This paper aims to investigate how a gamified learning approach influences science learning, achievement and motivation, through a context‐aware mobile learning environment, and explains the effects ...on motivation and student learning. A series of gamified learning activities, based on MGLS (Mobile Gamification Learning System), was developed and implemented in an elementary school science curriculum to improve student motivation and to help students engage more actively in their learning activities. The responses to our questionnaire indicate that students valued the outdoor learning activities made possible by the use of a smartphone and its functions. Pre‐ and post‐test results demonstrated that incorporating mobile and gamification technologies into a botanical learning process could achieve a better learning performance and a higher degree of motivation than either non‐gamified mobile learning or traditional instruction. Further, they revealed a positive relationship between learning achievement and motivation. The correlation coefficient for ARCS dimensions and post‐test shows that the ARCS‐A (attention) is greater than ARCS‐R, ARCS‐C and ARCS‐S. This means that the attention (ARCS‐A) of this system is an important dimension in this research. The results could provide parents, teachers and educational organizations with the necessary data to make more relevant educational decision.
There have been few recent studies demonstrating a definitive association between the transmission of airborne infections and the ventilation of buildings. The severe acute respiratory syndrome ...(SARS) epidemic in 2003 and current concerns about the risk of an avian influenza (H5N1) pandemic, have made a review of this area timely. We searched the major literature databases between 1960 and 2005, and then screened titles and abstracts, and finally selected 40 original studies based on a set of criteria. We established a review panel comprising medical and engineering experts in the fields of microbiology, medicine, epidemiology, indoor air quality, building ventilation, etc. Most panel members had experience with research into the 2003 SARS epidemic. The panel systematically assessed 40 original studies through both individual assessment and a 2-day face-to-face consensus meeting. Ten of 40 studies reviewed were considered to be conclusive with regard to the association between building ventilation and the transmission of airborne infection. There is strong and sufficient evidence to demonstrate the association between ventilation, air movements in buildings and the transmission/spread of infectious diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, chickenpox, influenza, smallpox and SARS. There is insufficient data to specify and quantify the minimum ventilation requirements in hospitals, schools, offices, homes and isolation rooms in relation to spread of infectious diseases via the airborne route. PRACTICAL IMPLICATION: The strong and sufficient evidence of the association between ventilation, the control of airflow direction in buildings, and the transmission and spread of infectious diseases supports the use of negatively pressurized isolation rooms for patients with these diseases in hospitals, in addition to the use of other engineering control methods. However, the lack of sufficient data on the specification and quantification of the minimum ventilation requirements in hospitals, schools and offices in relation to the spread of airborne infectious diseases, suggest the existence of a knowledge gap. Our study reveals a strong need for a multidisciplinary study in investigating disease outbreaks, and the impact of indoor air environments on the spread of airborne infectious diseases.
Synaptic plasticity in response to changes in physiologic state is coordinated by hormonal signals across multiple neuronal cell types. Here, we combine cell-type-specific electrophysiological, ...pharmacological, and optogenetic techniques to dissect neural circuits and molecular pathways controlling synaptic plasticity onto AGRP neurons, a population that regulates feeding. We find that food deprivation elevates excitatory synaptic input, which is mediated by a presynaptic positive feedback loop involving AMP-activated protein kinase. Potentiation of glutamate release was triggered by the orexigenic hormone ghrelin and exhibited hysteresis, persisting for hours after ghrelin removal. Persistent activity was reversed by the anorexigenic hormone leptin, and optogenetic photostimulation demonstrated involvement of opioid release from POMC neurons. Based on these experiments, we propose a memory storage device for physiological state constructed from bistable synapses that are flipped between two sustained activity states by transient exposure to hormones signaling energy levels.
