The effects of mindfulness enhanced Tai Chi Chuan training on mental and physical health among beginners: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise widely adopted in Chinese communities and colleges. However, the mindful essence of TCC is rarely emphasized during popularization. This makes it difficult for beginners to benefit from it. The present study aimed to examine the effects of a Mindfulness-enhanced Tai Chi Chuan (MTCC) intervention, which enhances mindfulness components embedded within TCC, on mental and physical health among beginners. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 119 healthy college students new to Tai Chi Chuan training. Participants were assigned to either the MTCC group or the TCC group. Both interventions consisted of 10 weekly 90-min training sessions, with the MTCC group emphasizing and enhancing mindfulness components. Outcome measures included mindfulness, depression, anxiety, stress, and physical fitness, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Results: The results showed that the MTCC group had significantly greater improvements than the TCC group in mindfulness, anxiety, stress, and health-and skill-related physical fitness. There were no significant differences between the two groups in depression. Conclusion: The findings suggest that compared to TCC, MTCC can effectively promote individuals' physical fitness and provide additional benefits to mental well-being. MTCC can be recommended as an accessible and beneficial intervention for beginners to improve mental health and strengthen their bodies. Clinical review registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2200058175.

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Halide X-ray Scintillator with High Antiwater Stability.

In recent years, low-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid metal halides have garnered significant attention for optoelectronic applications due to their exceptional photophysical properties, despite their persistent challenge of low stability. Addressing this challenge, our study introduces 1-[5-(trifluoromethyl)pyridin-2-yl]piperazinium (TFPP) as a cation, harvesting a novel one-dimensional hybrid cadmium-based halide semiconductor (TFPP)CdCl4, which exhibits intense blue-light emission upon UV excitation. Additionally, (TFPP)CdCl4 demonstrates a high scintillation performance under X-ray excitation, producing 16600 ± 500 photons MeV-1 and achieving a low detection limit of 0.891 µGyair s-1. Notably, (TFPP)CdCl4 showcases remarkable stability against water, intense light sources, heating, and corrosive environments, positioning it as a promising candidate for optoelectronic applications. Through a blend of experimental techniques and theoretical analyses, including density functional theory calculations, we elucidate the unique photophysical properties and structural stability of (TFPP)CdCl4. These findings significantly contribute to the understanding of low-dimensional hybrid halide semiconductors, offering valuable insights into their potential application in advanced optoelectronic devices and paving the way for further research in this field.

Helicobacter pylori infection alters gastric microbiota structure and biological functions in patients with gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is closely associated with gastrointestinal diseases. Our preliminary studies have indicated that H. pylori infection had a significant impact on the mucosal microbiome structure in patients with gastric ulcer (GU) or duodenal ulcer (DU). AIM: To investigate the contributions of H. pylori infection and the mucosal microbiome to the pathogenesis and progression of ulcerative diseases. METHODS: Patients with H. pylori infection and either GU or DU, and healthy individuals without H. pylori infection were included. Gastric or duodenal mucosal samples was obtained and subjected to metagenomic sequencing. The compositions of the microbial communities and their metabolic functions in the mucosal tissues were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with that in the healthy individuals, the gastric mucosal microbiota in the H. pylori-positive patients with GU was dominated by H. pylori, with significantly reduced biodiversity. The intergroup differential functions, which were enriched in the H. pylori-positive GU patients, were all derived from H. pylori, particularly those concerning transfer RNA queuosine-modification and the synthesis of demethylmenaquinones or menaquinones. A significant enrichment of the uibE gene was detected in the synthesis pathway. There was no significant difference in microbial diversity between the H. pylori-positive DU patients and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: H. pylori infection significantly alters the gastric microbiota structure, diversity, and biological functions, which may be important contributing factors for GU.

Long-term impact of self-compassion training with core stability exercise on patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term effectiveness of self-compassion therapy (SCT) combined with core stability exercise (CSE) versus CSE alone in managing nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP). METHODS: The combined group received SCT and CSE, while the exercise group only received CSE. Treatment was administered once weekly for four weeks, followed by one year of follow-up. The primary outcomes were changes in functional limitations (measured by Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire scores[RMDQ]) and self-reported back pain (measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale[NRS]) at 52 weeks, with assessments also conducted at 2, 4, and 16 weeks. RESULTS: 52 (83.9%) completed the follow-up assessments and were included in the analysis (42 women [80.8%]; mean [SD] age,35.3 [10.0] years). In the combined group, the baseline mean (SD) RMDQ score was 9.3 (4.1),5.7 (5.8) at 2 weeks, 3.8 (3.4) at 4 weeks, 3.8 (3.7) at 16 weeks, and 2.4 (2.7) at 52 weeks. For the exercise group, the RMDQ scores were 8.2 (3.3) at baseline, 6.2 (4.2) at 2 weeks, 5.5 (4.7) at 4 weeks, 4.4 (4.5) at 16 weeks, and 5.2 (5.6) at 52 weeks. The estimated mean difference between the groups at 52 weeks was -3.356 points (95% CI, -5.835 to -0.878; P = 0.009), favoring the combined group. NRS scores showed similar changes. CONCLUSION: The addition of self-compassion therapy enhances the long-term efficacy of core stability training for NCLBP (Preregistered at chictr.org.cn:ChiCTR2100042810).

