Digital Ink and Surgical Dreams: Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Essays in Residency Applications.

INTRODUCTION: Large language models like Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) are increasingly used in academic writing. Faculty may consider use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated responses a form of cheating. We sought to determine whether general surgery residency faculty could detect AI versus human-written responses to a text prompt; hypothesizing that faculty would not be able to reliably differentiate AI versus human-written responses. METHODS: Ten essays were generated using a text prompt, "Tell us in 1-2 paragraphs why you are considering the University of Rochester for General Surgery residency" (Current trainees: n = 5, ChatGPT: n = 5). Ten blinded faculty reviewers rated essays (ten-point Likert scale) on the following criteria: desire to interview, relevance to the general surgery residency, overall impression, and AI- or human-generated; with scores and identification error rates compared between the groups. RESULTS: There were no differences between groups for %total points (ChatGPT 66.0 ± 13.5%, human 70.0 ± 23.0%, P = 0.508) or identification error rates (ChatGPT 40.0 ± 35.0%, human 20.0 ± 30.0%, P = 0.175). Except for one, all essays were identified incorrectly by at least two reviewers. Essays identified as human-generated received higher overall impression scores (area under the curve: 0.82 ± 0.04, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Whether use of AI tools for academic purposes should constitute academic dishonesty is controversial. We demonstrate that human and AI-generated essays are similar in quality, but there is bias against presumed AI-generated essays. Faculty are not able to reliably differentiate human from AI-generated essays, thus bias may be misdirected. AI-tools are becoming ubiquitous and their use is not easily detected. Faculty must expect these tools to play increasing roles in medical education.

Association of hypertension and depression with mortality: an exploratory study with interaction and mediation models.

BACKGROUND: The association of hypertension and depression with mortality has not been fully understood. We aimed to explore the possible independent or joint association of hypertension and depression with mortality. Their interaction effects on mortality and possible mediating role were also investigated. METHODS: Associations of hypertension, depression, and their interaction with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality were evaluated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. The mediation analysis was conducted with a Sobel test. RESULTS: A total of 35152 participants were included in the final analysis. Hypertension and depression were independently associated with increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. The co-existence of hypertension and depression resulted in a 1.7-fold [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-2.1] increase in all-cause mortality and a 2.3-fold (95% CI: 1.4-3.7) increase in CVD mortality compared to those with neither of them. Hypertension and depression showed no significant multiplicative (P for interaction, 0.587) and additive interaction (P for relative excess risk of interaction, 0.243; P for Interaction on additive scale, 0.654) on all-cause mortality, as well as on CVD mortality. Depression did not mediate the relationship between hypertension and all-cause (Z=1.704, P=0.088) and CVD mortality (Z=1.547, P=0.122). Hypertension did not mediate the relationship between all-cause and CVD mortality as well. CONCLUSION: Hypertension and depression were related to all-cause and CVD mortality independently and the co-existence of them increased the risk of mortality. However, there is no interaction effect of them on mortality, and hypertension or depression did not mediate the association of each other with mortality.

The synergistic effect of depression and moderate chronic kidney disease on the all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among adults: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the coexistence of depression and moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality is unclear. We aimed to investigate whether there is a synergistic effect of depression and moderate CKD on the all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among adults. METHODS: We studied 24,412 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2014 with a mortality follow-up assessment in 2015. Four groups were created based on depression and CKD status: Group 1, no depression and no CKD; Group 2, depression present and no CKD; Group 3: no depression and CKD present; Group 4: depression present and CKD present. Moderate CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 15-59 mL/min/1.73 m2 (Stage 3-4) or one-time urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g. Depression was defined as the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire score of 10 or more. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of death for Group 4 with other groups. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 5.8 years, 1783 deaths were documented, including 338 deaths from CVD. The HR for all-cause mortality in Group 4 was 3.62 (95% CI: 2.69-4.87), 2.99 (1.92-4.66), and 1.75 (1.29-2.37) when compared with Group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The HR for CVD mortality in Group 4 was 3.89 (1.68-9.00), 1.90 (0.86-4.21), and 1.97 (1.17-3.32) when compared with Group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There might be a synergistic effect of depression and moderate CKD on all-cause mortality. Moreover, depression might increase the risk of CVD mortality in individuals with moderate CKD.

