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  • Development of flipped classroom module fcm for music theory instruction: An innovative approach to music education

    by Qisen Zhu, Khairul Azhar Jamaludin, Jinglong Li

    Conventional lecture-based instruction in music theory often falls short in fostering deep engagement, critical thinking, and applied musicianship—particularly in educational contexts shaped by teacher-centered traditions. This study presents the design, implementation, and empirical evaluation of a Flipped Classroom Module (FCM) tailored to undergraduate music theory instruction in Chinese higher education. Grounded in a tripartite theoretical framework integrating Self-Directed Learning, Course Development Theory, and Collaborative Learning Theory. The module employs a three-phase instructional sequence—pre-class preparation, in-class collaboration, and post-class reflection—delivered through a customized learning management system. A quasi-experimental design (N = 60) compared the FCM group with a traditional instruction control group across both cognitive and practical learning domains. Validated pre- and post-tests assessed music-theoretical knowledge and applied skills, and statistical analyses (independent and paired-sample t-tests) revealed significant learning gains in the FCM group (p < .05). Beyond confirming the pedagogical efficacy of the flipped approach, the study demonstrates how culturally responsive instructional design can enhance accessibility, learner autonomy, and instructional coherence within constrained curricular environments. The findings contribute to ongoing international discourse on digital transformation in higher music education and offer a replicable framework for theory-informed, discipline-specific flipped pedagogy.

  • Sarcopenia modelling by portal vein ligation inducing hyperammonemia in rats

    by Maria Nadinskaia, Kseniya Gulyaeva, Aleksandr Sukhinin, Alla Sedova, Polina Boykova, Ilya Izmailov, Ksenia Pokidova, Egor Kuzmin, Artem Venediktov, Igor Meglinski, Gennadii Piavchenko

    Sarcopenia is a progressive muscle wasting condition often associated with hyperammonemia. However, no approved animal models of sarcopenia with hyperammonemia were reported. This study aimed to provide a surgical modelling of sarcopenia with hyperammonemia. Male Wistar rats were assigned by the method of random numbers (n = 6 per group) into experimental group with ligation of portal and pyloric veins or control group with sham surgery. Blood ammonia levels were measured directly after the surgery (20 min), after 1 h to observe acute damage in functioning shunts, and at the final endpoint (30 days). Rats were sacrificed with histological study of the liver, spleen, cerebral cortex, and skeletal muscles. Experimental rats revealed hyperammonemia at 30 days compared to controls, 70 µmol/L versus 38 µmol/L, p <0.05. No significant changes were observed in liver morphology between the groups, approving hyperammonemia without liver damage. Splenomegaly and Gamna-Gandy bodies in the spleen of experimental rats indirectly evidenced functionable portosystemic shunting after the ligation. Cerebral cortex showed a significant decrease in neurons of experimental animals, 7.6 ± 2.5 NeuN+cells vs 13 ± 2 in controls, p <0.05. Skeletal muscles revealed a significant difference of muscle fiber diameter between the groups, 20.2 ± 2.1 µm in the experimental group vs 30.7 ± 4.3 µm in controls, at p < 0.001. A model of sarcopenia with hyperammonemia was established with concomitant changes in cerebral histology revealed. This model may be a valuable tool for studies of sarcopenia and related therapeutic options.

  • Clinical impact of prophylactic antibiotics in kidney transplantation: A retrospective observational cohort study with historical comparison

    by Sang Ah Lee, Jin-Myung Kim, Hye Eun Kwon, Youngmin Ko, Joo Hee Jung, Sung Shin, Young Hoon Kim, Sung-Han Kim, Hyunwook Kwon

    Purpose

    Optimal perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in kidney transplantation remains undefined despite routine antibiotic administration to prevent infections. In this retrospective observational cohort study with historical comparison, we compared the clinical efficacy of 6 days of ampicillin/sulbactam vs. a single dose of cefazolin.

    Materials and methods

    We retrospectively analyzed 2322 kidney transplantation recipients at a single center, with the evaluation period spanning from 2015 through 2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the perioperative antibiotic regimen received: 971 patients received ampicillin/sulbactam, and 1351 received cefazolin. This study focused on evaluating the impact of these regimens on postoperative infection incidence and the 6-month acute rejection (AR) rates.

