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Researchers often struggle when applying ‘golden rules of thumb’ to evaluate structural equation models. This paper questions the notion of universal thresholds and calls for adjusted orientation points that account for sample size, factor loadings, the number of latent variables and indicators, as well as data (non-)normality. This research explores the need for flexible cutoffs and their accuracy in single- and two-index strategies. Study 1 reveals that many indices are biased; thus, rigid cutoffs can become imprecise. Flexible cutoff values are shown to compensate for the unique distorting patterns and prove to be particularly beneficial for moderate misspecification. Study 2 sheds further light on this ‘gray’ area of misspecification and disentangles the different sources of misspecification. Study 3 finally investigates the performance of flexible cutoffs for non-normal data. Having substantiated higher performance for flexible reference values, this paper provides to managers an easy-to-use tool that facilitates the determination of adequate cutoffs.

INTRODUCTION This study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a novel plasma phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) 217/amyloid beta (Aβ) 42 ratio test for Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS The diagnostic performance of the Lumipulse G plasma p‐tau217/Aβ42 ratio was evaluated using Aβ and tau positron emission tomography (PET) as reference standards in a clinic cohort (n = 391) and a community cohort (n = 121). RESULTS Plasma p‐tau217/Aβ42 exhibited high performance for abnormal statuses of Aβ PET (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.963 to 0.966) and tau PET (AUC: 0.947 to 0.974), which were clinically equivalent to those of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) p‐tau181/Aβ42 and Aβ42/Aβ40 and higher than those of blood p‐tau217, Aβ42/Aβ40, p‐tau181, and p‐tau181/Aβ42 in both clinic and community cohorts. Applying a two‐cutoff approach improved the specificity without reducing sensitivity. The p‐tau217/Aβ42 ratio had a lower intermediate percentage than p‐tau217 alone in both clinic (10.6% vs 13.0%) and community (16.5% vs 31.4%) cohorts. DISCUSSION Plasma p‐tau217/Aβ42 has high performance in detecting cerebral AD pathologies, thus offering a promising tool for clinical diagnosis and community screening of AD. Highlights Lumipulse G plasma p‐tau217 and the p‐tau217/Aβ42 ratio accurately identified abnormal Aβ and tau PET statuses in both clinical and community cohorts. The performance of plasma p‐tau217 and p‐tau217/Aβ42 ratio were equivalent to CSF tests. Plasma p‐tau217/Aβ42 ratio outperformed p‐tau217 alone in identifying Aβ PET positivity, and this superiority is more obvious in the community cohort, suggesting an advantage in the early diagnosis of AD. Two cut points of p‐tau217/Aβ42 were established in the Chinese population for clinical laboratory and community screening uses.

The purpose of this study was to establish the clinical breakpoint (CBP) of apramycin (APR) against Salmonella in swine and evaluate its effect on intestinal microbiota. The CBP was established based on three cutoff values of wild-type cutoff value (COWT), pharmacokinetic-pharmadynamic (PK/PD) cutoff value (COPD) and clinical cutoff value (COCL). The effect of the optimized dose regimen based on ex vivo PK/PD study. The evolution of the ileum flora was determined by the 16rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics. This study firstly established the COWT, COPD in ileum, and COCL of APR against swine Salmonella, the value of these cutoffs were 32 µg/mL, 32 µg/mL and 8 µg/mL, respectively. According to the guiding principle of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), the final CBP in ileum was 32 µg/mL. Our results revealed the main evolution route in the composition of ileum microbiota of diarrheic piglets treated by APR. The change of the abundances of Bacteroidetes and Euryarchaeota was the most obvious during the evolution process. Methanobrevibacter, Prevotella, S24-7 and Ruminococcaceae were obtained as the highest abundance genus. The abundance of Methanobrevibacter increased significantly when APR treatment carried and decreased in cure and withdrawal period groups. The abundance of Prevotella in the tested groups was significantly lower than that in the healthy group. A decreased of abundance in S24-7 was observed after Salmonella infection and increased slightly after cure. Ruminococcaceae increased significantly after Salmonella infection and decreased significantly after APR treatment. In addition, the genera of Methanobrevibacter and Prevotella were defined as the key node. Valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, D-Glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, D-Alanine metabolism, Peptidoglycan and amino acids biosynthesis were the top five Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in the ileum microbiota of piglets during the Salmonella infection and APR treatment process. Our study extended the understanding of dynamic shift of gut microbes during diarrheic piglets treated by APR.