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► Ghrelin and food deprivation induce synaptic plasticity at AGRP neurons ► An AMPK-dependent positive feedback loop results in synapse bistability ► Leptin and POMC opioids switch off AMPK, positive feedback, and persistent activity ► Bistable synapses can store a reversible memory of hormonal state in hunger circuits
Hunger stimulates synaptic activity that drives feeding behavior and continues until leptin signals satiety. This persistent synaptic activity is driven by a positive feedback loop of AMPK and Ca
2+ signaling.
The associated risk of phthalate exposure, both parent compounds in the home and their metabolites in urine, to childhood allergic and respiratory morbidity, after adjusting for exposures of indoor ...pollutants, especially bioaerosols, was comprehensively assessed. Levels of five phthalates in settled dust from the homes of 101 children (3–9 years old) were measured, along with their corresponding urinary metabolites. Other environmental risk factors, including indoor CO2, PM2.5, formaldehyde, 1,3‐β‐d‐glucan, endotoxin, allergen and fungal levels, were concomitantly examined. Subject’s health status was verified by pediatricians, and parents recorded observed daily symptoms of their children for the week that the home investigation visit took place. Significantly increased level of benzylbutyl phthalate, in settled dust, was associated with test case subjects (allergic or asthmatic children). Higher levels of dibutyl phthalate and its metabolites, mono‐n‐butyl phthalate, and mono‐2‐ethylhexyl phthalate were found to be the potential risk factors for the health outcomes of interest. Similarly, indoor fungal exposure remained a significant risk factor, especially for reported respiratory symptoms. The relative contribution from exposure to phthalates and indoor biocontaminants in childhood allergic and respiratory morbidity is, for the first time, quantitatively assessed and characterized.
Practical Implications
For asthmatic and allergic children living in subtropical and highly developed environments like homes in Taiwan, controlling environmental exposure of phthalates may be viewed as equally important as avoiding indoor microbial burdens, for the management of allergy‐related diseases. It is also recognized that multidisciplinary efforts will be critical in realizing the true underlying mechanisms associated with these observations.
Aims
Oily sludge is a kind of mixture that is extremely harmful to the environment. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a commonly used method for biodegrading oily sludge. However, the AD treatment cycle is ...usually long and inefficient. Here, we developed an approach to improve the degradation rate of oily sludge by integrating subcritical hydrothermal pretreatment (SHP) and AD.
Methods and Results
First, using SHP, the hydrocarbon compounds with long carbon chains that make up oil sludge were decomposed into hydrocarbons with short carbon chains, which are conducive to microbial decomposition and transformation. Then, AD was performed using a variety of temperature and solid–liquid ratio parameters. The results showed that the degradation ratio of oily sludge was higher when SHP was combined with AD than when no pre‐treatment was performed. Optimal degradation was reached by performing SHP to obtain CHS8, then performing AD at 30°C using a 1:5 solid–liquid ratio. Under these conditions, maximum degradation ratios of 69·00% of TOC, 59·02% of COD, 44·68% of ammonia and 54·24% of oil content were reached.
Conclusions
In conclusion, after SHP with 8% dilute sulphuric acid, most of the macromolecular hydrocarbons in the oily sludge were converted into smaller molecules, which facilitated subsequent microbial decomposition. The results showed that this combination of SHP and AD processes promotes more efficient degradation than a conventional single AD process without any hydrothermal pretreatment.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Our experiments provide technical support for enhancing the rapid degradation of oily sludge.
Resveratrol, a phytochemical found in various plants and Chinese herbs, is associated with multiple tumor-suppressing activities, has been tested in clinical trials. However, the molecular mechanisms ...involved in resveratrol-mediated tumor suppressing activities are not yet completely defined. Here, we showed that treatment with resveratrol inhibited cell mobility through induction of the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) in lung cancer cells. We also found that downregulation of FOXC2 (forkhead box C2) is critical for resveratrol-mediated suppression of tumor metastasis in an in vitro and in vivo models. We also identified a signal cascade, namely, resveratrol-∣miRNA-520h-∣PP2A/C-∣Akt → NF-κB → FOXC2, in which resveratrol inhibited the expression of FOXC2 through regulation of miRNA-520h-mediated signal cascade. This study identified a new miRNA-520h-related signal cascade involved in resveratrol-mediated tumor suppression activity and provide the clinical significances of miR-520h, PP2A/C and FOXC2 in lung cancer patients. Our results indicated a functional link between resveratrol-mediated miRNA-520h regulation and tumor suppressing ability, and provide a new insight into the role of resveratrol-induced molecular and epigenetic regulations in tumor suppression.
