Motivation to learn: an international multilevel study on student autonomy and teacher emphasis on content usefulness / Motivación para aprender: un estudio internacional multinivel sobre la autonomía de los estudiantes y el énfasis de los docentes en la utilidad del contenido

En la educación superior, pocos estudios relacionan factores contextuales en la clase, como el énfasis del profesor en la utilidad del contenido y las características motivacionales de los estudiantes. El objetivo fue probar un modelo multinivel sobre la relación entre el énfasis del docente en la utilidad del contenido durante la clase, la autonomía de los estudiantes y, a su vez, la motivación para aprender. Participaron 3033 estudiantes universitarios matriculados de 1º a 4º grado de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, de universidades de España (N = 602), Portugal (N = 469), México (N = 1177), Chile (N = 372), y Brasil (N = 413). Se realizó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales multinivel, en el que los participantes respondieron preguntas sobre el énfasis del profesor en la utilidad del contenido de la clase, la autonomía y la motivación para aprender. Se hipotetizó que el énfasis del profesor en la utilidad del contenido predecía la autonomía del estudiante que, por su vez, predecía la motivación para aprender. Los resultados, a nivel grupal e individual, indican que el énfasis del docente en la utilidad del contenido predijo la autonomía del estudiante, y la autonomía predijo la motivación para aprender.(AU)

Teacher autonomy support is related to improved student learn-ing. In higher education, few studies relate classroom contextual factors, such as teacher emphasis on content usefulness, and students' motivational characteristics. The aim was to test a multilevel model about the relation between the extent of teachers’ emphasis on the usefulness of class con-tent with student autonomy, and, in turn, on motivation to learn. The par-ticipants were 3033 university students enrolled from 1st to 4th grade of Sciences of the Physical Activity and Sport, from universities in Spain (N = 602), Portugal (N = 469), Mexico (N = 1177), Chile (N = 372), and Brazil (N = 413). A multilevel structural equation model was performed, in which participants answered questions about the teacher's emphasis on the use-fulness of class content, basic psychological need for autonomy, and moti-vation to learn. At the group and individual levels, the hypothesis is that the teacher's emphasis on the usefulness of class content predict the stu-dent autonomy, in turn, student autonomy predicts student motivation to learn. Results found at the group level and at the individual level the strength of teacher emphasis on class content predicted student autonomy; student autonomy predicted student motivation to learn.(AU)

Partnered dance evokes greater intrinsic motivation than home exercise as therapeutic activity for chemotherapy-induced deficits: secondary results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Dance has been proposed to support superior intrinsic motivation over non-dance forms of therapeutic physical activity. However, this hypothesis has yet to be evaluated empirically, particularly among populations living with neuropathology such as survivors of cancer with neurologic complications from chemotherapy treatment. Questions about motivation are relevant to clinical outcomes because motivation mediates neuroplasticity. We conducted this secondary analysis of a randomized-controlled study to begin to investigate the relationships between personal motivation and neurophysiologic effects of dance-based intervention for healthy aging among populations with neurologic complications of cancer. Methods: We measured motivation using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, a validated patient-reported outcome from the psychological approach of Self Determination Theory. We assessed intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and satisfaction with intervention within a randomized controlled trial of dance versus exercise designed to alleviate symptoms of chemotherapy-induced impairment. Fifty-two survivors of breast cancer with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy diagnosis and associated sensorimotor functional deficits were randomized (1:1) to 8 weeks of partnered dance or home exercise, performed biweekly (NCT05114005; R21-AG068831). Results: While satisfaction did not differ between interventions, intrinsic motivation was higher among participants randomized to dance than those randomized to exercise (p < 0.0001 at all timepoints: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks of intervention), as was extrinsic motivation at 2 weeks (p = 0.04) and 8 weeks (p = 0.01). Discussion: These data provide evidence that social dance is more motivating than the type of home exercise generally recommended as therapeutic physical activity. The results inform directions for future study of the effect of dance-based therapeutics on embodied agency, neuroplastic changes, and clinically-relevant neuropathic improvement.

Reverse social contagion as a mechanism for regulating mass behaviors in highly integrated social systems.