Chemical Diversity and Potential Target Network of Woody Peony Flower Essential Oil from Eleven Representative Cultivars (Paeonia × suffruticosa Andr.).

Woody peony (Paeonia × suffruticosa Andr.) has many cultivars with genetic variances. The flower essential oil is valued in cosmetics and fragrances. This study was to investigate the chemical diversity of essential oils of eleven representative cultivars and their potential target network. Hydro-distillation afforded yields of 0.11-0.25%. Essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID which identified 105 compounds. Three clusters emerged from multivariate analysis, representative of phloroglucinol trimethyl ether ('Caihui'), citronellol ('Jingyu', 'Zhaofen' and 'Baiyuan Zhenghui') and mixed (the rest of the cultivars) chemotypes. 'Zhaofen' and 'Jingyu' also exhibited low levels of other rose-related compounds. The main components were subjected to a target network approach. Drug-likeness screening gave 20 compounds with predictive blood-brain barrier permeation. Compound target network identified six key compounds, namely nerol, citronellol, geraniol, geranic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol and 1-hexanol. Top enriched terms in GO, KEGG and DisGeNET were mostly related to the central nervous system (CNS). Protein-protein interactions revealed a core network of 14 targets, 11 of which were CNS-related (targets for antidepressants, analgesics, antipsychotics, anti-Alzheimer's and anti-Parkinson's agents). This work provides useful information on the production of woody peony essential oils with specific chemotypes and reveals their potential importance in aromatherapy for alternative treatment of CNS disorders.

Multi-exposure X-ray image fusion quality evaluation based on CSF and gradient amplitude similarity.

Due to the limitation of dynamic range of the imaging device, the fixed-voltage X-ray images often produce overexposed or underexposed regions. Some structure information of the composite steel component is lost. This problem can be solved by fusing the multi-exposure X-ray images taken by using different voltages in order to produce images with more detailed structures or information. Due to the lack of research on multi-exposure X-ray image fusion technology, there is no evaluation method specially for multi-exposure X-ray image fusion. For the multi-exposure X-ray fusion images obtained by different fusion algorithms may have problems such as the detail loss and structure disorder. To address these problems, this study proposes a new multi-exposure X-ray image fusion quality evaluation method based on contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and gradient amplitude similarity. First, with the idea of information fusion, multiple reference images are fused into a new reference image. Next, the gradient amplitude similarity between the new reference image and the test image is calculated. Then, the whole evaluation value can be obtained by weighting CSF. In the experiments of MEF Database, the SROCC of the proposed algorithm is about 0.8914, and the PLCC is about 0.9287, which shows that the proposed algorithm is more consistent with subjective perception in MEF Database. Thus, this study demonstrates a new objective evaluation method, which generates the results that are consistent with the subjective feelings of human eyes.

[Therapeutic effects of different drug regimens and metabolic markers in children with bipolar affective disorder: a comparative analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes in metabolic markers and clinical outcome after treatment with different drug regimens in children with bipolar affective disorder. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 220 children with bipolar affective disorder who attended the hospital from January 2017 to January 2020. According to the treatment method, 112 children treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs alone were enrolled as the control group, and 108 children treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs combined with mood stabilizer were enrolled as the study group. The two groups were compared in terms of baseline data, changes in related metabolic markers[fasting insulin (FIN), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)] after treatment, incidence rate of metabolic syndrome, and clinical outcome. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the baseline data including age, sex, and course of disease between the two groups (P > 0.05). The study group had a significantly higher overall response than the control group (92.6% vs 82.1%, P < 0.05). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in the levels of FIN and HbAlc between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the control group had a significant increase in the level of FIN and a significantly higher level of FIN than the study group (P < 0.05). The study group showed no significant change in the level of FIN after treatment (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the level of HbAlc between the two groups before and after treatment (P > 0.05). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in the levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C between the two groups (P > 0.05), and after treatment, the control group had significant increases in TC and TG and significantly higher levels of TC and TG than the study group (P < 0.05). The study group showed no significant changes in TC and TG after treatment (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of HDL-C and LDL-C between the two groups before and after treatment (P > 0.05). The study group had a significantly lower incidence rate of metabolic syndrome than the control group (2.8% vs 9.8%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Atypical antipsychotic drugs combined with mood stabilizer in the treatment of bipolar disorder in children have little effect on the level of metabolic markers, and the curative effect is significant.