Powdered activated carbon facilitated degradation of complex organic compounds and tetracycline in stressed anaerobic digestion systems.

Tetracycline exerts an inhibitory effect on anaerobic digestion, inducing stressed microbial activities and even system failure. Continuous-flow reactors (CFRs) and sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were employed along with the dosage of powdered activated carbon (PAC) to enhance tetracycline removal during anaerobic digestion of complex organic compounds. PAC increased the maximum methane production rate by 15.6% (CFRs) and 13.8% (SBRs), and tetracycline biodegradation by 24.4% (CFRs) and 19.2% (SBRs). CFRs showed higher tetracycline removal and methane production rates than SBRs. Geobacter was enriched in CFRs, where Methanothrix was enriched with the addition of PAC. Desulfomicrobium harbored abundant propionate degradation-related genes, significantly correlating with tetracycline removal. The genes encoding carbon dioxide reduction in Methanothrix along with the detection of Geobacter might indicate direct interspecies electron transfer for methanogenesis in CFRs and PAC-added reactors. The study offers new insights into anaerobic digestion under tetracycline-stressed conditions and strategies for optimizing tetracycline removal.

Operational mode and powdered activated carbon promoting syntrophic propionate oxidation during anaerobic digestion of complex organic substances.

Operational mode and powdered activated carbon (PAC) are key factors facilitating microbial syntrophy and interspecies electron transfer during anaerobic digestion, consequently benefiting process stability and efficient methanogenesis. In this study, continuous-flow reactor (CFR) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR), with and without the addition of PAC, respectively, were operated to examine their effects on system performance and methanogenic activity. Based on the cycle-test result, the PAC-amended CFR (CFRPAC) recorded both the highest methane yield (690.1 mL/L) and the maximum CH4 production rate (28.8 mL/(L·h)), while SBRs exhibited slow methanogenic rates. However, activity assays indicated that SBRs were beneficial for organics removal in batch experiments fed with peptone. Taxonomic and functional analysis confirmed that CFRs were optimal for proliferating oligotrophs (e.g., Geobacter) and SBRs were more suitable for copiotrophs (e.g., Desulfobulbus). Metagenomic analysis revealed that CFRs had efficient acetate metabolic pathways from propionate and ethanol, whereas SBRs did not, resulting in the buildup of propionate. Furthermore, Methanobacterium and Methanothrix were acclimated to the different operational conditions, while acetoclastic Methanosarcina and hydrogenotrophic Methanolinea were acclimated in SBRs (5.1-13.4%) and CFRs (0.3-1.7%), respectively. This study confirmed the enhancement of microbial syntrophy by the addition of PAC as well as the acclimation of electroactive bacteria (e.g., Geobacter) with complex organic substances.

Redox-dependent Cd2+ inhibition of BK-type Ca2+-activated K+ channels.

Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BK channels) are formed by Slo1 subunits as a homotetramer. Besides Ca2+, other divalent cations, such as Cd2+, also activate BK channels when applied intracellularly by shifting the conductance-voltage relation to more negative voltages. However, we found that if the inside-out patch containing BK channels was treated with solution containing reducing agents such as dithiothreitol (DTT), then subsequent Cd2+ application completely inhibited BK currents. The DTT-dependent Cd2+ inhibition could be reversed by treating the patch with solutions containing H2O2, suggesting that a redox reaction regulates the Cd2+ inhibition of BK channels. Similar DTT-dependent Cd2+ inhibition was also observed in a mutant BK channel, Core-MT, in which the cytosolic domain of the channel is deleted, and in the proton-activated Slo3 channels but not observed in the voltage-gated Shaker K+ channels. A possible mechanism for the DTT-dependent Cd2+ inhibition is that DTT treatment breaks one or more disulfide bonds between cysteine pairs in the BK channel protein and the freed thiol groups coordinate with Cd2+ to form an ion bridge that blocks the channel or locks the channel at the closed state. However, surprisingly, none of the mutations of all cysteine residues in Slo1 affect the DTT-dependent Cd2+ inhibition. These results are puzzling, with an apparent contradiction: on one hand, a redox reaction seems to regulate Cd2+ inhibition of the channel, but on the other hand, no cysteine residue in the Slo1 subunit seems to be involved in such inhibition.

