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The usage of industrial effluents for agricultural purposes has become common practice both in developing and developed countries. Industrial effluents may add significant amount of nutrients for the nourishment of soil. However, the presence of various pollutants in effluents may deteriorate physicochemical nature of soil. The current study presents the effect of different proportions (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) of PBM effluents containing heavy metals on physicochemical properties of soil. These soil samples were analyzed at regular intervals of 30, 60 and 90 days. The findings of the study indicate that lower proportions (20 and 40%) of PBM effluents may be preferred for long- term irrigation. On the other hand, higher proportions (60, 80 and 100%) of PBM effluents may cause adverse effects on physicochemical characteristics of soil within short duration of irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An enrichment method of glycoproteins using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) was developed. • The μPADs consist of two separate parts: the enrichment part (Chip I) and the detection part (Chip II). • The 3-aminophenylboronic acid immobilized on Chip I can capture glycoproteins at pH 8.0 and release them at pH 3.0. • The method can effectively enrich an ovalbumin solution with concentrations as low as 1.0 × 10−11 mol/L. • Glycoproteins was enriched from 1 × 106-fold diluted real egg white samples. We introduce a facile method for glycoprotein enrichment, separation, and detection using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). The μPADs comprise two distinct components: the enrichment region (Chip I) and the detection section (Chip II). The reusable Chip I is fabricated by immobilizing 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) onto a circular paper substrate, demonstrating exceptional glycoprotein affinity. In disposable Chip II, glycoproteins react with periodic acid, generating carbonyl compounds that produce a purple-colored product upon reacting with the Schiff reagent. Alterations in color intensity are captured using an ordinary cell phone and are subsequently analyzed using Photoshop software. Observations note a linear increase in average color intensities from 1.0 × 10−3 to 5.0 × 10−3 mol/L, with an R2 value of 0.9927. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of inter-day (n = 5) and intra-day (n = 5) assessments stand at 1.5 % and 1.4 %, respectively. Our proposed approach can effectively enrich an ovalbumin (OVA) solution with concentrations as low as 1.0 × 10−11 mol/L, resulting in enrichment rates of 107 to 108 times. The interference deviations of five substances relative to OVA lie within the range of − 2.0 % to + 2.0 %. The methodology successfully enriches glycoproteins from egg white samples diluted by a factor of 1 × 106, demonstrating that the proposed method is remarkably suitable for enriching glycoproteins from authentic samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based analytical device (PAD) has received more and more attention in the field of point-of-care test (POCT) due to its low cost, portability and simple operation. Sensitivity and selectivity are two important aspects in clinical diagnostic analysis. However, low sensitivity of a PAD limits its wider application for POCT. Here we introduced a PAD that can clean and enrich the protein content from salty media with both electric field (E) and pH gradient (double E/pH gradients), with which 100-fold enrichment effect could be achieved within 70 s as demonstrated by fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) from artificial urine media. With post staining of the protein stacking band with bromophenol blue (BPB), selective colorimetric detection of human serum albumin (HSA) was achieved simply with smartphone camera in the clinically significant range of 10–300 mg‧L−1 (R2 = 0.99) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 4.9 mg‧L−1. Detection of microalbuminuria (MAU) of diabetic patients was demonstrated with this method without difference (ɑ = 0.01) to that by the clinical method (immunoturbidimetry). This work demonstrated the potential of this PAD method in online sample pretreatment and detection of target component from complex physiological samples. Image 1 • Both electric field and pH gradient (E/pH double gradients) can be established and sustained on a paper fluidic channel. • Ampholytic content from salty sample media can be stacked/separated from other types of species. • Proteins from urine can be cumulatively stacked on the double gradient interface without intensive pre-treatment. • Sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of microalbuminuria (MAU) from clinical samples was successfully demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidic paper analytical devices (μPADs) are among the most promising platforms for heavy metal ion analysis. On the other hand, achieving simple and highly sensitive analysis of μPADs is challenging. In this study, we developed a simple