Heterometallic Organic Frameworks Built from Trinuclear Indium and Cuprous Halide Clusters: Ligand-Oriented Assemblies and Iodine Adsorption Behavior.

Two novel heterometallic organic frameworks built from trinuclear indium and cuprous halide clusters, [(In3O)2(Cu2I2)3(ina)12(H2O)6](NO3)2·7DMA·10H2O (1) and [NH2(CH3)2][In3(OH)2(H2O)2(ina)8(Cu4I4)2]·5DMA·8H2O (2), where Hina = isonicotinic acid, have been successfully constructed with the orientation of the ina ligand. 1 shows a fascinating highly porous honeycomb-like 3D cationic framework with a trigonal-bipyramid-type cage based on a planar [In3O(CO2)6]+ trimer and a rhombohedral Cu2I2 cluster. Comparably, 2 displays a 3D negative network with irregular hexagonal channels constructed from a [In3(OH)2(CO2)8]- trimer and a cubane-like Cu4I4 cluster. Especially, 1 displays a reversible I2 adsorption/release performance with high adsorption capacity, whose mechanism has been disclosed by theoretical simulation. Also, the green/red emission of 2 stems from iodocuprate centers with quenched indium-centered emission.

{Nb288 O768 (OH)48 (CO3 )12 }: A Macromolecular Polyoxometalate with Close to 300 Niobium Atoms.

A protein-sized (ca. 4.2×4.2×3.6 nm3 ) non-biologically derived molecule {Nb288 O768 (OH)48 (CO3 )12 } (Nb288 ) containing up to 288 niobium atoms has been obtained, which is by far the largest and the highest nuclearity polyoxoniobate (PONb). Particularly, in terms of metal nuclearity number, Nb288 is the second largest cluster so far reported in classic polyoxometalate chemistry (V, Mo, W, Nb, and Ta). Nb288 can be described as a giant windmill-like cluster aggregate of six nanoscale high-nuclearity PONb units {Nb47 O128 (OH)6 (CO3 )2 } (Nb47 ) joined together by six additional Nb ions. Interestingly, the 47-nuclearity Nb47 units generated in situ can be isolated and bridged by copper complexes to form an inorganic-organic hybrid three-dimensional PONb framework, which exhibits effective catalytic activity for hydrolyzing nerve agent simulant of dimethyl methylphosphonate. The unique Nb47 cluster also provides a new type of topology to very limited family of Nb-O clusters.

Cluster Organic Frameworks Constructed from Heterometallic Supertetrahedral Cluster Secondary Building Units.

The two novel cluster organic frameworks based on heterometallic supertetrahedral cluster secondary building units (SBUs) [Cd4Cu6(L)4(Ac)7(H2O)4](Ac)·7H2O (1) and [Mn4Cu6(L)4(Ac)4.5(H2O)9]CuCN(Ac)3.5·H2O (2), where H3L = 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3-propanediol and Ac = CH3COO-, have been prepared under solvothermal conditions. 1 and 2 are the first cases of cluster organic frameworks containing Cd-Cu/Mn-Cu heterometallic supertetrahedral cluster SBUs. Furthermore, 1 and 2 show an integration of magnetic properties and adsorption properties from both the heterometallic cluster secondary building units and the framework in a porous material.