    Results

    The cefazolin group exhibited a tendency toward higher urinary tract infection rates within 1 month after transplantation (3.4% vs. 2.2%, p= = 0.078). There were no significant differences in surgical site infections between the groups. The 6-month AR rates were significantly lower in the cefazolin group than in the ampicillin/sulbactam group (5.1% vs. 7.9%, p= = 0.009). Cefazolin was also confirmed to be significantly associated with reduced 6-month AR rates in the multivariable logistic regression analysis (odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval [0.45-0.89], p= = 0.009).

    Conclusion

    In this study, we observed that a single dose of cefazolin as perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis may lead to higher rates of postoperative urinary tract infections, but it could potentially lower the incidence of acute rejection within six months.



  • Large language models for prognostic analysis in mechanical fault diagnosis

    by Hao Zhang, Wei Wang, Longfei Zhang, Siyu Shao, Qingli Wang, Jiandong Li, Jun Hu

    With the in-depth development of industrial intelligence, as the core basic component of high-end equipment, the fault diagnosis and health management of rotating machinery has become a key link to ensure the reliability of complex systems. Although the intelligent diagnosis technology based on mechanical vibration signals has made remarkable progress, in complex mechanical systems, it is difficult to comprehensively cover the fault feature space using vibration signal data only.This paper proposes an intelligent diagnosis framework based on a large language model. By empowering the large language model through multimodal data feature fusion and constructing a ternary data system of “raw vibration signals - time-frequency spectrum features - fault knowledge text”, the framework realizes cross-modal joint representation of mechanical fault features and breaks through the bottlenecks of traditional methods, such as insufficient feature extraction capability under complex working conditions and limited cross-scenario generalization. The framework innovatively integrates the deep semantic understanding ability of pre-trained large language models with mechanical fault mechanisms. Through the method of plugging in principle knowledge bases, the model can not only output fault location results but also simultaneously generate interpretable reports including fault cause analysis and maintenance strategy suggestions.The model proposed in this paper has been strictly tested on bearing datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the model exhibits excellent performance and adaptability in different industrial scenarios.

  • Cultural stress, family functioning, hazardous alcohol use, and mental health among Latin American parents in the United States: A latent profile analysis

    by Andrea Lopez-Soto, Esmeralda Ramírez, Duyen H. Vo, Aigerim Alpysbekova, Seo Woo Lee, Maria Duque, Lawrence Watkins, Cory L. Cobb, Beyhan Ertanir, Alejandra Garcia Isaza, Evelyn Gualdron, Sumeyra Sahbaz, Collette Steed, Neel Devan Youts, Shriya Senapathi, Seth J. Schwartz, Pablo Montero-Zamora

    There is a limited understanding of how different subgroups of Latin American immigrant parents experience cultural stressors, as well as its impact on family dynamics, health behaviors, and mental health. The present study aimed to (1) identify latent cultural stress profiles among Latin American immigrant parents in the U.S. and (2) examine differences among these profiles concerning family intimacy, democratic parenting style, family conflict, hazardous alcohol use, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Participants consisted of a sample of 1,351 parents (61.9% female; M age = 39.83, 62% first-generation; North America [61%], Central America and the Caribbean [21%], and South America [19%]) of children aged 8–16. We used latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of cultural stress, defined by perceived discrimination (PDS) and negative context of reception (NCR). Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine key correlates of profile membership. Five latent profiles were identified (1) Low PDS/NCR (22.2%), (2) Low PDS/Elevated NCR (14.8%), (3) Moderate PDS/NCR (18.7%), (4) Elevated PDS/NCR (33.5%), and (5) Highest PDS/NCR (10.8%). Compared with Profile 1 (Low PDS/NCR), parents in Profiles 2–5 generally reported lower family intimacy (RRR = 0.93–0.97). Parents in Profile 5 (Highest PDS/NCR) reported more family conflict (RRR = 1.13), hazardous alcohol use (RRR = 1.20), depressive symptoms (RRR = 1.31), and anxiety symptoms (RRR = 1.29), with markedly elevated depressive (RRR = 22.94) and anxiety symptomatology (RRR = 17.48) compared with Profile 1. Our findings suggest the presence of vulnerable subgroups due to cultural stress among Latin American parents in the United States. A better understanding of cultural stress patterns may improve current and future interventions tailored for Latin American families, addressing health disparities within this population.