Exploring 0D lead-free metal halide with highly efficient blue light emission and high-sensitivity photodetection.

Environmentally friendly and highly efficient blue luminescent materials are an unremitting pursuit in the optoelectronic field. Herein, we assembled a new 0D lead-free metal halide of (F-PPA)ZnBr4, which exhibits narrow blue light emission with a remarkable PLQY of 50.15%, high stability and high detection sensitivity toward UV light. These results indicate the potential for the application of low-dimensional zinc-based halides in multiple optoelectronic devices.

The network dynamics of self-compassion components and psychological symptoms during an intervention.

The change process of psychological interventions is complex and should be understood with a systems perspective. This study sought to examine the network dynamics of self-compassion components and psychological symptoms during an intervention. A total of 139 participants completed daily assessments during a 28-day intervention. Utilizing multilevel vector autoregressive (VAR) model, temporal and contemporaneous networks were generated and group differences in network dynamics were evaluated through descriptive assessment and permutation tests. The intervention group displayed a significant increase in self-compassion and decrease in psychological symptoms, with self-compassion mediating the intervention effects on symptoms. Network analysis revealed some network dynamics that might be relevant to desirable therapeutic changes in the intervention group. The intervention group demonstrated a significantly less connected contemporaneous depression network, indicating a decreased vulnerability to symptom activation. Additionally, the intervention group showed significantly more temporal connections from self-compassion to anxiety, indicating an increased influence of self-compassion on anxiety. These findings suggest that the intervention may have reshaped the interconnection pattern of symptoms and that between self-compassion components and symptoms.

Protocol for MRI-guided virus injection in macaque deep brain regions.

Effective delivery of viruses into required brain regions is critical to the success of optogenetic or chemogenetic experiments. However, in monkeys, due to the large size and heterogeneity of their brain, precise injections in deep brain regions have been challenging. Here, we present a protocol for virus injection in monkey deep brain regions under the guidance of MRI. We describe the steps for installing the guiding grid, MRI scanning, MRI-based localization, and virus injection. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Chen et al. (2023).1.

High Emission Efficiency and Thermal Stability in Zero-Dimensional Hybrid Zinc Halide as a Blue Light Emitter.

Exploring highly efficient blue-emissive lead-free halide materials is a significant and challenging objective in the study of luminescent materials. This study reports the synthesis of a new zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid zinc halide of [CYP]ZnBr4 (CYP = 1-cyclohexylpiperazine) containing an isolated [ZnBr4]2- tetrahedron. [CYP]ZnBr4 exhibits strong blue light emission with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 79.22%, surpassing all previously reported 0D zinc halide counterparts. According to the theoretical and experimental studies, the blue light emission is attributed to intrinsic self-trapped excitons resulting from strong electron-phonon coupling and structural deformation. Importantly, [CYP]ZnBr4 demonstrates excellent structural and luminescence stability toward high temperatures (180 °C) over at least half a month. High luminescence efficiency and stability enable [CYP]ZnBr4 to be an efficient blue phosphor to fabricate white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which produces high-quality white light with a color rendering index (CRI) of 93.1 and a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 5304 K, closely resembling natural sunlight. This white LED also exhibits consistent performance and stability across different drive currents, suggesting the potential for high-power optoelectronic applications. Overall, this study paves the way for the utilization of 0D hybrid halides in advanced solid-state lighting applications.

0D triiodide hybrid halide perovskite for X-ray detection.

In the relentless pursuit of developing high-performance, stable and environmentally friendly materials for X-ray detection, we present a new class of Bi-based hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites. An X-ray detector based on a new zero-dimensional (0D) triiodide-induced lead-free hybrid perovskite, (DPA)2BiI9 (DPA = C5H16N22+), has been developed demonstrating outstanding detection performance, including high X-ray sensitivity (20 570 µC Gyair-1 cm-2), low detectable dose rate (0.98 nGyair s-1), fast response time (154/162 ns) and excellent long-term stability.

Defect Dipole Behaviors on the Strain Performances of Bismuth Sodium Titanate-Based Lead-Free Piezoceramics.