Source apportionment of perfluoroalkyl substances in surface sediments from lakes in Jiangsu Province, China: Comparison of three receptor models.

Receptor models have been proved as useful tools to identify source categories and quantitatively calculate the contributions of extracted sources. In this study, sixty surface sediment samples were collected from fourteen lakes in Jiangsu Province, China. The total concentrations of C4-C14-perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (∑12PFASs) in sediments ranged from 0.264 to 4.44ng/gdw (dry weight), with an average of 1.76ng/gdw. Three commonly-applied receptor models, namely principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR), positive matrix factorization (PMF) and Unmix models, were employed to apportion PFAS sources in sediments. Overall, these three models all could well track the ∑12PFASs concentrations as well as the concentrations explained in sediments. These three models identified consistently four PFAS sources: the textile treatment sources, the fluoropolymer processing aid/fluororesin coating sources, the textile treatment/metal plating sources and the precious metal sources, contributing 28.1%, 37.0%, 29.7% and 5.3% by PCA-MLR model, 30.60%, 39.3%, 22.4% and 7.7% by PMF model, and 20.6%, 52.4%, 20.2% and 6.8% by Unmix model to the ∑12PFASs, respectively. Comparative statistics of multiple analytical methods could minimize individual-method weaknesses and provide convergent results to enhance the persuasiveness of the conclusions. The findings could give us a better knowledge of PFAS sources in aquatic environments.

Record High-Nuclearity Polyoxoniobates: Discrete Nanoclusters {Nb114 }, {Nb81 }, and {Nb52 }, and Extended Frameworks Based on {Cu3 Nb78 } and {Cu4 Nb78 }.

A series containing the highest nuclearity polyoxoniobate (PONb) nanoclusters, ranging from dimers to tetramers, has been obtained. They include one 114-nuclear {Li8 ⊂Nb114 O316 }, one 81-nuclear {Li3 K⊂Nb81 O225 }, and one 52-nuclear {H4 Nb52 O150 }. The Nb nuclearity of these PONbs is remarkably larger than those of all known high-nuclearity PONbs (≤32). Furthermore, the introduction of 3d Cu2+ ions can lead to the generation of extended inorganic-organic hybrid frameworks built from novel, high-nuclearity, nanoscale heterometallic PONb building blocks {H3 Cu3 Nb78 O222 } or {H3 Cu4 (en)Nb78 O222 }. These building blocks also contain the largest number of Nb centers of any heterometallic PONbs reported to date. The synthesis of new-type PONbs has long been a challenging subject in PONb chemistry.

Composite Hybrid Cluster Built from the Integration of Polyoxometalate and a Metal Halide Cluster: Synthetic Strategy, Structure, and Properties.

A step-by-step synthetic strategy, setting up a bridge between the polyoxometalate (POM) and metal halide cluster (MHC) systems, is demonstrated to construct an unprecedented composite hybrid cluster built up from one high-nuclearity cationic MHC [Cu8I6](2+) and eight Anderson-type anionic POMs [HCrMo6O18(OH)6](2-) cross-linked by a tripodal alcohol derivative.

Construction of High-Nuclearity Manganese-Cluster-Organic Frameworks by Using a Tripodal Alcohol Ligand.

Two novel cluster-organic frameworks based on the 12-nuclearity manganese-cluster secondary building unit (SBU), [MnIII4MnII8(L)4(Ac)8(MeO)2(µ5-O)2(H2O)4](Ac)2·16H2O (1) and [MnIII4MnII8(L)4(Ac)8(MeO)2(µ5-O)2(H2O)4](Ac)2·12H2O (2), where Ac = CH3COO- and MeO = CH3O, have been constructed from solvothermal reactions of the 3-nuclearity manganese cluster [Mn3(µ3-O)(Ac)6(py)3](ClO4) (Mn3, where py = pyridine) with a tripodal alcohol ligand containing a 4-pyridyl group. 1 and 2 represent the first examples of metal-organic frameworks containing 12-nuclearity manganese-cluster SBUs. In addition, 1 exhibits an integration of the porosity and magnetic properties from both the framework and cluster in a porous material.