Mass behavior is the rapid adoption of similar conduct by all group members, with potentially catastrophic outcomes such as mass panic. Yet, these negative consequences are rare in integrated social systems such as social insect colonies, thanks to mechanisms of social regulation. Here, we test the hypothesis that behavioral deactivation between active individuals is a powerful social regulator that reduces energetic spending in groups. Borrowing from scaling theories for human settlements and using behavioral data on harvester ants, we derive ties between the hypermetric scaling of the interaction network and the hypometric scaling of activity levels, both relative to the colony size. We use elements of economics theory and metabolic measurements collected with the behavioral data to link activity and metabolic scalings with group size. Our results support the idea that metabolic scaling across social systems is the product of different balances between their social regulation mechanisms.

Investigation on molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy of the novel 2BCA molecule to analyse its biological activities and binding interaction with nipah viral protein.

The molecule of 2-Biphenyl Carboxylic Acid (2BCA), which contains peculiar features, was explored making use of density functional theory (DFT) and experimental approaches in the area of quantum computational research. The optimised structure, atomic charges, vibrational frequencies, electrical properties, electrostatic potential surface (ESP), natural bond orbital analysis and potential energy surface (PES) were obtained applying the B3LYP approach with the 6-311++ G (d,p) basis set.. The 2BCA molecule was examined for possible conformers using a PES scan. The methods applied for spectral analyses included FT-IR, FT-RAMAN, NMR, and UV-Vis results. Vibrational frequencies for all typical modes of vibration were found using the Potential Energy Distribution (PED) data. The UV-Vis spectrum was simulated using the TD-DFT technique, which is also seen empirically. The Gauge-Invariant Atomic Orbital (GIAO) approach was employed to model and study the 13C and 1H NMR spectra of the 2BCA molecule in a CDCL3 solution. The spectra were then exploited experimentally to establish their chemical shifts. To predict the donor and acceptor interaction, the NBO analysis was used. The electrostatic potential surface was employed to anticipate the locations of nucleophilic and electrophilic sites. Hirshfeld surfaces and their related fingerprint plots are exploited for the investigation of intermolecular interactions. Reduced Density Gradient (RDG) helps to measure and illustrate electron correlation effects, offering precise insights into chemical bonding, reactivity, and the electronic structure of 2BCA. According to Lipinski and Veber's drug similarity criteria, 2BCA exhibits the typical physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties that make it a potential oral pharmaceutical candidate. According to the findings of a molecular docking study, the 2BCA molecule has promise as a treatment agent for the Nipah virus (PDB ID: 6 EB9), which causes severe respiratory and neurological symptoms in humans.

The role of motivation in shaping social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in physical-sports activity contexts.

The present study aims to test a model in which basic psychological needs (BPN) satisfaction in physical-sport activity contexts is associated with self-determined motivation, which, in turn, would predict the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. A total of 286 people with intellectual disabilities (53.5% men) who reported engaging in physical-sport activities responded to a validated questionnaire about the satisfaction of their BPN, motivation (using the Self-determination index [SDI]), and social inclusion. A Pearson's bivariate correlation and structural equation modeling were conducted. The resulting model was reanalyzed in a multigroup analysis to test its invariance across self and proxy reports. Positive associations were found between the satisfaction of the BPN and the SDI. However, the SDI and social inclusion were positively associated only in proxy reports (ßself = 0.07 vs. ßproxy = 0.30). The tested model established positive relationships between the BPN and SDI in autonomy (ßself = 0.21 vs. ßproxy = 0.18), competence (ßself = 0.47 vs. ßproxy = 0.53), and relatedness (ßself = 0.21 vs. ßproxy = 0.23). Further research is needed to understand the factors leading to discrepancies between participants and proxies when relating the SDI to social inclusion in the context of physical-sport activity. However, the results obtained suggest that it would be optimal to develop contexts of practice for people with intellectual disabilities in which the satisfaction of their BPN is favored and that this has a positive impact on their motivation and social inclusion.

The Reconstruction of Pt(001) Surface and the Shell-Like Reconstruction of the Vicinal Pt(001) Surfaces Revealed by Neural Network Potential.

