Extremely efficient sky‐blue organic electroluminescence with external quantum efficiency of ≈37% is achieved in a conventional planar device structure, using a highly efficient thermally activated ...delayed fluorescence emitter based on the spiroacridine–triazine hybrid and simultaneously possessing nearly unitary (100%) photoluminescence quantum yield, excellent thermal stability, and strongly horizontally oriented emitting dipoles (with a horizontal dipole ratio of 83%).
The COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide health emergency which calls for an unprecedented race for vaccines and treatment. In developing a COVID-19 vaccine, we applied technology previously used for ...MERS-CoV to produce a prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, S-2P. To enhance immunogenicity and mitigate the potential vaccine-induced immunopathology, CpG 1018, a Th1-biasing synthetic toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist was selected as an adjuvant candidate. S-2P in combination with CpG 1018 and aluminum hydroxide (alum) was found to be the most potent immunogen and induced high titer of neutralizing antibodies in sera of immunized mice against pseudotyped lentivirus reporter or live wild-type SARS-CoV-2. In addition, the antibodies elicited were able to cross-neutralize pseudovirus containing the spike protein of the D614G variant, indicating the potential for broad spectrum protection. A marked Th1 dominant response was noted from cytokines secreted by splenocytes of mice immunized with CpG 1018 and alum. No vaccine-related serious adverse effects were found in the dose-ranging study in rats administered single- or two-dose regimens of S-2P combined with CpG 1018 alone or CpG 1018 with alum. These data support continued development of CHO-derived S-2P formulated with CpG 1018 and alum as a candidate vaccine to prevent COVID-19 disease.
Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) has become a key multivariate statistical modeling technique that educational researchers frequently use. This paper reviews the uses of ...PLS‐SEM in 16 major e‐learning journals, and provides guidelines for improving the use of PLS‐SEM as well as recommendations for future applications in e‐learning research. A total of 53 articles using PLS‐SEM published in January 2009–August 2019 are reviewed. We assess these published applications in terms of the following key criteria: reasons for using PLS‐SEM, model characteristics, sample characteristics, model evaluations and reporting. Our results reveal that small sample size and nonnormal data are the first two major reasons for using PLS‐SEM. Moreover, we have identified how to extend the applications of PLS‐SEM in the e‐learning research field.
Genistein, a major isoflavone compound in soybeans, has been shown to have biological activities including anti‐cancer activates. In the present, we investigated the anti‐leukemia activity of ...genistein on HL‐60 cells in vitro. The percentage of viable cell, cell cycle distribution, apoptotic cell death, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and Ca2+ production and the level of ΔΨm were measured by flow cytometric assay. Cell apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress associated protein expressions were examined by Western blotting assay. Calpain 1, GRP78, and GADD153 expression were measured by confocal laser microscopy. Results indicated that genistein‐induced cell morphological changes, decreased the total viable cells, induced G2/M phase arrest and DNA damage and fragmentation (cell apoptosis) in HL‐60 cells. Genistein promoted ROS and Ca2+ productions and decreased the level of ΔΨm in HL‐60 cells. Western blotting assay demonstrated that genistein increased ER stress‐associated protein expression such as IRE‐1α, Calpain 1, GRP78, GADD153, caspase‐7, caspase‐4, and ATF‐6α at 20‐50 μM treatment and increased apoptosis associated protein expression such as pro‐apoptotic protein Bax, PARP‐cleavage, caspase‐9, and ‐3, but decreased anti‐apoptotic protein such as Bcl‐2 and Bid in HL‐60 cells. Calpain 1, GRP78, and GADD153 were increased in HL‐60 cells after exposure to 40 μM of genistein. In animal xenografted model, mice were intraperitoneally injected with genistein (0, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg) for 28 days and the body weight and tumor volume were recorded. Results showed that genistein did not affect the body weights but significantly reduced the tumor weight in 0.4 mg/kg genistein‐treated group. Genistein also increased the expressions of ATF‐6α, GRP78, Bax, Bad, and Bak in tumor. In conclusion, genistein decreased cell number through G2/M phase arrest and the induction of cell apoptosis through ER stress‐ and mitochondria‐dependent pathways in HL‐60 cells and suppressed tumor properties in vivo.
