Research on first language acquisition has shown that children initially approach word recognition analytically and gradually shift to holistic processing as their reading experience increases, as evidenced by a reduction and eventual disappearance of the word length effect in word recognition. The present study aimed to investigate visual word recognition strategies among non-native speakers of English, specifically examining whether these speakers recognize words analytically or holistically and whether their first language influences their recognition strategies. The study tested native and non-native speakers of English with Chinese or Latin-script language backgrounds on 160 English words and 160 nonwords, ranging from 4 to 8 letters in length. The results indicated that Chinese ESL speakers exhibited a positive length effect, showing slower response times to longer words, in contrast to native English speakers, who demonstrated a reversed length effect, and to the Latin-script group, who exhibited no significant length effect. These findings suggest that non-native speakers are more likely to adopt an analytic word recognition strategy when the writing systems of their first and second languages differ. Conversely, same-script second language learners appear able to transfer holistic word recognition strategies from their first language to English.

Research on water wave metamaterials based on local resonance has advanced rapidly. However, their application to floating structures for controlling surface gravity waves remains underexplored. In this work, we introduce the floating metaplate, a periodic array of resonators on a floating plate that leverages locally resonant bandgaps to effectively manipulate surface gravity waves. We employ the eigenfunction matching method combined with Bloch’s theorem to solve the wave–structure interaction problem and obtain the band structure of the floating metaplate. An effective model based on averaging is developed, which agrees well with the results of numerical simulation, elucidating the mechanism of bandgap formation. Both frequency- and time-domain simulations demonstrate the floating metaplate’s strong wave attenuation capabilities. Furthermore, by incorporating a gradient in the resonant frequencies of the resonators, we achieve the rainbow trapping effect, where waves of different frequencies are reflected at distinct locations. This enables the design of a broadband wave reflector with a tuneable operation frequency range. Our findings may lead to promising applications in coastal protection, wave energy harvesting and the design of resilient offshore renewable energy systems.

Background: Traditional infectious disease surveillance data have significant lag time limiting their usefulness in infection cluster detection in healthcare settings. Digital twin spatial representation, electronic healthcare data integration and surveillance automation allow for timely cluster detection and facilitate faster outbreak mapping and contact tracing, better informing infection prevention practice. Method: 4-Dimensional Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (4D-DOSS) is an automated infectious disease surveillance system developed in Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a 2000-bed tertiary healthcare institution. Electronic patient data (bed allocation and laboratory test results) are integrated onto a digital twin of SGH, and surveillance algorithms are applied for routine surveillance and contact tracing. 4D-DOSS was operationalized in SGH and National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) on August 1st, 2024. Active surveillance for carbapenemase producing enterobacterales (CPE) in SGH and NHCS includes contacts of inpatients with CPE carriage. Contact tracing for CPE is done on 4D-DOSS. Primary and secondary contact tracing are algorithmically automated. Spatial and temporal patterns are analyzed to understand transmission networks in outbreaks. Automated email alerts can be sent to clinicians to notify significant test results. Results: Contact tracing typically takes two hours per index patient using traditional methods. Contact tracing for CPE using 4D-DOSS takes five minutes per index patient, and multiple index patients can be traced per trace. Based on about 50 COVID-19, CPE and VZV combined exposure events per week in 2023, at 1.92 hours saved per exposure event, there would be a saving of 648 FTE per year, Between August 1st, 2024 and December 31st, 2024, there were eight VRE, eight CPE and 17 acute respiratory viral infection (RVI) clusters in inpatient wards. Selected clusters were viewed during weekly epidemiology rounds to get a better understanding of the transmission network. Outbreak mapping of infection clusters using traditional methods can take up to two days whereas each cluster can be analyzed in 4D-DOSS in under one hour. If four outbreaks are mapped per year, at 47 hours saved per outbreak mapped, the estimated FTE saved is 24 per year.

4D-DOSS has been configured for email alerts for acute RVI in patients in a selected ward since the last week of December 2024. Seven alerts were received in the first week of implementation. Conclusion: The comprehensive digital twin-enabled infectious disease surveillance platform enabled an efficient contact tracing and outbreak mapping system and automated surveillance alerts facilitating timely infection prevention measures. This can potentially improve patient outcomes.

Introduction: We propose to develop a Unique Device Identification (UDI) barcode tracking system for surgical instruments. This system aims to enhance hospital processes, thereby benefiting both patients and staff members. Methods: The UDI barcode tracking system for surgical instruments was implemented in March 2023: 1. Each surgical instrument underwent laser engraving with a UDI barcode, encompassing relevant data such as instrument name, image, model, specifications, origin, license, Instructions for Use (IFU), and total distribution quantity. 2. Upon scanning the engraved serial number, the system automatically discerns whether the instrument belongs to the designated set. 3. Mechanical, chemical, and biological monitoring indicators are integrated into the tracking system, with automatic adjudication for release into storage if criteria are met; otherwise, notifications are issued for review and retrieval by personnel. Results: 1. Between March 2023 and February 2024, a total of 157,614 instrument sets were equipped with this system, enabling staff to achieve a zero-error rate in rapid and precise instrument identification. 2.During this period, 4,026 cycles of high-temperature sterilization monitoring and 380 cycles of low- temperature H2O2 plasma sterilization monitoring were recorded. 3.Each monitoring cycle was digitally recorded, obviating the necessity for paper-based documentation and saving a total of 4,406 A4 paper sheets. 4. In the same timeframe, a total of 85,899 packages were dispensed, each linked to patient medical record numbers. Conclusions: The adoption of the surgical instrument UDI barcode tracking system by our institution’s central sterilization supply department has garnered participation from 622 individuals. It not only reduces the time spent by staff searching for items and conducting educational training but also automatically identifies whether the instrument belongs to the package, thereby enhancing inventory efficiency and reducing the incidence of errors. Sterilization monitoring indicators are automatically uploaded and intercepted to uphold patient safety.