Bismuth sodium titanate (BNT)-based, lead-free piezoelectric materials have been extensively studied due to their excellent strain characteristics and environmental friendliness. In BNTs, the large strain (S) usually requires a relatively large electric field (E) excitation, resulting in a low inverse piezoelectric coefficient d33* (S/E). Moreover, the hysteresis and fatigue of strain in these materials have also been bottlenecks impeding the applications. The current common regulation method is chemical modification, which mainly focuses on forming a solid solution near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) by adjusting the phase transition temperature of the materials, such as BNT-BaTiO3, BNT-Bi0.5K0.5TiO3, etc., to obtain a large strain. Additionally, the strain regulation based on the defects introduced by the acceptor, donor, or equivalent dopant or the nonstoichiometry has proven effective, but its underlying mechanism is still ambiguous. In this paper, we review the generation of strain and then discuss it from the domain, volume, and boundary effect perspectives to understand the defect dipole behavior. The asymmetric effect caused by the coupling between defect dipole polarization and ferroelectric spontaneous polarization is expounded. Moreover, the defect effect on the conductive and fatigue properties of BNT-based solid solutions is described, which will affect the strain characteristics. The optimization approach is appropriately evaluated while there are still challenges in the full understanding of the defect dipoles and their strain output, in which further efforts are needed to achieve new breakthroughs in atomic-level insight.

Enhanced stability and tunable photoluminescence in Mn2+-doped one-dimensional hybrid lead halide perovskites for high-performance white light emitting diodes.

Organic-inorganic hybrid low-dimensional lead halides have garnered significant interest in the realm of solid-state optical materials due to their unique properties and potential applications. In this study, we report the synthesis, characterization and application of Mn2+-doped one-dimensional (1D) [AEP]PbCl5·H2O hybrid lead halide perovskites with tunable photoluminescence properties. The Mn2+ doping leads to a redshift of the dominant emission wavelength from 463 nm to 630 nm, with the optimal doping concentration resulting in an enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) from less than 1% to 8.96%. The structural and optical stability of these doped perovskites have been thoroughly investigated revealing excellent performance under humid and high-temperature conditions. Perovskite-PVP composite films exhibit high crystallization and bright orange-red emission under UV excitation. Furthermore, we demonstrate the successful fabrication of a white LED device using the Mn2+-doped perovskite in combination with commercial green and blue phosphors. The fabricated LED exhibits a high color rendering index (CRI) of 87.2 and stable electroluminescence performance under various operating currents and extended operation times. Our findings highlight the potential of Mn2+-doped 1D hybrid lead halide perovskites as efficient and stable phosphors for high-performance white light emitting diodes and other optoelectronic applications.

Mindful parenting and closeness in Chinese mother-adolescent dyads: The mediating role of adolescent self-disclosure.

Although having strong influences on adolescents' optimal development, mother-adolescent closeness is greatly challenged in early adolescence. Mindful parenting may be a protective factor for relational adjustment to early adolescence, but its connection with closeness within the mother-adolescent dyad has not been adequately examined in the literature. This study aimed to investigate the effects of how mindful parenting on the day-to-day mother-adolescent relationship dynamics, evaluating the relations between mindful parenting and mother-adolescent closeness and the mediating role of adolescent self-disclosure. A total of 76 Chinese mother-adolescent dyads completed a baseline measure of mindful parenting and 14-day measures of adolescent-report self-disclosure, mother-perceived closeness, and adolescent-perceived closeness. Mindful parenting significantly predicted both mother-perceived and adolescent-perceived closeness, with adolescent self-disclosure serving as a mediator. Adolescent self-disclosure predicted higher mother-adolescent closeness on the same day, but such effects did not carry over to the next day. Our findings provided evidence supporting mindful parenting as a resource for facilitating mother-adolescent closeness in early adolescence. This investigation also encouraged future studies to employ more intensive ambulatory assessments to clarify the daily process of how mindful parenting shapes mother-adolescent relationship dynamics.

Mechanistic study on the ferric chloride-based rapid cultivation and enhancement of aerobic granular sludge.

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) can achieve simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal owing to its three-dimensional oxygen gradient structure. However, long start-up period and poor operational stability restrict its application and promotion. A novel rapid granulation strategy, viz., the short-term (7 days) addition of ferric chloride at the commissioning stage, was developed and verified in this study. The granulation period was shortened by 9 days, and the formed granules were compact and dense with an Fe3+ concentration of 250 mg L-1. The addition of flocculant not only maintained a high sludge concentration during the initial stages of granulation (5.3 g L-1), but also stimulated the secretion of TB-EPS and increased protein and polysaccharide contents, thereby expediting granule formation. Additionally, ferric chloride induced a diverse microbial community in granules, resulting in the emergence of new genera, such as Thaurea, Brevundimonas and Kinneretia, which improved pollutant removal performance and flocculent aggregation. The removal efficiencies of COD, PO43--P, and NH4+-N stabilized at 94.2, 62.4, and 71.3%, respectively. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that short-term ferric chloride dosing has a synergistic effect on aerobic granulation.

