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Chirality ( C ) is a fundamental property of objects, in terms of symmetry. It is extremely important to sense and distinguish chiral molecules in the fields of biochemistry, science, and medicine. Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy, obtained from the differential absorption of left- and right- circularly polarized light (CPL) in the infrared range, is a promising technique for enantiomeric detection and separation. However, VCD signals are typically very weak for most small molecules. Dielectric metasurfaces are an emerging platform to enhance the sensitivity of VCD spectroscopy of chiral molecules via superchiral field manipulation...

The topographical, geological, climatic and biodiversity complexity of Mesoamerica has made it a primary research focus. The Mesoamerican highlands is a region with particularly high species richness and within-species variation. The Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, Diglossa baritula (Wagler, 1832), is a species endemic to the Mesoamerican highlands, with three allopatric subspecies currently recognized. To characterize divergence within this species, we integrated genomics, morphology, coloration and ecological niche modeling approaches, obtained from sampling individuals across the entire geographic distribution of the species...

OBJECTIVE: To develop and test a post competency scale for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physicians undergoing standardized training to provide an applicable tool for scientific evaluation. METHODS: Based on literature analysis, behavioral event interviews, and expert consultations, measurement questions were formulated and the initial scale was designed. A questionnaire survey was conducted from July 2022 to May 2023 among TCM physicians undergoing standardized training in China...

OBJECTIVES: The Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire (GTQ) is a comprehensive scale for screening and assessing trismus in head and neck (H&N) cancer and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) patients. This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the GTQ in China, and to test its measurement invariance. METHODS: This study comprised 278 H&N cancer, 245 TMD, and 507 control patients. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were tested to assess the GTQ's reliability...

Thorough investigations of urban-canopy drag primarily stemming from pressure drag on building surfaces are necessary given the turbulent flows within complex urban areas. Moreover, a gap persists regarding the relationships between canopy drag and breathability. Therefore, this work delves into the canopy-layer airflow dynamics for generic urban neighborhoods by performing three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations. A total of 32 subcases are examined, encompassing uniform- and varying-height and diverse plan area densities (λp , categorized into groups of sparse: 0...

Similar to other insular birds around the world, the Galapagos rail (Laterallus spilonota Gould, 1841) exhibits reduced flight capacity following its colonization of the archipelago ~1.2 mya. Despite their short evolutionary history, rails have colonized seven different islands spanning the entire width of the archipelago. Galapagos rails were once common on islands with sufficiently high altitudes to support shrubs in humid habitats. After humans introduced goats, this habitat was severely reduced due to overgrazing...

BACKGROUND: In endoscopic care, favourable patient experiences before, during and after a colonoscopy are essential for the patient's willingness to repeat the procedure. To ensure that significant experiences are measured, patients should be involved in creating the measurement instruments. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a colonoscopy-specific PREM by (1) operationalising patient experiences before, during and after a colonoscopy procedure and (2) evaluating its content validity...

Bird collisions with buildings are responsible for a large number of bird deaths in cities around the world, yet they remain poorly studied outside North America. We conducted one of the first citywide fine-scale and landscape-scale analyses of bird-building collisions in Asia and used maximum entropy modeling (as commonly applied to species distribution modeling) in a novel way to assess the drivers of bird-building collisions in the tropical city-state of Singapore. We combined 7 years of community science observations with publicly available building and remote sensing data...

The practical application of thermoelectric devices requires both high-performance n-type and p-type materials of the same system to avoid possible mismatches and improve device reliability. Currently, environmentally friendly SnTe thermoelectrics have witnessed extensive efforts to develop promising p-type transport, making it rather urgent to investigate the n-type counterparts with comparable performance. Herein, we develop a stepwise optimization strategy for improving the transport properties of n-type SnTe...

The orexinergic/hypocretinergic system, while having several roles, appears to be a key link in the balance between arousal and food intake. In birds, to date, this system has only been examined anatomically in four species, all with brains smaller than 3.5 g and of limited phylogenetic range. Here, using orexin-A immunohistochemistry, we describe the distribution, morphology, and nuclear parcellation of orexinergic neurons within the hypothalami of a Congo gray and a Timneh gray parrot, a pied crow, an emu, and a common ostrich...