In this work, a highly accurate neural network potential (NNP) is presented, named PtNNP, and the exploration of the reconstruction of the Pt(001) surface and its vicinal surfaces with it. Contrary to the most accepted understanding of the Pt(001) surface reconstruction, the study reveals that the main driving force behind Pt(001) quasi-hexagonal reconstruction is not the surface stress relaxation but the increased coordination number of the surface atoms resulting in stronger intralayer binding in the reconstructed surface layer. In agreement with experimental observations, the optimized supercell size of the reconstructed Pt(001) surface contains (5 × 20) unit cells. Surprisingly, the reconstruction of the vicinal Pt(001) surfaces leads to a smooth shell-like surface layer covering the whole surface and diminishing sharp step edges.

Tailoring Defects in B, N-Codoped Carbon Nanowalls for Direct Electrochemical Oxidation of Glyphosate and its Metabolites.

Tailoring the defects in graphene and its related carbon allotropes has great potential to exploit their enhanced electrochemical properties for energy applications, environmental remediation, and sensing. Vertical graphene, also known as carbon nanowalls (CNWs), exhibits a large surface area, enhanced charge transfer capability, and high defect density, making it suitable for a wide range of emerging applications. However, precise control and tuning of the defect size, position, and density remain challenging; moreover, due to their characteristic labyrinthine morphology, conventional characterization techniques and widely accepted quality indicators fail or need to be reformulated. This study primarily focuses on examining the impact of boron heterodoping and argon plasma treatment on CNW structures, uncovering complex interplays between specific defect-induced three-dimensional nanostructures and electrochemical performance. Moreover, the study introduces the use of defect-rich CNWs as a label-free electrode for directly oxidizing glyphosate (GLY), a common herbicide, and its metabolites (sarcosine and aminomethylphosphonic acid) for the first time. Crucially, we discovered that the presence of specific boron bonds (BC and BN), coupled with the absence of Lewis-base functional groups such as pyridinic-N, is essential for the oxidation of these analytes. Notably, the D+D* second-order combinational Raman modes at ≈2570 cm-1 emerged as a reliable indicator of the analytes' affinity. Contrary to expectations, the electrochemically active surface area and the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups played a secondary role. Argon-plasma post-treatment was found to adversely affect both the morphology and surface chemistry of CNWs, leading to an increase in sp3-hybridized carbon, the introduction of oxygen, and alterations in the types of nitrogen functional groups. Simulations support that certain defects are functional for GLY rather than AMPA. Sarcosine oxidation is the least affected by defect type.

A DFT study of the adsorption behavior and sensing properties of CO gas on monolayer MoSe2 in CO2-rich environment.

CONTEXT: Carbon monoxide, also known as the "silent killer," is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritable gas that, when inhaled, enters the bloodstream and lungs, binds with the hemoglobin, and blocks oxygen from reaching tissues and cells. In this work, the monolayer MoSe2-based CO gas sensors were designed using density functional theory calculation with several dopants including Al, Au, Pd, Ni, Cu, and P. Here, Cu and P were found to be the best dopants, with adsorption energies of -0.67 eV (Cu) and -0.54 eV (P) and recovery times of 1.66 s and 13.8 ms respectively. Cu conductivity for CO adsorption was found to be 2.74 times that of CO2 adsorption in the 1.0-2.26 eV range. P displayed the highest selectivity, followed by Pd and Ni. The dopants, Pd and Ni, were found suitable for building CO gas scavengers due to their high recovery times of 9.76 × 1020 s and 2.47 × 1011 s. Similarly, the adsorption of CO2 on doped monolayer MoSe2 was also investigated. In this study, it is found that monolayer MoSe2 could be employed to create high-performance CO sensors in a CO2-rich environment. METHOD: The electrical characteristics of all doped MoSe2 monolayers are obtained using a DFT calculation with the PBE-GGA method from the Quantum ESPRESSO package. The self-consistent field (SCF) computations were performed using a 7 × 7 × 1 k-point grid and a norm-conserving pseudo potential (NCPP) file. To determine electrical conductivity, the semi-classical version of Boltzmann transport theory, implemented in the Boltz Trap code, was used.