Recognition of glycoside hydrolase 12 proteins by the immune receptor RXEG1 confers Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a devastating disease in wheat (Triticum aestivum) that results in substantial yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Reliable genetic resources for FHB resistance in wheat are lacking. In this study, we characterized glycoside hydrolase 12 (GH12) family proteins secreted by F. graminearum. We established that two GH12 proteins, Fg05851 and Fg11037, have functionally redundant roles in F. graminearum colonization of wheat. Furthermore, we determined that the GH12 proteins Fg05851 and Fg11037 are recognized by the leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like protein RXEG1 in the dicot Nicotiana benthamiana. Heterologous expression of RXEG1 conferred wheat responsiveness to Fg05851 and Fg11037, enhanced wheat resistance to F. graminearum and reduced levels of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in wheat grains in an Fg05851/Fg11037-dependent manner. In the RXEG1 transgenic lines, genes related to pattern-triggered plant immunity, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and anti-oxidative homeostasis signalling pathways were upregulated during F. graminearum infection. However, the expression of these genes was not significantly changed during infection by the deletion mutant ΔFg05851/Fg11037, suggesting that the recognition of Fg05851/Fg11037 by RXEG1 triggered plant resistance against FHB. Moreover, introducing RXEG1 into three other different wheat cultivars via crossing also conferred resistance to F. graminearum. Expression of RXEG1 did not have obvious deleterious effects on plant growth and development in wheat. Our study reveals that N. benthamiana RXEG1 remains effective when transferred into wheat, a monocot, which in turn suggests that engineering wheat with interfamily plant immune receptor transgenes is a viable strategy for increasing resistance to FHB.

Primate preoptic neurons drive hypothermia and cold defense.

Maintaining body temperature within a narrow range is vital for warm-blooded animals. In rodents, the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus detects and regulates core body temperature. However, knowledge about the thermal regulation center in primates remains limited. Here, we show that activating a subpopulation of POA neurons by a chemogenetic strategy reliably induces hypothermia in anesthetized and freely moving macaques. Comprehensive monitoring of physiological parameters reveals that such hypothermia is accompanied by autonomic changes including a rise in heart rate, skeletal muscle activity, and correlated biomarkers in blood. Consistent with enhanced ambulatory movement during hypothermia, the animals show a full range of cold-defense behaviors. Resting-state fMRI confirms the chemogenetic activation of POA and charts a brain-wide network of thermoregulation. Altogether, our findings demonstrate the central regulation of body temperature in primates and pave the way for future application in clinical practice.

[Research on Hospital Operating Room Management System Based on PDA Code Scanning Technology].

In view of the high recognition error rate and long scanning time in the existing hospital scanning technology, a new hospital operating room scanning system is designed based on personal digital assistant (PDA). The PDA scanning device adopts PIC16F877A microcontroller of 8 bit for wireless transmission through RFID and bluetooth technology, the code scanning efficiency is greatly improved. In addition, in order to improve the accuracy of image analysis, this study also adopts the energy driven sampling classification algorithm (EDS-CA) to properly preprocess the medical data information received through PDA scanning, then constructs a function classifier, and improves the image processing efficiency according to the EDS-CA reduction process. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of the code scanning system designed in this study is 95%, which proves that PDA code scanning has good performance.

Highly efficient broadband white-light emission in two-dimensional semi-conductive hybrid lead chlorides.

White-light emission (WLE) materials based on organic-inorganic hybrid lead halides have drawn considerable attention because of their applications in light-emission equipment. Despite considerable efforts, there is still a lack of two-dimensional (2D) lead-chlorine white-light emitting halides with high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE). Herein, we report the preparation of a new 2D layered hybrid halide, [DTHPE]Pb4Cl10, which exhibits bright wide-band WLE, a high PLQE of 8.86% and high anti-water stability. To the best of our knowledge, the PLQE of [DTHPE]Pb4Cl10 exceeds that of most 2D lead chlorides. Furthermore, the emission intensity is unchanged even after continuous immersion in water for 7 days. Photoluminescence measurements indicate that the WLE originates from self-trapped excitons. [DTHPE]Pb4Cl10 is a promising visible-blind UV hybrid halide owing to its excellent photoelectric response. [DTHPE]Pb4Cl10 is an effective white-light emitting material for display applications. The coexistence of a high performance visible-blind UV response and high efficiency white-light emission provides attractive possibilities for potential applications in the multifunctional photoelectronic field.