Entry into formal schooling is a signature developmental milestone for young children and their families and represents an important period of cognitive, social, and emotional development. Until recently, few researchers have attempted to isolate the unique impact of schooling on children’s developmental and academic outcomes. The application of quasiexperimental methods has provided researchers with the tools to examine when and how schooling shapes children’s development. In this article, we summarize three main insights from this work: (a) Schooling produces major, unique changes in children’s growth across a wide range of psychological processes important for learning; (b) the effects of schooling are not universal across all domains; and (c) schooling impacts cognitive processes that are not explicitly taught. We also propose that a deeper look at classroom instruction and brain development can expand our understanding of how schooling influences academic success and positive life outcomes and provide a model for developmental science more broadly.

Three solar energetic particle (SEP) events originating from solar active region 13664 occurred on 10–16 May 2024, coinciding with a geomagnetic superstorm. Using data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites and Meteorological Operational satellite‐C, we investigate the energetic proton fluxes and east‐west flux ratios in geostationary orbit, as well as the cutoff L$L$ ‐shells measured in low Earth orbit during these events. For the first time, we find the rigidity dependence of the correlations between the east‐west proton flux ratios and the Kp$Kp$index, the Dst$Dst$index, and solar wind dynamic pressure. The corresponding correlation coefficients significantly increase and then decrease with the increase of proton rigidity. Such non‐monotonic variation can be well explained by the penumbral rigidity cutoffs of penetrating protons in west‐looking and east‐looking directions. The results suggest the strong influence of geomagnetic shielding on SEP penetration.

Let x₁, . . . , xn be a fixed sequence of real numbers. At each stage, pick two indices I and J uniformly at random, and replace xI, xJ by (xI + xJ )/2, (xI + xJ )/2. Clearly, all the coordinates converge to (x₁ +···+ xn )/n. We determine the rate of convergence, establishing a sharp “cutoff” transition answering a question of Jean Bourgain.

We consider the biased card shuffling and the Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process (ASEP) on the segment. We obtain the asymptotic of their mixing times: our results show that these two continuous-time Markov chains display cutoff. Our analysis combines several ingredients including: a study of the hydrodynamic profile for ASEP, the use of monotonic eigenfunctions, stochastic comparisons and concentration inequalities.

Recent advancements in membrane technology have significantly improved dialyzer permeability, enabling the enhanced clearance of molecules across a broad spectrum, from small water-soluble solutes to large middle-molecules (LMM). While current end-stage renal disease (ESRD) guidelines recognize three HD modalities (low-flux HD, high-flux HD, and expanded HD), existing dialyzer classification systems fail to adequately incorporate the clearance capacity for larger molecular weight toxins, limiting their clinical utility for optimal dialyzer selection. To address this gap, a working group of Chinese nephrology and blood purification experts convened. Using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology with Delphi surveys, the group developed a performance-based dialyzer classification system. The consensus achieved two key objectives: (1) establishing clinically relevant evaluation indicators for dialyzer performance, and (2) proposing an improved classification framework based on these parameters. This initiative aligns with the latest international standards for uremic toxin classification and ESRD treatment strategies while specifically focusing on user-centered performance metrics. Building upon existing dialyzer classifications and membrane categories, the consensus provides enhanced differentiation of LMM toxin clearance capabilities. The resulting recommendations aim to guide clinicians in selecting the most appropriate dialyzers for specific patient needs, thereby optimizing the treatment efficacy and patient outcomes. Although developed to address specific challenges in Chinese clinical practice, this consensus offers valuable insights into the global nephrological community. Its practical, performance-oriented approach to dialyzer classification has the potential to improve the standardization of dialysis care worldwide, ultimately benefiting patient safety and treatment quality.

Heightened irritability in adolescence is an impairing symptom that can lead to negative outcomes in adulthood, but effective screening tools are lacking. This study aimed to derive clinically-optimized cutoff scores using the Multidimensional Assessment Profile Scales-Temper Loss (MAPS-TL) to pragmatically identify adolescents with impairing irritability. A diverse sample of 79 adolescents and their parents completed the MAPS-TL-Youth version. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to determine the items associated with impairment, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to derive optimal cutoff scores. Three parent-report items (become frustrated easily, angry/irritable/grouchy throughout the day, difficulty calming down when angry) and two youth-report items (hit/shove/kick when lost temper, difficulty calming down when angry) were strongly associated with impairment. Optimal cutoff scores garnered very good sensitivity (91%, 73%) and specificity (77%, 75%) for the parent- and youth-report versions respectively. Scores above these cutoffs were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing problems and lower overall quality of life. The MAPS-TL clinically optimized irritability scores show preliminary validity for implementation in practical settings to efficiently identify adolescents who need additional evaluation and/or intervention. Further research is important to validate these cutoff scores with larger population-based samples and real-world settings.