Augmented reality (AR) deepens learning interactions by imposing digital information on top of physical settings. This study implemented an AR-enhanced theme-based contextualized learning and aimed ...to examine the effects of captions (non-caption, English caption and Chinese caption) and English proficiency (less proficient and proficient) on junior high school students' English learning effectiveness, motivation and attitude. Six classes of ninth-graders voluntarily participated in the experimental learning sessions using tablets. A factorial design was employed, and the participants' learning performance, motivation and attitude were evaluated. The results indicated that captions did not affect knowledge comprehension, but English proficiency played a significant role in it. The effects of captions and English proficiency on knowledge application indicated that English captions placed high cognitive load and hindered less proficient learners' knowledge application, but proficient learners performed equally under different caption conditions. Generally, students demonstrated positive motivation toward learning from the AR-enhanced contextualized learning. The proficient learners were more motivated in terms of self-efficacy, proactive learning and learning value. All learners expressed positive attitude toward learning, among whom, those who learned without captions showed greater degrees of confidence and preferences, and the proficient learners showed greater degrees of confidence, preferences, learning process and learning strategy but lower degrees of anxiety.
Close links between students' conceptions of and approaches to learning were established in the past research. However, only a few quantitative studies investigated this relationship particularly ...with regard to mobile learning (m‐learning). The correlation between learners' conceptions and approaches to m‐learning was analysed using a partial least squares analysis applied to data obtained from a sample of 971 undergraduate students in China. The results indicated that students' conceptions of m‐learning could be classified into reproductive, transitional, and constructive levels. Students may hold multiple m‐learning applications than a predominant one; hence, examining m‐learning as one monolithic entity may provide limited information. Latent profile analysis identified four learning profiles based on students' preferred m‐learning applications: passive, mixed, surface‐supportive, and high‐engagement.. Moreover, a general trend was observed, whereby students with reproductive and surface‐supportive learning profiles showed a tendency to adopt surface approaches, whereas those expressing constructive and mixed learning profiles were more inclined to adopt deep approaches. Interestingly, students with transitional conceptions and high‐engagement learning profiles tended to take both surface and deep approaches.
Lay Description
What is already known about this topic
Previous studies have confirmed that conceptions of learning are closely linked with approaches to learning that tend to influence on learning performance.
Conceptions of ubiquitous learning/mobile learning (m‐learning) appeared a hierarchy, ranging from reproductive to constructivist conceptions.
What this paper adds
This study indicated that students' conceptions of m‐learning can be classified into reproductive, transitional, and constructive levels. Accordingly, the results of the latent profile analysis revealed four learning profiles that were able to characterize students in terms of their critical applications of m‐learning, namely, the high‐engagement, mixed, surface‐supportive, and passive m‐learning profiles.
A general trend was observed, whereby students with reproductive and surface‐supportive learning profiles showed a tendency to adopt surface approaches, whereas those expressing constructive and mixed learning profiles were more inclined to adopt deep approaches. Interestingly, students with transitional conceptions and high‐engagement learning profiles tended to take both surface and deep approaches.
Implications for practice and/or policy
The structure relationship between conceptions of and approaches to m‐learning and the role of different m‐learning profiles in approaches to m‐learning deepened the understanding of m‐learning processes and outcomes.
In order to develop suitable approaches to m‐learning and motivations specific to Chinese educational context, college educators and teachers might consciously guide students to cultivate their perceptions of m‐learning based on the findings in this study.
Objective
Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is an epileptic encephalopathy frequently associated with multiple types of seizures. The classical Na+ channel inhibitors are in general ineffective against ...the seizures in LGS. Rufinamide is a new Na+ channel inhibitor, but approved for the treatment of LGS. This is not consistent with a choice of antiseizure drugs (ASDs) according to simplistic categorical grouping.
Methods
The effect of rufinamide on the Na+ channel, cellular discharges, and seizure behaviors was quantitatively characterized in native neurons and mammalian models of epilepsy, and compared with the other Na+ channel inhibitors.
Results
With a much faster binding rate to the inactivated Na+ channel than phenytoin, rufinamide is distinctively effective if the seizure discharges chiefly involve short bursts interspersed with hyperpolarized interburst intervals, exemplified by spike and wave discharges (SWDs) on electroencephalograms. Consistently, rufinamide, but not phenytoin, suppresses SWD‐associated seizures in pentylenetetrazol or AY‐9944 models, which recapitulate the major electrophysiological and behavioral manifestations in typical and atypical absence seizures, including LGS.