Following the 15 January 2022 Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai eruption, several trace gases measured by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) displayed anomalous stratospheric values. Trajectories and ...radiance simulations confirm that the H2O, SO2, and HCl enhancements were injected by the eruption. In comparison with those from previous eruptions, the SO2 and HCl mass injections were unexceptional, although they reached higher altitudes. In contrast, the H2O injection was unprecedented in both magnitude (far exceeding any previous values in the 17‐year MLS record) and altitude (penetrating into the mesosphere). We estimate the mass of H2O injected into the stratosphere to be 146 ± 5 Tg, or ∼10% of the stratospheric burden. It may take several years for the H2O plume to dissipate. This eruption could impact climate not through surface cooling due to sulfate aerosols, but rather through surface warming due to the radiative forcing from the excess stratospheric H2O.
Plain Language Summary
The violent Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai eruption on 15 January 2022 not only injected ash into the stratosphere but also large amounts of water vapor, breaking all records for direct injection of water vapor, by a volcano or otherwise, in the satellite era. This is not surprising since the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai caldera was formerly situated 150 m below sea level. The massive blast injected water vapor up to altitudes as high as 53 km. Using measurements from the Microwave Limb Sounder on NASA's Aura satellite, we estimate that the excess water vapor is equivalent to around 10% of the amount of water vapor typically residing in the stratosphere. Unlike previous strong eruptions, this event may not cool the surface, but rather it could potentially warm the surface due to the excess water vapor.
Key Points
Following the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai eruption, the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder measured enhancements of stratospheric H2O, SO2, and HCl
The mass of SO2 and HCl injected is comparable to that from prior eruptions, whereas the magnitude of the H2O injection is unprecedented
Excess stratospheric H2O will persist for years, could affect stratospheric chemistry and dynamics, and may lead to surface warming
Summary
Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD), a type of systemic non‐Langerhans cell histiocytosis, is uncommon and characterized by the accumulation of CD68+CD1a− foamy histiocytes. It is extremely rare in ...children. The skin lesions of paediatric ECD have not been systemically described before. We report a case of ECD in a 3·5‐year‐old Chinese boy. The patient presented with generalized skin and bone involvement of 3 years’ duration. Marked generalized annular maculopapular lesions with central atrophy were seen. These differed from previously reported adult xanthoma‐like papules or periorbital xanthelasma‐like lesions. Computed tomography revealed diffuse pulmonary fibrosis and generalized skeletal involvement, including osteolysis and osteosclerosis. The presence of CD68+CD1a− histiocytes allowed the diagnosis of ECD. According to our review of the literature, this is the paediatric case of ECD with the youngest age of onset. The generalized skin involvement made our case unique in comparison with those previously reported.
What's already known about this topic?
Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) is extremely rare in children, and skin lesions have not been described systemically before.
What does this study add?
The patient presented with generalized annular maculopapular lesions with central atrophy, which differed from previously reported xanthoma‐like papules or periorbital xanthelasma‐like lesions.
Computed tomography and the presence of CD68+CD1a− histiocytes allowed the diagnosis of ECD to be made.
The case described here has the youngest age of onset reported, and the generalized skin involvement makes it unique in comparison with previous reports.
Linked Comment: Chasset and Haroche. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:31–32.
Assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture data (SM-DA) to correct soil water stores of rainfall-runoff models has shown skill in improving streamflow prediction. In the case of large and sparsely ...monitored catchments, SM-DA is a particularly attractive tool. Within this context, we assimilate satellite soil moisture (SM) retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E), the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) instrument, using an Ensemble Kalman filter to improve operational flood prediction within a large (> 40 000 km2) semi-arid catchment in Australia. We assess the importance of accounting for channel routing and the spatial distribution of forcing data by applying SM-DA to a lumped and a semi-distributed scheme of the probability distributed model (PDM). Our scheme also accounts for model error representation by explicitly correcting bias in soil moisture and streamflow in the ensemble generation process, and for seasonal biases and errors in the satellite data. Before assimilation, the semi-distributed model provided a more accurate streamflow prediction (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, NSE = 0.77) than the lumped model (NSE = 0.67) at the catchment outlet. However, this did not ensure good performance at the "ungauged" inner catchments (two of them with NSE below 0.3). After SM-DA, the streamflow ensemble prediction at the outlet was improved in both the lumped and the semi-distributed schemes: the root mean square error of the ensemble was reduced by 22 and 24%, respectively; the false alarm ratio was reduced by 9% in both cases; the peak volume error was reduced by 58 and 1%, respectively; the ensemble skill was improved (evidenced by 12 and 13% reductions in the continuous ranked probability scores, respectively); and the ensemble reliability was increased in both cases (expressed by flatter rank histograms). SM-DA did not improve NSE. Our findings imply that even when rainfall is the main driver of flooding in semi-arid catchments, adequately processed satellite SM can be used to reduce errors in the model soil moisture, which in turn provides better streamflow ensemble prediction. We demonstrate that SM-DA efficacy is enhanced when the spatial distribution in forcing data and routing processes are accounted for. At ungauged locations, SM-DA is effective at improving some characteristics of the streamflow ensemble prediction; however, the updated prediction is still poor since SM-DA does not address the systematic errors found in the model prior to assimilation.
We measured annual C storage, or net ecosystem production (NEP), from 1999 to 2003 in an aspen-dominated, mixed-deciduous forest in Michigan, USA. Measurements of the annual production of above- and ...below-ground live and dead mass, foliar herbivory, and soil respiration were used to develop biometric estimates of NEP (NEP
B). Eddy-covariance measurements made above the canopy were used to construct meteorological estimates of NEP (NEP
M). Over the 5-year study period, C stored annually in live mass (above- and below-ground wood) averaged 2.13
Mg
C
ha
−1
year
−1, while annual detritus production (fine roots, leaf litter, woody debris) averaged 4.35
Mg
C
ha
−1
year
−1. Fine root inputs were the largest component (41%) of annual net primary production.
The forest was a consistent C sink, with annual NEP ranging from 0.80 to 1.98
Mg
C
ha
−1
year
−1, comparable in magnitude to other eastern North American forests. When annual NEP
B and NEP
M were compared in a given year, they differed from each other by 13–148%. However, when compared over 5 years, these independent estimates of C storage converged to within 1% of each other. Differences between same-year biometric and meteorological NEP estimates were explained in part by a lag between late-season net canopy photosynthesis and C allocated to tree growth the following spring. Weekly assessments of bole radial growth in 2001 and 2002 indicated that woody mass growth began prior to positive net canopy photosynthesis in the spring and that >25% of annual photosynthetic C assimilation occurred after growth had stopped in the autumn. Thus, while the temporal separation between photosynthesis and growth reduced agreement between annual NEP
B and NEP
M estimates, these metrics converged over several years. These results suggest that the allocation of recent photosynthate to storage carbohydrates, rather than to immediate growth, may obscure the relationship between shorter term, annual biometric and meteorological C storage estimates. Moreover, the 5-year convergence of biometric and meteorological NEP estimates serves as an important cross-validation, demonstrating that both approaches can yield accurate forest C storage assessments.
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