Diagnosing and managing prescription opioid use disorder in patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain in Australian general practice settings: a qualitative study using the theory of Planned Behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a debilitating and common health issue. General Practitioners (GPs) often prescribe opioids to treat chronic pain, despite limited evidence of benefit and increasing evidence of harms, including prescription Opioid Use Disorder (pOUD). Australian GPs are worried about the harms of long-term opioids, but few are involved in the treatment of pOUD. There is little research on GPs' experiences diagnosing and managing pOUD in their chronic pain patients. METHODS: This qualitative research used semi-structured interviews and a case study to investigate GPs' experiences through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). TPB describes three factors, an individual's perceived beliefs/attitudes, perceived social norms and perceived behavioural controls. Participants were interviewed via an online video conferencing platform. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Twenty-four GPs took part. Participants were aware of the complex presentations for chronic pain patients and concerned about long-term opioid use. Their approach was holistic, but they had limited understanding of pOUD diagnosis and suggested that pOUD had only one treatment: Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT). Participants felt uncomfortable prescribing opioids and were fearful of difficult, conflictual conversations with patients about the possibility of pOUD. This led to avoidance and negative attitudes towards diagnosing pOUD. There were few positive social norms, few colleagues diagnosed or managed pOUD. Participants reported that their colleagues only offered positive support as this would allow them to avoid managing pOUD themselves, while patients and other staff were often unsupportive. Negative behavioural controls were common with low levels of knowledge, skill, professional supports, inadequate time and remuneration described by many participants. They felt OAT was not core general practice and required specialist management. This dichotomous approach was reflected in their views that the health system only supported treatment for chronic pain or pOUD, not both conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Negative beliefs, negative social norms and negative behavioural controls decreased individual behavioural intention for this group of GPs. Diagnosing and managing pOUD in chronic pain patients prescribed opioids was perceived as difficult and unsupported. Interventions to change behaviour must address negative perceptions in order to lead to more positive intentions to engage in the management of pOUD.

Emergency triage nurses' perceptions of caring behaviors and the safety of the patient during triage encounters: a grounded theory study.

BACKGROUND: Triage is a dynamic process prioritising the patient coming to the emergency department. Caring behaviour and patient safety during the triage process are essential for ensuring a good care experience and treatment outcome. OBJECTIVE: To describe triage nurses' perceptions on caring behaviors and patient safety in the triage area. DESIGN: Strauss and Corbin's Grounded theory method was used to develop the model. METHODS: The study was conducted in the emergency department in northeastern Slovenia. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and 19 triage nurses were selected by theoretical sampling, guided by emerging categories between November 2021 and July 2022. The data analysis was conducted according to Strauss and Corbin's coding framework. RESULTS: The analysis of the interviews generated one category: The process of creating a caring and safe triage encounter for the patient, together with two categories that explain the key phenomenon: (1) Triage caring and (2) Safety in the triage process. Within the category "Triage caring", four subcategories were developed: (1) Assurance of triage nurses' presence, (2) Connectedness, (3) Respectful attitude, and (4) Knowledge and skills. The category Safety in the triage process consists of three identified subcategories: (1) Conception and perception of safety, (2) Factors influencing patient safety, and (3) Improving the triage safety. CONCLUSIONS: The triage nurses' perceptions about caring for the patient and his safety in the triage area show that caring and safety are inseparably linked and coincide when triaging a patient. Namely, caring for the patient means ensuring the patient's safety at the same time. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NURSING FIELD: A better understanding of the importance of triage nurses' caring behavior and patient safety emerges from the findings, highlighting the challenges faced in a busy emergency department where nurses must balance providing care and responding to patients' needs while ensuring safety. Findings in the study show that patient care and safety are inseparably linked and coincide when triaging a patient. Moreover, applying caring behaviour during triage encounter results in greater patient safety. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The study's design, evaluation of the findings, and execution did not need the involvement of patients or the general public. Participants were triage nurses working in the emergency department. Triage nurses were interviewed about their perceptions of triage nurses on caring behaviors and patient safety during triage encounter.

Responsibility endowing power: A theoretical framework of health empowerment for Chinese older people with chronic illness.