Interpretation
Na+ channel inhibitors shall have sufficiently fast binding to exert an action during the short bursts and then suppress SWDs, in which cases rufinamide is superior. For the epileptiform discharges where the interburst intervals are not so hyperpolarized, phenytoin could be better because of the higher affinity. Na+ channel inhibitors with different binding kinetics and affinity to the inactivated channels may have different antiseizure scope. A rational choice of ASDs according to in‐depth molecular pharmacology and the attributes of ictal discharges is advisable. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:1099–1113
In this study, our objective was to assess the performance of two deep learning‐based hippocampal segmentation methods, SynthSeg and TigerBx, which are readily available to the public. We contrasted ...their performance with that of two established techniques, FreeSurfer‐Aseg and FSL‐FIRST, using three‐dimensional T1‐weighted MRI scans (n = 1447) procured from public databases. Our evaluation focused on the accuracy and reproducibility of these tools in estimating hippocampal volume. The findings suggest that both SynthSeg and TigerBx are on a par with Aseg and FIRST in terms of segmentation accuracy and reproducibility, but offer a significant advantage in processing speed, generating results in less than 1 min compared with several minutes to hours for the latter tools. In terms of Alzheimer's disease classification based on the hippocampal atrophy rate, SynthSeg and TigerBx exhibited superior performance. In conclusion, we evaluated the capabilities of two deep learning‐based segmentation techniques. The results underscore their potential value in clinical and research environments, particularly when investigating neurological conditions associated with hippocampal structures.
We evaluated the deep learning‐based methods, SynthSeg and TigerBx, against established hippocampal segmentation techniques using MRI scans. SynthSeg and TigerBx matched their accuracy and reproducibility, and offered faster processing and superior Alzheimer's disease classification based on the atrophy rate, suggesting their potential value in researching related neurological conditions.
There is a concern that materialistic thinking—meaning the tendency to attribute a set of matter‐like properties to nonmatter concepts—is one of the central barriers that students face in the journey ...toward understanding scientific concepts. The cross‐sectional study presented here used the Sound Concept Inventory Instrument (SCII) (Eshach, , Physical Review Physics Education Research, 10, 010202) to examine how Taiwanese students (N = 717: Grade 7 to undergraduate level) associate the nonmaterial concept of sound with this set of (erroneous) materialistic properties and/or with the (correct) scientific view. Its results show that students in all academic level groups associated sound, at least to some extent, with all of the materialistic properties defined in the instrument. Grades 7–9 evidenced the greatest amount of materialistic thinking, followed by Grade 11, with the lowest levels of materialistic thinking being shown by Grades 10 and 12, as well as university students. We also found that the respondents' confidence in the materialistic view they expressed was high. The results suggest that the extent to which students associate sound with materialistic thinking is not ordered by academic level, but was rather influenced by the immediate relevance of each group's recent curriculum to the topic of sound. This article concludes by examining the results through the lens of several different theories of conceptual change, and by making suggestions, in light of these results, for how the teaching of sound concepts might be improved.
With the increase in the use of the internet to search for health information about health-related problems, there is a need for health care professionals to better understand how their patients ...search for and use the online health information that may influence their medical decision making. The aims of this study are to explore laypeople’s online health information search strategies and examine the relationships between their search strategies and utilization behavior of online health information. Two scales, namely match and elaboration, were used to measure patients’ basic search strategies (ie, simple approach) and advanced search strategies (ie, integrative approach), respectively. In addition, the consultation scale was used to evaluate the participants’ use of online health information to consult doctors and others. A total of 253 outpatients without university education were purposely selected and surveyed. The participants were outpatients at a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to analyze the measurement model to specify the measurement validation. In addition, the structure model of PLS-SEM was evaluated to examine the path correlations between variables and to execute interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses. The results of the path correlation analysis by PLS-SEM showed that both elaboration strategy (path coefficient=0.55, P<.001) and match strategy (path coefficient=0.36, P<.001) were positively correlated with consultation on online health information with doctors and others. In addition, interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses indicated that there was a significant interaction effect between elaboration and match on consultation (path coefficient=–0.34, P<.001) and a significant curvilinear relationship between match and consultation (path coefficient=–0.09, P=.046). Increasing patients’ exposure to online health information through both a simple search approach (ie, match strategy) and a complex search approach (ie, elaboration strategy) may lead them to appropriately use the information to consult doctors and others. However, the results of interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses highlighted the essential role of the elaboration strategy to properly locate, evaluate, and apply online health information. The findings of this study may help health care professionals better understand how to communicate with their patients through the health information on the internet.
PDF