Giant Hollow Heterometallic Polyoxoniobates with Sodalite-Type Lanthanide-Tungsten-Oxide Cages: Discrete Nanoclusters and Extended Frameworks.

The first series of niobium-tungsten-lanthanide (Nb-W-Ln) heterometallic polyoxometalates {Ln12 W12 O36 (H2 O)24 (Nb6 O19 )12 } (Ln=Y, La, Sm, Eu, Yb) have been obtained, which are comprised of giant cluster-in-cluster-like ({Ln12 W12 }-in-{Nb72 }) structures built from 12 hexaniobate {Nb6 O19 } clusters gathered together by a rare 24-nuclearity sodalite-type heterometal-oxide cage {Ln12 W12 O36 (H2 O)24 }. The Nb-W-Ln clusters present the largest multi-metal polyoxoniobates and a series of rare high-nuclearity 4d-5d-4f multicomponent clusters. Furthermore, the giant Nb-W-Ln clusters may be isolated as discrete inorganic alkali salts and can be used as building blocks to form high-dimensional inorganic-organic hybrid frameworks.

The effects of health risk behaviors to excess mortality in the population with depression: A cohort study based on NHANES data.

BACKGROUND: The population with depression had a considerable excess mortality risk. This increased mortality may be attributed to the biological consequences of depression or the substantial prevalence of health risk behaviors (HRBs). This study aimed to quantify the combined effects of four major HRBs - smoking, excessive alcohol use, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet - on excess mortality among depressed individuals. METHODS: This study included 35,738 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-06 to 2017-18, with mortality follow-up data censored through 2019. The standardized prevalence of HRBs was calculated for populations with and without depression. Poisson regression models were used to calculate the mortality rate ratio (MRR). Based on model adjusting for socio-demographic factors, the attenuation of MRR was determined after further adjustment for HRBs. RESULTS: A total of 3147 participants were identified as having depression. All HRBs showed a significantly higher prevalence among the population with depression. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, depression was associated with 1.7 and 1.8 times higher all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality rate, respectively. Further adjustment for all current HRBs resulted in a 21.9 % reduction in all-cause mortality rate and a 15.4 % decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality rate. LIMITATION: HRBs were reported at a single time point, and we are unable to demonstrate a causal effect. CONCLUSION: At least 1/5 of excess mortality for population with depression was attributable to HRBs. Efforts should be made to address HRBs among population with depression.

Spatial heterogeneity, sediment-water exchange, and diffusion mechanisms of organophosphate esters from river to coastal aquatic system in a typical economic circle of northern China.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) have proven to be pervasive in aquatic environments globally. However, understanding their partitioning behavior and mechanisms at the sediment-water interface remains limited. This study elucidated the spatial heterogeneity, interfacial exchange, and diffusion mechanisms of 14 OPEs (∑14OPEs) from river to coastal aquatic system. The transport tendencies of OPEs at the sediment-water interface were quantitatively assessed using fugacity methods. The total ∑14OPEs concentrations in water and sediments ranged from 154 ng/L to 528 ng/L and 2.41 ng/g dry weight (dw) to 230 ng/g dw, respectively. This result indicated a descending spatial tendency with moderate variability. OPE distribution was primarily influenced by temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen levels. As the carbon atom number increased, alkyl and chlorinated OPEs transitioned from diffusion towards the aqueous phase to equilibrium. In contrast, aryl OPEs and triphenylphosphine oxide, which had equivalent carbon atom counts, maintained equilibrium throughout. Diffusion trends of individual OPE congener at the sediment-water interface varied at the same total organic carbon contents (foc). As the foc increased, the fugacity fraction values for all OPE homologs showed a declining trend. The distinct molecular structure of each OPE monomer might lead to unique diffusive behaviors at the sediment-water interface. Higher soot carbon content had a more pronounced effect on the distribution patterns of OPEs. The sediment-water distribution of OPEs was primarily influenced by total organic carbon, sediment particle size, dry density, and moisture content. OPEs displayed the highest sensitivity to fluctuations in ammonium and dissolved organic carbon. This study holds significant scientific and theoretical implications for elucidating the interfacial transport and driving forces of OPEs and comprehending their fate and endogenous release in aquatic ecosystems.

