographic data were recorded and analyzed. The primary endpoint was clinical success, and the secondary endpoints were rupture-free survival, LSA patency, and complications. Aortic remodeling, defined as patency, partial and complete thrombosis of the false lumen, was also analyzed. Results: Technical success was achieved in 38 and 41 patients in groups A and B, respectively. Four intervention-related deaths were confirmed, two in each group. Immediate post-procedural endoleaks were detected in two and three patients in group A and B, respectively. No other major complications were found in either group, except for one retrograde type A dissection in group A. During follow-up, the initial clinical success rates were 90.24% and 92.86% in groups A and B, respectively. The primary and secondary mid-term clinical success rates were 87.5% and 90% in group A, and both of them were 92.68% in group B. Rupture-free survival and LSA patency were not significantly different between the two groups. The incidence of complete thrombosis in the aorta distal to the stent graft was 67.65% and 61.11% in groups A and B, respectively. Conclusions: Apart from the lower clinical success rate of fenestration technique, both physician-modified techniques are available for LSA revascularization during zone 2 TEVAR and significantly promote favorable aortic remodeling.

End-to-End Diverse Metasurface Design and Evaluation Using an Invertible Neural Network.

Employing deep learning models to design high-performance metasurfaces has garnered significant attention due to its potential benefits in terms of accuracy and efficiency. A deep learning-based metasurface design framework typically comprises a forward prediction path for predicting optical responses and a backward retrieval path for generating geometrical configurations. In the forward design path, a specific geometrical configuration corresponds to a unique optical response. However, in the inverse design path, a single performance metric can correspond to multiple potential designs. This one-to-many mapping poses a significant challenge for deep learning models and can potentially impede their performance. Although representing the inverse path as a probabilistic distribution is a widely adopted method for tackling this problem, accurately capturing the posterior distribution to encompass all potential solutions remains an ongoing challenge. Furthermore, in most pioneering works, the forward and backward paths are captured using separate models. However, the knowledge acquired from the forward path does not contribute to the training of the backward model. This separation of models adds complexity to the system and can hinder the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the design framework. Here, we utilized an invertible neural network (INN) to simultaneously model both the forward and inverse process. Unlike other frameworks, INN focuses on the forward process and implicitly captures a probabilistic model for the inverse process. Given a specific optical response, the INN enables the recovery of the complete posterior over the parameter space. This capability allows for the generation of novel designs that are not present in the training data. Through the integration of the INN with the angular spectrum method, we have developed an efficient and automated end-to-end metasurface design and evaluation framework. This novel approach eliminates the need for human intervention and significantly speeds up the design process. Utilizing this advanced framework, we have effectively designed high-efficiency metalenses and dual-polarization metasurface holograms. This approach extends beyond dielectric metasurface design, serving as a general method for modeling optical inverse design problems in diverse optical fields.

T1ρ-MR imaging technique to distinguish four-layered zonal structure of articular cartilage for detecting early-onset osteoarthritis.

In order to evaluate the capacity of T1ρ-MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technique in distinguishing a four-layered zonal structure of articular cartilage for detecting the early-onset osteoarthritis (OA), eight 3-month-old female Danish landrace pigs, weighing 45.3 ± 5.5 kg, were used in this study. Two hind knees were randomly divided into two groups. IL-1ß was injected into articular cavities in one group while physiological saline into another as a control one. Six hours later, the patellae were obtained for T1ρ-MRI and histological examination to distinguish the four-layered zonal structure of articular cartilages. The thickness of each layer and their percentages in the entire cartilage were measured on both T1ρ-MR images and the histological slices. T1ρ values of every layer were calculated from T1ρ-mapping images. In the result, the four-layered zonal structure of articular cartilage was displayed on both T1ρ-MR images and the histological slices. The ICC between these two methods was 0.981 for single measures (P=0.001), and 0.990 for average measures (P = 0.001). Compared with control patellae, T1ρ values significantly increased on the superficial and calcified layers in the IL-1ß treated patellae (P=0.037). Therefore, this study demonstrates that the four-layered zonal structure of the articular cartilage is visibly displayed on the T1ρ-MR images. T1ρ-MRI technique can detect the earliest event of cartilage degeneration while these measurable changes are not shown in the histological slices. It is possible to use this technique for observing the effects of early interventions on the early-onset OA.

Dataset of the effect of difficulty messaging on academic cheating in middle school Chinese children.

The present dataset was reported in a paper entitled "Effects of test difficulty messaging on academic cheating among middle school children" [1]. It reports the findings of an experimental study that used a naturalistic math test-taking paradigm to assess children's academic cheating behavior under different test difficulty messaging conditions. The participants were Grade 8 middle school children (N = 201). The primary dependent measures were whether each participant spontaneously decided to cheat (presence of cheating), and among participants who cheated, the specific number of test items on which they cheated (extent of cheating). We used logistic regression, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation to assess whether various predictor variables (e.g., conditions) predicted the presence of cheating or the extent of cheating. This dataset should be of interest to researchers who are interested in the development of moral behavior in children generally, and academic dishonesty in particular.

The Effects of Inlet Blockage and Electrical Driving Mode on the Performance of a Needle-Ring Ionic Wind Pump.