Data on the distribution of iodine in the urine and breast milk of lactating women are limited. This study aimed to establish a formula to assess iodine status in lactating women by evaluating the fractional iodine excretion in urine and breast milk. A 3-d 24-h iodine metabolism survey in 2021–2023 was conducted on fifty-four pairs of lactating women and infants in Tianjin and Luoyang, China. We used the 24-h dietary record and salt weighing method to assess daily iodine intake (DII). Iodine excretion in breast milk and urine was measured. The median 24-h urinary iodine concentration and breast milk iodine concentration were 135·06 μg/L and 150·26 µg/L, respectively. When the DII was between 240 μg/d and 600 μg/d, the predicted value of fractional breast milk iodine excretion was 31·48 % (95 % CI: 27·16 %, 36·22 %). When the daily iodine excretion was between 258 μg/d and 476 μg/d, the fractional urine iodine excretion (59·09 %) and fractional breast milk iodine excretion (40·91 %) were stable. DII can be derived from the spot urinary iodine concentration as follows: urinary iodine concentration (μg/L) × (0·0009 L/h/kg × 24 h/d) × body weight (kg) ÷ 0·59 ÷ 0·94 = DII (μg/d). In conclusion, lactating women with adequate iodine delivered approximately 31·48 % of the DII to their infants. A stable proportion (59·09 %) of iodine excretion was discharged through urine, which was used to assess the iodine status based on the spot urinary iodine concentration of lactating women. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04492657).

Ultra-thin liquid sheets generated by impinging two liquid jets are crucial high-repetition-rate targets for laser ion acceleration and ultra-fast physics, and serve widely as barrier-free samples for structural biochemistry. The impact of liquid viscosity on sheet thickness should be comprehended fully to exploit its potential. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that viscosity significantly influences thickness distribution, while surface tension primarily governs shape. We propose a thickness model based on momentum exchange and mass transport within the radial flow, which agrees well with the experiments. These results provide deeper insights into the behaviour of liquid sheets and enable accurate thickness control for various applications, including atomization nozzles and laser-driven particle sources.

In recent times, Malaysian courts have resorted to a ritual incantation of unconscionability and the notion of a remedial constructive trust to justify a declaration of a constructive trust. This methodology is unhelpful for approaching constructive trusts and has led the law to develop in an unprincipled and unpredictable fashion. Our central thesis is that the key Malaysian decisions could have been decided on the basis of pre-existing legal principles upon which English and Commonwealth courts have declared a constructive trust. We argue that future courts ought to realign their methodology with the orthodox tradition of incremental development of the law in this area instead of resorting to broad notions of unconscionability and the remedial constructive trust.

Laterite could play a crucial role in soil stabilization and environmental remediation, but its internal particle interaction mechanism remains unclear. This study, based on molecular dynamics simulations, used umbrella sampling methods to measure the interaction strength between amorphous alumina and montmorillonite particles in laterite. The mechanisms were explored using differential charge density analysis and bond energy analysis. The results show that the interaction process between alumina and montmorillonite exhibited initial repulsion, then attraction, followed again by repulsion. Calcium ion-induced polarization, the negative charge on the alumina surface and the bonding strength during adsorption played key roles in this interaction. Notably, the bond energy measurement results in this study are consistent with data from other related research, validating the data’s accuracy. These findings improve our understanding of the microscopic mechanisms of laterite particle interactions, providing a scientific basis for its application in soil stabilization and environmental remediation.

Using the syntactic priming paradigm, this study investigated abstract syntactic knowledge of Chinese transitive structures (i.e., subject-verb-object [SVO], BA, and BEI) in deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs). Specifically, we focused on the differences in the development of various syntactic structures (within CI children and compared with their typically hearing children) and the possible individual differences during this process. Results showed that both CI and hearing children exhibited structural priming for all syntactic structures (i.e., SVO, SbaOV structure [agent-patient ordering], and ObeiSV structure [patient-agent ordering]) after comprehending and repeating the prime sentence regardless of verb repetition. However, verb repetition induced an intense abstract priming effect in CI children but not hearing children, with the lexical boost effect more significant for SVO and BA structures. In addition, CI children’s working memory capability modulated the production of the BA structure but not SVO and BEI structures.