Community-level risk assessments on organophosphate esters in the sediments from the Bohai Sea of China based on multimodal species sensitivity distributions coupled with the equilibrium partitioning method.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs), increasingly used as alternatives to brominated flame retardants, are ubiquitous in the global aquatic environment. Despite their potential toxicological impact on ecosystems, community-level risk assessments for OPEs in sediments remain scarce. This study investigated OPE occurrences and composition characteristics in the Bohai Sea's sediments and appraised both individual and joint ecological risks posed by characteristic OPE homologs using ten commonly used species sensitivity distribution (SSD) models, integrating acute-to-chronic conversion and phase equilibrium partitioning. OPEs were detected across all sediment samples, with total concentrations ranging from 0.213 ng/g dry weight (dw) to 91.1 ng/g dw. The predominant congeners included tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), triisobutyl phosphate (TiBP), tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate, tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris(1, 3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), and triphenylphosphine oxide. Best-fit SSD models varied among TnBP, TiBP, TCEP, TCPP, and TDCIPP, demonstrating Sigmoid, Burr III, Sigmoid, Burr III, and Burr III, respectively. The same parametric model demonstrated variability in the fitting process for different OPE congeners, which also happened to the fitting results of ten parametric models for the same specific characteristic congener, underscoring the necessity of employing multiple models for precise community-level risk assessments. Hazard concentrations for a 5% cumulative probability were 0.116 mg/L, 2.88 mg/L, 1.30 mg/L, 1.44 mg/L, and 1.85 mg/L for each respective congener. The resulting risk quotients (RQ) and overall hazard index (HI) were selected as criteria to assess the individual and joint ecological risks of OPEs in sediments from the Bohai Sea, respectively. RQ and HI were both below 0.1, indicating a low risk to the local ecosystems. Multi-model SSD analysis could provide refined data for community-level risk evaluation, offering valuable insights for the development of evidence-based environmental standards and pollution control strategies.

Highly efficient adsorption of ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions by waste cation exchange resin-based activated carbons: Performance, mechanism, and theoretical calculation.

This study focused on the preparation of a highly efficient activated carbon adsorbent from waste cation exchange resins through one-step carbonization to remove ciprofloxacin (CIP) from aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the carbonized materials. The CIP removal efficiency, influencing factors, and adsorption mechanisms of CIP on the carbonized resins were investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) computations were performed to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms. The CIP removal reached 93 % when the adsorbent dosage was 300 mg/L at 25 °C. The adsorption capacity of the carbonized resins to CIP gradually decreased with an increasing pH from 3.0 to 7.0 and sharply declined with a pH from 7.0 to 11.0. The adsorption process better fitted by the pseudo second-order kinetic and Langmuir models, indicating that the interaction between CIP and the carbonized resins was monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity fitted by the Langmuir model was 384.4 mg/g at 25 °C. Microstructural analysis showed that the adsorption of CIP on the carbonized resins was a joint effect of H-bonding, ion exchange, and graphite-N adsorption. Computational results signified the strong H-bonding and ion exchange interactions existed between CIP and carbonized resins. The high adsorption and reusability suggest that waste cation exchange resin-based activated carbons can be used as an effective and reusable adsorbent for removing CIP from aqueous solutions.

Enhancing soil redox dynamics: Comparative effects of Fe-modified biochar (N-Fe and S-Fe) on Fe oxide transformation and Cd immobilization.