The Scaled Antbird Drymophila squamata is a suboscine passerine endemic to the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. Two subspecies, putatively diagnosed by the presence/absence of white spots on the crown, have traditionally been recognized: the nominate, ranging from Pernambuco to Bahia in northeastern Brazil, and D. squamata stictocorypha, from Minas Gerais to Santa Catarina in southeastern and southern Brazil. Here we combine morphological, acoustic, and genetic data to examine geographic variation in and revise the taxonomy of D...

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Tropical species richness is threatened by habitat degradation associated with land-use conversion, yet the consequences for functional diversity remain little understood. Progress has been hindered by difficulties in obtaining comprehensive species-level trait information to characterize entire assemblages and insufficient appreciation that increasing land-cover heterogeneity potentially compensates for species loss. We examined the impacts of tropical deforestation associated with land-use heterogeneity on bird species richness, functional redundancy, functional diversity, and associated components (i...

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Asher-McDade aesthetic index and clarify its feasibility for the postoperative outcome evaluation of cleft lip in China. METHODS: The Chinese version of the Asher-McDade aesthetic index was established through translation, back translation, debugging, and pre-survey. Eighty postoperative photographs of patients with cleft lip admitted to the West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University were included...

INTRODUCTION: Safety has become paramount to ensure that scuba diving continues to expand into new markets, with minimal risks, and that scuba diving translates into a safe and relaxed adventure in response to growing market demands. Research focusing on assessing the knowledge, awareness, and practices (KAP) regarding safety and emergency response among scuba divers has been limited, and there is a need for validated assessment tools in this area. METHODS: This study involved 555 scuba divers in Malaysia, and the questionnaire underwent a thorough development and validation process, including content and face validity assessments, as well as exploratory factor analysis...

Raptors are threatened by anthropogenic land modifications, but targeted quantitative assessment of these impacts is lacking. We conducted the first global quantitative evaluation of the impacts of human-modified land on raptors. We used eBird data from 2001 to 2020 on 425 raptor species and occupancy models to assess the impacts of human-modified land on raptor distribution. The mean spatiotemporal correlations of human settlement, cropland, and pasture with raptor occupancy probability were -0.048 (SE 0.031), -0...

INTRODUCTION: Combination therapies of immune checkpoint and tyrosine kinase inhibitors for end-stage kidney disease and patients on hemodialysis need careful consideration as few case reports provide suitable management decisions. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old man who had undergone hemodialysis for 6 years due to nephrosclerosis. Avelumab plus axitinib combination therapy was performed for repeated lung metastasis, and a complete response was achieved without major side effects...

In a workshop sponsored by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, experts identified current knowledge gaps and research opportunities in the scientific, conceptual, and ethical understanding of organ donation after the circulatory determination of death and its technologies. To minimize organ injury from warm ischemia and produce better recipient outcomes, innovative techniques to perfuse and oxygenate organs postmortem in situ, such as thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion, are being implemented in several medical centers in the US and elsewhere...

The recent publication by Azzi and colleagues puts forth the argument that only RRR-α-tocopherol should be considered as vitamin E from a physiological point of view. They base their argument primarily on the assertion that only this form has been used to treat stark vitamin E deficiency in humans (known as AVED, or Ataxia with Vitamin E Deficiency). Azzi et al. also argue that other chemically similar molecules, such as tocopherols other than α-tocopherol and tocotrienols do not provide vitamin E activity...

Here, we present the high-resolution structure of the Gallus gallus 80S ribosome obtained from cold-treated chicken embryos. The translationally inactive ribosome complex contains elongation factor eEF2 with GDP, SERPINE1 mRNA binding protein 1 (SERBP1) and deacylated tRNA in the P/E position, showing common features with complexes already described in mammals. Modeling of most expansion segments of G. gallus 28S ribosomal RNA allowed us to identify specific features in their structural organization and to describe areas where a marked difference between mammalian and avian ribosomes could shed light on the evolution of the expansion segments...