AIM: To construct a health empowerment framework for the Chinese older people with chronic conditions. DESIGN: A Strussian grounded theory design was selected to generate the theoretical framework. METHODS: Data were collected from 53 community-dwelling older people with chronic conditions in China between November 2017 and August 2019, via semi-structured interviews and with participating observation. The constant comparative method identified the key categories. RESULTS: 'Responsibility endowing power', the health empowerment core theme, was defined as initiating, performing and realizing responsibility towards health through the interaction between the self, family and society. The framework enriches the meaning of health empowerment, changing older people's nursing practice.

A robust triphenylamine-based monolithic polymer network for selective sieving of CO2 and PM from flue gas.

The increasingly urgent issue of climate change is driving the development of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and separation technologies in flue gas after combustion. The monolithic adsorbent stands out in practical adsorption applications for its simplified powder compaction process while maintaining the inherent balance between energy consumption for regeneration and selectivity for adsorption. However, optimizing the adsorption capacity and selectivity of CO2 separation materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, we synthesized monolithic polymer networks (N-CMPs) with triphenylamine adsorption sites, acid-base environment tolerance, and precise narrow microchannel pore systems for the selective sieving of CO2 and particulate matter (PM) in flue gas. The inherent continuous covalent bonding of N-CMPs, along with their highly delocalized π-π conjugated porous framework, ensures the stability of the monolithic polymer network's adsorption and separation capabilities under wet and acid-base conditions. Specifically, under the conditions of 1 bar at 273 K, the CO2 adsorption capacity of N-CMP-1 is 3.35 mmol/g. Attributed to the highly polar environment generated by triphenylamine and the inherent high micropore/mesopore ratio, N-CMPs exhibit an excellent ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivity for CO2/N2 under simulated flue gas conditions (CO2/N2 = 15:85). Dynamic breakthrough experiments further visualize the high separation efficiency of N-CMPs in practical adsorption applications. Moreover, under acid-base conditions, N-CMPs achieve a capture efficiency exceeding 99.76 % for PM0.3, enabling the selective separation of CO2 and PM in flue gas. In fact, the combined capture of hazardous PM and CO2 from the exhaust gases produced by the combustion of fossil fuels will play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change and environmental issues until low-carbon and alternative energy technologies are widely adopted.

"The influence of auditory stimulation on whole body variability in healthy older adults during gait".

Acoustic stimulation appears to be a promising strategy in reducing the risk of falling in older adults, demonstrating effectiveness in improving stability. However, its impact on movement variability, another crucial indicator of fall risk, seems to be limited. This study aims to assess movement variability during walking in a cohort of healthy older adults exposed to three different frequencies of acoustic stimulation (90%, 100% and 110% of each subject's average cadence). Using a systemic approach based on network theory, which considers the intricate relationships between all body segments, we constructed connectivity matrices composed of nodes, represented by bony landmarks, and edges, consisting of the standardised covariance of accelerations between each pair of nodes. By introducing a new metric called Similarity Score (S-score), we quantified the ability of each individual to repeat the same motor pattern at each gait cycle under different experimental conditions. The study revealed that rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) at 100% and 90% of the mean cadence significantly increased the S-scores compared to the baseline. These results highlight the effects of RAS in increasing gait repeatability in healthy older adults, with a focus on global kinematics.

EEG responses to infant faces in young adults can be influenced by the quality of early care experiences with caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The quality of early experiences with caregivers affects individual adjustment and can modulate adults' responses to salient social stimuli, like infant faces. However, in the framework of Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory), no research to date has examined whether early experiences of acceptance or rejection from caregivers are associated with individual differences in the electrophysiological (EEG) responses to infant faces. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the associations between the perceived quality of care during childhood and the behavioral and EEG responses to infant and adult faces in non-parent young adults. METHODS: N = 60 non-parent young adults (30 males; 30 females) completed an Emotion Recognition task displaying emotional and unemotional infant and adult faces during an EEG recording. Memories of past care experiences with mothers and fathers were collected using the short form version of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection scale. RESULTS: At the behavioral level, slower Reaction Times (RTs) in recognizing all faces were related to higher levels of perceived maternal rejection in young adults; in particular, males who reported higher levels of maternal rejection displayed longer RTs in recognizing faces compared to females. At the neurophysiological level, as the level of perceived paternal rejection increased, the N170 amplitude to infant faces increased. Females who reported higher levels of paternal rejection, compared to males, had a larger increase in the N170 amplitude and a larger decrease in the LPP amplitude in response to emotional faces. CONCLUSIONS: While a higher perception of maternal rejection hindered the behavioral responses of adults in recognizing faces, those who felt more rejected by their own father during childhood showed an enhanced N170 amplitude to infant faces. This might reflect a greater need for discrimination resources, at a very early stage of infant face processing, in those adults who perceived higher levels of paternal rejection. Adults' sex modulated the associations found at the behavioral and neurophysiological levels. Overall, our findings extended the IPARTheory postulates that being neglected during childhood might trigger perceptual changes in adults, hindering the elaboration of social cues like infant and adult faces at different levels.