Biochar and modified biochar have gained wide attention for Cd-contaminated soil remediation. This study investigates the effects of rape straw biochar (RSB), sulfur-iron modified biochar (S-FeBC), and nitrogen-iron modified biochar (N-FeBC) on soil Fe oxide transformation and Cd immobilization. The mediated electrochemical analysis results showed that Fe modification effectively enhanced the electron exchange capacity (EEC) of biochar. After 40 days of anaerobic incubation, compared to the treatment without biochar (CK), the concentrations of CaCl2-extractable Cd in N-FeBC, S-FeBC, and RSB treatments decreased by 79%, 53%, and 23%, respectively. Compared with S-FeBC, N-FeBC significantly decreased the soil Eh and increased soil pH within the first 15 days, which could be attributed to its higher EEC and alkalinity. There is a negative correlation between the concentration of CaCl2-extractable Cd and soil pH (p < 0.01). The sequential extraction results showed that both N-FeBC and S-FeBC promoted Cd transfer from acid-soluble to Fe/Mn oxides bound fraction (Fe/Mn-Cd). N-FeBC significantly increased the concentration of amorphous Fe oxides (amFeox) from 4.0 g kg-1 in day 1 to 4.6 g kg-1 in day 15 by promoting the NO3--reducing Fe(II) oxidation process, while S-FeBC significantly increased amFeox from 4.0 g kg-1 in day 15 to 4.8 g kg-1 in day 40 by promoting the Fe(II) recrystallization. There is a positive correlation between the concentration of amFeox and Fe/Mn-Cd (p < 0.01). The scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that Cd was bound to the amFeox coating on the surface of Fe-modified biochar. By acting as an electron shuttle, the active surface of Fe-modified biochar may serve as a hotspot for Fe transformation, which promotes amFeox formation and Cd immobilization. This study highlights the potential of Fe-modified biochar for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils and provides valuable insights into the development of effective remediation approaches for Cd-contaminated soils.

A mobile device-based game prototype for ADHD: development and preliminary feasibility testing.

This research aimed to devise and assess a mobile game therapy software for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as evaluating its suitability and effectiveness in improving the cognitive ability of typically developing children. The study encompassed 55 children diagnosed with ADHD and 55 neurotypical children. Initial assessments involved ADHD-related scales, computerized tests for information processing, and physiological-psychological evaluations. After a 4-week home-based game intervention, participants underwent re-evaluation using baseline measures and provided feedback on treatment satisfaction. Considering the small proportion of study participants who dropped out, data was analyzed using both the Intention-to-Treat (ITT) analysis and the Per-protocol (PP) analysis. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06181747). In ITT analysis, post-intervention analysis using linear mixed models indicated that the ADHD group improved significantly more than the neurotypical group particularly in Continuous Performance Test (CPT) accuracy (B = -23.92, p < 0.001) and reaction time (B = 86.08, p < 0.01), along with enhancements in anti-saccade (B = -10.65, p < 0.05) and delayed-saccade tasks (B = 0.34, p < 0.05). A reduction in parent-rated SNAP-IV scores was also observed (B = 0.43, p < 0.01). In PP analysis, paired-sample t-tests suggested that the ADHD group had significant changes pre- and post-intervention, in terms of CPT Accuracy (t = -7.62, p < 0.01), Anti-saccade task Correct Rate (t = -3.90, p < 0.01) and SNAP-IV scores (t = -4,64, p < 0.01). However, no significant changes post-intervention were observed in the neurotypical group. Survey feedback highlighted a strong interest in the games across both groups, though ADHD participants found the game more challenging. Parents of ADHD children reported perceived benefits and a willingness to continue the game therapy, unlike the neurotypical group's parents. The findings advocated for the integration of serious video games as a complementary tool in ADHD treatment strategies, demonstrating the potential to augment attentional abilities and alleviate clinical symptoms. However, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is needed to further verify its efficacy.