The thermal management of microelectronics is important because overheating can lead to various reliability issues. The most common thermal solution used in microelectronics is forced convection, which is usually initiated and sustained by an airflow generator, such as rotary fans. However, traditional rotary fans might not be appropriate for microelectronics due to the space limit. The form factor of an ionic wind pump can be small and, thus, could play a role in the thermal management of microelectronics. This paper presents how the performance of a needle-ring ionic wind pump responds to inlet blockage in different electrical driving modes (direct current), including the flow rate, the corona power, and the energy efficiency. The results show that the performance of small needle-ring ionic wind pumps is sensitive to neither the inlet blockage nor the electrical driving mode, making needle-ring ionic wind pumps a viable option for microelectronics. On the other hand, it is preferable to drive needle-ring ionic wind pumps by a constant current if consistent performance is desired.

Visual Impairments Are Associated With Retinal Microvascular Density in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate retinal microvascular density in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and its correlation with visual impairment. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 24 eyes of 24 patients with PD and 23 eyes of 23 healthy controls. All participants underwent ophthalmic examination, visual evoked potential (VEP) test, 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) examination. The correlation between retinal microvascular density and visual parameter was evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated. RESULTS: Parkinson's disease patients had prolonged P100 latency (P = 0.041), worse vision-related quality of life (composite score and 3 of 12 subscales in NEI VFQ-25), and decreased vessel density (VD) in all sectors of 3-mm-diameter region (all P < 0.05) compared with healthy controls. There were no statistical differences in the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness between the two groups. A negative correlation was found between P100 latency and nasal and superior sectors of macular VD in a 3-mm-diameter region (r = -0.328, P = 0.030; r = -0.302, and P = 0.047, respectively). Macular VD in a 3-mm-diameter region showed diagnostic capacities to distinguish PD patients from healthy controls (AUROCs, ranging from 0.655 to 0.723). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that decreased retinal microvascular density was correlated with visual impairment in PD patients. Retinal microvasculature change may occur earlier than visual decline and retinal structure change and has the potential to be a promising diagnostic marker for early PD.

Corneal Endothelium: A Promising Quantitative Index for Graves Ophthalmopathy Activity Evaluation.

PURPOSE: To investigate the corneal endothelium damage in Graves ophthalmopathy (GO) and its role as a promising quantitative index to evaluate GO activity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study included 128 eyes of 64 patients with GO. All subjects underwent ophthalmologic examinations, including proptosis, tear break-up time (BUT), corneal fluorescein staining, and Schirmer test. Corneal endothelium was measured by noncontact specular microscope and ocular biometric parameters were measured by IOLMaster 700. Each eye was assigned a specific clinical activity score (CAS), then grouped as active (CAS ≥3 points) or inactive (CAS <3 points). Ocular parameters between the 2 groups were compared using generalized estimating equations accounting for inter-eye correlation, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also obtained. Main outcome measures were parameters of corneal endothelium. RESULTS: Among the included eyes, 81 eyes had inactive GO and 47 eyes had active GO. Corneal endothelial cell morphology was altered in active GO compared with inactive GO. The coefficient variation of cell area (CV) was significantly higher in active GO compared with inactive GO (37.0 [34.4-41.2]% vs 33.9 [30.9-36.8]%, P = .001), and positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.322, P < .001). Moreover, CV showed a diagnostic capacity to differentiate the active eyes from inactive eyes. The area under the ROC curve was 0.705. CONCLUSIONS: Active GO had morphologic changes in corneal endothelium compared with inactive GO. CV is a sensitive indicator to reflect corneal endothelial function, and has the potential to be adopted as a noninvasive, objective, and quantitative index for evaluating the activity status of GO patients.

Computed tomography-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to retrospectively assess the outcome of interstitial iodine-125 brachytherapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 2013 and March 2019, 57 patients with 108 unresectable HCC lesions treated with computed tomography (CT)-guided iodine-125 seed brachytherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints included local tumor control and progression-free survival (PFS). Potential factors associated with OS were assessed. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 24.3 ± 15.6 months (median, 20.5 months; range, 3.9-66.8 months). The median OS time was 23.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 18.4-28.8 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year actuarial OS rates were 80.0%, 46.1%, and 24.3%, respectively. The median PFS time was 12 months (95% CI, 9.9-14.5 months). The 1- and 2-year actuarial PFS rates were 50% and 20.1%, respectively. Local progression was noted in 11 (11.3%) of 108 lesions with mean local control time of 20.5 ± 8.8 months. The 1- and 2-year local control rates were 96.5% and 88.8%, respectively. Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage and Child-Pugh score were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.330 [95% CI, 0.128-0.853] and HR = 0.303 [95% CI, 0.151-0.610], respectively). Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm was found in 1 (1.8%) patient with lesion located in the porta hepatis. No other major complications developed during follow-up. CONCLUSION: CT-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy may be an effective and safe alternative with promising survival and increased local control rate in unresectable HCC treatment.

Hybrid Energy Harvester Consisting of Piezoelectric Fibers with Largely Enhanced 20 V for Wearable and Muscle-Driven Applications.

We present a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanogenerator (NG) with advantages of direct writing and in situ poling via near-field electrospinning (NFES), which is completely location addressable and substrate independent. The maximum output voltage reached 20 V from the three layers piled NGs with serial connections, and the maximum output current can exceed 390 nA with the parallel integration setup. Linear superposition and switching polarity of current and voltage tests were validated by the authentic piezoelectric output. Nanofiber (NF)-based devices with a length ∼5 cm can be easily attached on the human finger under folding-releasing at ∼45°, and the output voltage and current can reach 0.8 V and 30 nA, respectively. This work based on NFs can potentially have a huge impact on harvesting various external sources from mechanical energies.