From self-commitment to career crafting: The mediating role of career adaptability and the moderating role of job autonomy.

The objective of this study is to explore the influence of self-commitment on career crafting, examining the mediating role of career adaptability and the moderating effect of job autonomy within the context of career construction theory. This research aims to deepens our understanding of the key mechanisms that underpin successful career development, providing valuable insights for both individuals and organizations to enhance career success and adaptability. Utilizing a two-wave survey methodology, we collected data from 363 full-time employees across various industries in the United States. Hierarchical regression analysis and the PROCESS Macro were employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Our findings reveal that self-commitment significantly enhances career crafting through career adaptability. Additionally, job autonomy was found to influence both the direct relationship between self-commitment and career adaptability, and the indirect relationship between self-commitment and career crafting. This study highlights the pathways linking self-commitment to career crafting, underscoring the importance of career adaptability as a developmental tool facilitated by job autonomy. We recommend that individuals commit to their personal growth to enhance their career adaptability and actively shape their careers. Meanwhile, organizations should focus on promoting job autonomy to foster career development, benefiting both employees and the broader organizational ecosystem.

How should regulatory schemes be optimized to enhance deterrence against medical insurance fraud by enrollees? Evidence from a discrete choice experiment in China.

Medical insurance fraud (MIF) poses a substantial global financial challenge, necessitating effective regulatory strategies, especially in China, where such measures are in a critical developmental phase. This study investigates the effectiveness of various regulatory components in deterring MIF among enrollees and explores preference heterogeneity among individuals with different characteristics, utilizing a discrete choice experiment survey. Grounded in deterrence theory, our conceptual framework incorporates five attributes: intensity of economic penalties, restrictions on medical insurance benefits, deterioration of social reputation, and certainty and celerity of penalties. Employing a D-efficiency design, 24 choice sets were generated and blocked into three versions. A multistage stratified sampling method was adopted to collect data from the basic medical insurance enrollees in Shanghai. The survey was conducted from September to October 2022. The sample representativeness was further improved via the entropy balancing approach. Data from the final sample of 1034 respondents were analyzed using mixed logit models (MIXLs), incorporating interactions with individual characteristics to assess preference heterogeneity. Results reveal that escalating economic penalties, suspending insurance benefits, listing individuals as unfaithful parties, ensuring penalty certainty, and expediting enforcement significantly enhance the deterrent effect. We observed preference heterogeneity across different demographics, including age, gender, education, health status, and employment status. The study underscores the pivotal role of economic penalties in deterring MIF, while also acknowledging the significance of non-economic measures such as enforcement efficiency and social sanctions. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers to tailor and strengthen regulatory schemes against MIF, contributing to the advancement of more effective and precise healthcare policies.

Quenching and enhancement mechanisms of a novel Cd-based coordination polymer as a multiresponsive fluorescent sensor for nitrobenzene and aniline.