enrichment method for sensitive multi-ion detection utilizing water-insoluble organic nanocrystals accumulated on μPAD. By combining the enrichment method with multivariate data analysis, three metal ion concentrations in the ion mixtures were simultaneously quantified with high sensitivity owing to the sensitive responses of the organic nanocrystals. In this work, we successfully quantified Zn2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ at 20 ng L−1 in the mixed ion solution using only two dye indicators with a larger sensitivity improvement than those reported in previous studies. Interference studies revealed possibilities for a practical application in real sample analysis. This developed approach also can be used for other analytes. [Display omitted] • Organic nanocrystals of two dyes were applied to microfluidic paper analytical devices. • The device responses to Zn2+, Cu2+ and Ni2+ were captured by a smartphone camera. • Quantitative multivariate analysis enabled simultaneous multi-ion determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing portable and sensitive biosensors for bacteria detection is highly demanded due to their association with environmental and food safety. Paper-based microfluidic chip is the suitable candidate for constructing pump-free biosensor since paper is hydrophilic, low-cost and easy to use. However, the contradiction between sensitivity and small sample volume seriously affects the application of paper-based chip for bacteria detection. Here, a new microfluidic biosensor, combining large PDMS reservoir for sample storage, hydrophilic paper substrate for pump-free water transport, coated microspheres for bacteria capture and super absorbent resin for water absorption, is designed for the detection of bacteria in aqueous samples. Once the sample solution is introduced in the reservoir, water will automatically flow through the gaps between microspheres and the target bacteria will be captured by the aptamer coated on the surface. To facilitate PDMS reservoir bonding and ensure water transport, the upper side of paper substrate is coated with Polyethylenimine modified PDMS and the bottom side is kept unchanged. After all the solution is filtrated, fluorescent dye strained bacteria are enriched on the microspheres. The fluorescent intensity representing the number of bacteria captured is then measured using a portable instrument. Through the designed microfluidic biosensor, the bacteria detection can be achieved with 2 mL sample solution in less than 15 min for water or 20 min for diluted milk. A linear range from 10 CFU/mL to 1000 CFU/mL is obtained. The paper-based 3D biosensor has the merits of low-cost, simple operation, pump-free and high sensitivity and it can be applied to the simultaneous detection of multiple bacteria via integrating different aptamers. [Display omitted] • A microfluidic chip is constructed for detecting bacteria with LOD of 10 CFU/mL. • A funnel-like PDMS reservoir is integrated for large sample solution storage. • Partially permeable paper and super absorbent resin are for self-pumping. • The target bacteria can be captured and enriched by coated microparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: People are living longer than ever before. Many arrive at a later stage of life in poor health and with inadequate financial and social resources. The purpose of this paper is to describe people's general state of preparedness for their future as older persons, identify specific attitudes towards ageing and key characteristics that portend a lesser degree of preparedness, and identify the issues that need greater emphasis. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: 502 adult participants enlisted on an online polling panel in Canada. Methods: Demographics, attitudes towards the future self and ageing and the responses to the 'Preparedness for the Future Questionnaire' (Prep-FQ) were analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to highlight overall and domain scores (possible score 0-100). Regression models were used to link key demographic characteristics and attitudes to a lower Prep FQ score. Results: The average age of participants was 54.1 years old (range 30-91). The majority (97%) felt it was important to think about themselves as an older person, yet less than 25% of people regularly spent time thinking about what it would be like for them as an older person. The average score on the Prep FQ was 61.6 (range 25-99). Items with the lowest scores were related to advance serious illness planning (medical care, funeral and legacy planning). Factors associated with a higher Prep FQ score included being female, having more education, thinking about when they are older and feeling positive about themselves as an older person. Conclusion: Helping people think and plan ahead more for healthy ageing may help some people move forward with confidence in creating a long, high-quality life and high-quality death. Helping 'at-risk' people plan for serious illness in advance is a high-priority target for improving people's general state of preparedness for the future.