Our study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to assess talaromycosis risk in hospitalized HIV-positive patients. Prediction models were built using data from a multicentre retrospective cohort study in China. On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we collected data from 1564 hospitalized HIV-positive patients in four hospitals from 2010 to 2019. Inpatients were randomly assigned to the training or validation group at a 7:3 ratio. To identify the potential risk factors for talaromycosis in HIV-infected patients, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Through multivariate logistic regression, we determined ten variables that were independent risk factors for talaromycosis in HIV-infected individuals. A nomogram was developed following the findings of the multivariate logistic regression analysis. For user convenience, a web-based nomogram calculator was also created. The nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination in both the training and validation groups [area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.883 vs. 0.889] and good calibration. The results of the clinical impact curve (CIC) analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed the clinical utility of the model. Clinicians will benefit from this simple, practical, and quantitative strategy to predict talaromycosis risk in HIV-infected patients and can implement appropriate interventions accordingly.

We demonstrated a method to improve the output performance of a Ti:sapphire laser in the long-wavelength low-gain region with an efficient stimulated Raman scattering process. By shifting the wavelength of the high-gain-band Ti:sapphire laser to the long-wavelength low-gain region, high-performance Stokes operation was achieved in the original long-wavelength low-gain region of the Ti:sapphire laser. With the fundamental wavelength tuning from 870 to 930 nm, first-order Stokes output exceeding 2.5 W was obtained at 930–1000 nm, which was significantly higher than that directly generated by the Ti:sapphire laser, accompanied by better beam quality, shorter pulse duration and narrower linewidth. Under the pump power of 42.1 W, a maximum first-order Stokes power of 3.24 W was obtained at 960 nm, with a conversion efficiency of 7.7%. Furthermore, self-mode-locked modulations of first- and second-order Stokes generation were observed in Ti:sapphire intracavity solid Raman lasers for the first time.

This study investigates the molecular intricacies of the transmembrane protein TSP11 gene in Echinococcus strains isolated from livestock and patients in Yunnan Province afflicted with Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) between 2016 and 2020. Gene typing analysis of the ND1 gene revealed the presence of the G1 type, G5 type and untyped strains, constituting 52.4, 38.1 and 9.5%, respectively. The analysis of 42 DNA sequences has revealed 24 novel single nucleotide polymorphic sites, delineating 11 haplotypes, all of which were of the mutant type. Importantly, there were no variations observed in mutation sites or haplotypes in any of the hosts. The total length of the TSP11 gene's 4 exons is 762 bp, encoding 254 amino acids. Our analysis posits the existence of 6 potential B-cell antigenic epitopes within TSP11, specifically at positions 49-KSN-51, 139-GKRG-142, 162-DNG-164, 169-NGS-171, 185-DS-186 and 231-PPRFTN-236. Notably, these epitopes exhibit consistent presence among various intermediate hosts and haplotypes. However, further validation is imperative to ascertain their viability as diagnostic antigens for E. granulosus in the Yunnan Province.

Human alveolar echinococcosis is a hard-to-treat and largely untreated parasitic disease with high associated health care costs. The current antiparasitic treatment for alveolar echinococcosis relies exclusively on albendazole, which does not act parasiticidally and can induce severe adverse effects. Alternative, and most importantly, improved treatment options are urgently required. A drug repurposing strategy identified the approved antimalarial pyronaridine as a promising candidate against Echinococcus multilocularis infections. Following a 30-day oral regimen (80 mg kg−1 day−1), pyronaridine achieved an excellent therapeutic outcome in a clinically relevant hepatic alveolar echinococcosis murine model, showing a significant reduction in both metacestode size (72.0%) and counts (85.2%) compared to unmedicated infected mice, which revealed significantly more potent anti-echinococcal potency than albendazole treatment at an equal dose (metacestode size: 42.3%; counts: 4.1%). The strong parasiticidal activity of pyronaridine was further confirmed by the destructive damage to metacestode tissues observed morphologically. In addition, a screening campaign combined with computational similarity searching against an approved drug library led to the identification of pirenzepine, a gastric acid-inhibiting drug, exhibiting potent parasiticidal activity against protoscoleces and in vitro cultured small cysts, which warranted further in vivo investigation as a promising anti-echinococcal lead compound. Pyronaridine has a known drug profile and a long track record of safety, and its repurposing could translate rapidly to clinical use for human patients with alveolar echinococcosis as an alternative or salvage treatment.

In this study, we integrate work–family enrichment and upper echelons theories to examine how and when chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) family experiences impact their firms’ performance. We argue that CEO family harmony has an indirect effect on their firms’ product innovation performance through top management team (TMT) behavioral integration. Additionally, we propose that CEO founder status strengthens the effects of CEO family harmony. Our analysis of data from 101 CEOs and 458 TMT members in various high-tech industries in China indicates that the positive relationship between CEO family harmony and firms’ product innovation performance is mediated by TMT behavioral integration. Moreover, CEO founder status increases the direct effect of CEO family harmony on TMT behavioral integration and its indirect effect on firms’ product innovation performance through TMT behavioral integration. These findings have theoretical and practical implications and provide new research directions in the study of CEO family–work spillover and CEO–TMT interfaces.