BACKGROUND: Nitroaromatic compounds are inherently hazardous and explosive, so convenient and rapid detection strategies are needed for the sake of human health and the environment. There is an urgent demand for chemical sensing materials that offer high sensitivity, operational simplicity, and recognizability to effectively monitor nitroaromatic residues in industrial wastewater. Despite its importance, the mechanisms underlying fluorescence quenching or enhancement in fluorescent sensing materials have not been extensively researched. The design and synthesis of multiresponsive fluorescent sensing materials have been a great challenge until now. RESULTS: In this study, a one-dimensional Cd-based fluorescent porous coordination polymer (Cd-CIP-1) was synthesized using 5-(4-cyanobenzyl)isophthalic acid (5-H2CIP) and 4,4'-bis(1-imidazolyl)biphenyl (4,4'-bimp) and used for the selective detection of nitrobenzene in aqueous solution by fluorescence quenching, with a limit of detection of 1.38 × 10-8 mol L-1. The presence of aniline in the Cd-CIP-1 solution leads to the enhancement of fluorescence property. Density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations were carried out to elucidate the mechanisms of the fluorescence changes. This study revealed that the specific pore size of Cd-CIP-1 facilitates analyte screening and enhances host-guest electron coupling. Furthermore, π-π interactions and hydrogen bond between Cd-CIP-1 and the analytes result in intermolecular orbital overlap and thereby boosting electron transfer efficiency. The different electron flow directions in NB@Cd-CIP-1 and ANI@Cd-CIP-1 lead to fluorescence quenching and enhancement. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: The multiresponsive coordination polymer (Cd-CIP-1) can selectively detect nitrobenzene and recognize aniline in aqueous solutions. The mechanism of fluorescence quenching and enhancement has been thoroughly elucidated through a combination of density functional theory and experimental approaches. This study presents a promising strategy for the practical implementation of a multiresponsive fluorescent chemical sensor.

Analysis of the survival journey and post-traumatic growth process of children and their families following paediatric intensive care unit admission: A grounded theory study.

OBJECTIVES: Advances in critical care technology have lowered mortality rates among critically ill individuals. Nonetheless, survivors and their families may develop new physical, mental, cognitive, and social challenges due to paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) treatments, impacting their quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival journey and post-traumatic growth process of children and their families following PICU admission within the Chinese cultural context. METHODS: Twenty-six children who have been or are currently admitted to the PICU, alongside their parents and three PICU nurses, were chosen through purposive and theoretical sampling. Data collection involved face-to-face interviews and observations, with data analysis conducted through continuous comparison, open coding, and selective coding techniques. FINDINGS: A model outlining the survival journey and post-traumatic growth process of critically ill children and their families post PICU admission has been established. This model encompasses two central trajectories: an upward trajectory consisting of confusion, charging, action, and sublimation phases and a downward trajectory comprising confusion, doubt and fear, inhibition (including confrontation and avoidance), and drowning phases. CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill children and their families encounter diverse survival experiences and psychological journeys following traumatic events in the PICU. The survival experience has alternative upwards or downwards trajectories that are flexible/adaptable. Hence, offering timely psychological support can alter their developmental trajectories and foster post-traumatic growth.

Response inhibition in premotor cortex corresponds to a complex reshuffle of the mesoscopic information network.

Recent studies have explored functional and effective neural networks in animal models; however, the dynamics of information propagation among functional modules under cognitive control remain largely unknown. Here, we addressed the issue using transfer entropy and graph theory methods on mesoscopic neural activities recorded in the dorsal premotor cortex of rhesus monkeys. We focused our study on the decision time of a Stop-signal task, looking for patterns in the network configuration that could influence motor plan maturation when the Stop signal is provided. When comparing trials with successful inhibition to those with generated movement, the nodes of the network resulted organized into four clusters, hierarchically arranged, and distinctly involved in information transfer. Interestingly, the hierarchies and the strength of information transmission between clusters varied throughout the task, distinguishing between generated movements and canceled ones and corresponding to measurable levels of network complexity. Our results suggest a putative mechanism for motor inhibition in premotor cortex: a topological reshuffle of the information exchanged among ensembles of neurons.

In this study, we investigated the dynamics of information transfer among functionally identified neural modules during cognitive motor control. Our focus was on mesoscopic neural activities in the dorsal premotor cortex of rhesus monkeys engaged in a Stop-signal task. Leveraging multivariate transfer entropy and graph theory, we uncovered insights on how behavioral control shapes the topology of information transmission in a local brain network. Task phases modulated the strength and hierarchy of information exchange between modules, revealing the nuanced interplay between neural populations during generated and canceled movements. Notably, during successful inhibition, the network displayed a distinctive configuration, unveiling a novel mechanism for motor inhibition in the premotor cortex: a topological reshuffle of information among neuronal ensembles.