The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Mid-infrared light on executive control functions and autonomic nervous system dysregulation in early adulthood in screen-positive for depression and general psychological symptoms group. The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Depression Screening Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were administered online to 74 adolescent participants aged 18–22 years. Functional near-infrared brain imaging (fNIRS) was used to test brain function during the Stroop task, and heart rate variability (HRV) devices were used to test the autonomic nervous system. After a two-week Mid-infrared light intervention, subjects showed significant improvement in their depressive symptoms and psychological distress. The mean strength of brain functional connectivity was much more increased in the screening positive group, and significantly decreased after intervention. HRV measure showed significant differences across several indicators: LF, HF, LF/HF, SDNN, and RMSSD between screening positive and health control, and significant improvements in several key indicators: LF/HF, RMSSD, and HF after intervention. This integration of mood, HRV, and functional brain imaging data provides a comprehensive view of Mid-infrared light interventions, which can restore autonomic balance and enhance cognitive efficiency, highlighting its potential as a non-pharmacological approach worthy of further investigation for regulating mood and cognitive function. It is important to underscore that this study is exploratory and hypothesis-generating in nature. The modest sample size from a single population limits generalizability. The lack of pre-registration and the control condition, which did not fully mimic the device’s placebo effect, are notable limitations. Consequently, all findings should be interpreted as preliminary, serving primarily to generate hypotheses and guide the design of more definitive future studies, rather than to inform direct clinical practice. Future research necessitates larger-scale, pre-registered, double-blind, sham-controlled trials to verify these initial observations.
Rapid advances in CRISPR/Cas systems and the growing global demand for rapid, accurate diagnostics underscore the necessity of reviewing how these technologies are transforming molecular testing. Conventional diagnostic approaches are frequently constrained by prolonged turnaround times, complex instrumentation, and limited analytical sensitivity, and these limitations were starkly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, we present a comprehensive and timely overview of CRISPR/Cas-based molecular diagnostics. We begin by summarizing the classification and molecular mechanisms of CRISPR/Cas types I–VI, followed by a detailed discussion of innovative detection strategies such as SHERLOCK, DETECTR, and amplification-free platforms that significantly enhance analytical sensitivity and specificity. We further explore clinical applications across infectious disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance profiling, early cancer detection, genetic variant identification, and the emerging detection of non-nucleic acid biomarkers. Finally, we discuss future perspectives, including the development of miniaturized, high-throughput, and AI-assisted diagnostic platforms, their integration with microfluidics and portable readout systems for point-of-care applications, and highlight critical challenges such as standardization, automation, and cost-effectiveness that must be addressed to facilitate clinical translation.
Urban air quality reflects the combined effects of topography, built form, and emission sources, producing pronounced spatial and temporal variability in pollutant dispersion. This study investigates how urban morphological features-building density, green-space distribution, and transportation corridors-shape these dispersion patterns by deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with Air Quality Index (AQI) sensors. Multi-altitude, high-resolution drone transects were conducted across contrasting urban settings to capture fine-scale pollutant distributions and their dynamics. The measurements reveal localized hotspots and zones of limited dispersion that align with variations in building layout, vegetation presence, and traffic intensity. Compared with fixed-site monitors, the UAV approach resolves vertical and horizontal gradients that are otherwise missed, providing complementary evidence of three-dimensional micro-scale heterogeneity. Taken together, the results indicate that decisions on urban design and infrastructure placement materially influence air-quality outcomes. These findings support the integration of UAV-based observations with conventional monitoring networks to inform targeted mitigation measures, exposure-aware mobility planning, and evidence-based strategies for public health and urban sustainability.
To address the challenge of further reducing impurities in raw materials for high-purity melting of industrial-superalloys such as GH4169D, this study employed a CALPHAD-based high-throughput computational approach to establish the composition-phase stability-impurity behavior relationship. A low-melting-point, high-cleanliness Ni–Cr–Nb master alloy was developed and characterized with oxygen and nitrogen contents of 76 ppm and 36 ppm, respectively, and an inclusion number density of approximately 540 ± 20 cm−2 and an average inclusion size of 2.2 ± 0.15 μm, demonstrating excellent cleanliness and compositional controllability. In industrial-scale 3-ton GH4169D melting trials using the Ni–Cr–Nb master alloy, the oxygen content was reduced from 12 ppm to 8 ppm. The inclusion number densities at the ingot center, R/2 position, and edge were decreased by 7.75%, 36.1%, and 81.5%, respectively, while the maximum inclusion size was reduced from approximately 28 μm to 9–17 μm. The results indicate that the developed master alloy effectively suppresses the formation, growth, and radial segregation of inclusions in GH4169D, significantly enhancing its metallurgical uniformity and cleanliness. Furthermore, melting efficiency increased by 52.6%, and production costs decreased by approximately 2.3% per ton, highlighting substantial process and economic advantages. This work establishes a closed-loop research framework integrating “CALPHAD-based experimental design—industrial pilot-scale validation—production-line metallurgical quality evaluation”. It confirms the effectiveness of the master alloy strategy for high-purity scale-up superalloy production and provides a transferable technological pathway for the compositional design and industrial application of other master alloy systems and commercial alloys.
There is a proliferation of terms that are used to define and describe qualitative methods of review synthesis. These terms can make understanding which approach to use difficult, and the ability to generate operational clarity challenging. This is particularly important for lifespan mental health research, and further research is required that examines and maps the terms and approaches to synthesis. This scoping review aims to map the landscape of qualitative synthesis methods, evaluate the ability to operationalise named methods, explore their philosophical foundations and methodological associations, and consider the application within a specifically identified area of lifespan mental health research. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a scoping review was undertaken. A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases and grey literature sources. Articles were included that examined a methodological approach to qualitative synthesis. Data extraction and charting focused on synthesis type, frameworks, philosophical alignment, and operational guidance. Fifty-four articles were identified, and within these, 14 qualitative methodologies were identified, 5 types of aggregative methods, and 10 types of interpretive methods of synthesis. Meta-ethnography, meta-synthesis, and framework synthesis were the most frequently cited methodologies. A subset of these methodologies and methods was found to be the more operationalizable, and these are discussed. The review highlights significant terminological and methodological fragmentation in qualitative synthesis. It underscores the need for clearer guidance, standardised terminology, and stronger links between synthesis methodologies, methods, and philosophical traditions. A decision tree is proposed to support researchers in selecting appropriate synthesis methodologies.