There are increasing demands for fast and simple detection of pathogens in foodstuffs. Fluorescence analysis has demonstrated significant advantages for easy operation and high sensitivity, although it is usually hindered by a complex matrix, low bacterial abundance, and long-term bacterial enrichment. Effective enrichment procedures are required to meet the requirements for food detection. Here, boronate-functionalized cellulose filter paper and specific fluorescent probes were combined. An integrated approach for the enrichment of detection of Staphylococcus aureus was proposed. The modification of polyethyleneimine demonstrated a significant effect in enhancing the bacterial enrichment, and the boronate affinity efficiency of the paper was increased by about 51~132%. With optimized conditions, the adsorption efficiency for S. aureus was evaluated as 1.87 × 108 CFU/cm2, the linear range of the fluorescent analysis was 104 CFU/mL~108 CFU/mL (R2 = 0.9835), and the lowest limit of detection (LOD) was calculated as 2.24 × 102 CFU/mL. Such efficiency was validated with milk and yogurt samples. These results indicated that the material had a high enrichment capacity, simple operation, and high substrate tolerance, which had the promising potential to be the established method for the fast detection of food pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills are engineered, heterogeneously contaminated sites containing large reservoirs of paper waste. Cellulose degradation is an important process within landfill microbial ecology, and these anoxic, saturated environments are prime locations for discovery of cellulases that may offer improvements on industrial cellulose degradation efforts. We sampled leachate from three locations within a municipal landfill, a leachate collection cistern, and groundwater from an adjacent aquifer to identify cellulolytic populations and their associated cellulases. Metagenomic sequencing identified wide-spread and taxonomically diverse cellulolytic potential, with a notable scarcity of predicted exocellulases. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing detected nine landfill microorganisms enriched in a customized leachate medium amended with microcrystalline cellulose or common paper stocks. Paper-enrichment cultures showed competition dynamics in response to the specific composition (lignin: hemi-cellulose: cellulose) of the different paper stocks. From leachate biomass, four novel cellulolytic bacteria were isolated, including two with the capacity for cellulolysis at industrially relevant temperatures. None of the isolates demonstrated exocellulase activity, consistent with the metagenome-based predictions. However, there was very little overlap between metagenome-derived predicted cellulolytic organisms, organisms enriched on paper sources, or the isolates, suggesting the landfill cellulolytic community is at low abundance but able to rapidly respond to introduced substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enriched environments are beneficial to neurobiological development; specifically, rodents exposed to complex, rather than standard laboratory, environments exhibit evidence of neuroplasticity and enhanced cognitive performance. In the present study, the nature of elements placed in the complex environment was investigated. Accordingly, rats (n = 8 per group) were housed either in a natural environment characterised by stimuli such as dirt and rocks, an artificial environment characterised by plastic toys and synthetic nesting materials, a natural/artificial environment characterised by a combination of artificial and natural stimuli or a laboratory standard environment characterised by no enrichment stimuli. Following exposure to emotional and cognitive behavioural tasks, including a cricket hunting task, a novel object preference task and a forced swim task, brains were processed for glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP)-, neuronal nuclei (NeuN)- and brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF) immunoreactivity. Baseline and stress foecal samples were collected to assess corticosterone ( CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone ( DHEA). Natural environment animals exhibited shorter diving latencies and increased diving frequencies in the second forced swimming task, along with higher DHEA/ CORT ratios, and higher GFAP immunoreactivity in the hippocampus. The type of environmental enrichment did not influence levels of BDNF immunoreactivity in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus; however, natural environment animals exhibited higher levels of NeuN immunoreactivity in the retrosplenial cortex, an area involved in spatial memory and other cognitive functions. These results suggest that, in addition to enhancing behavioural and endocrinological variables associated with resilience, exposure to natural stimuli might alter plasticity in brain areas associated with cortical processing and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Enrichment was introduced to enhance the sensitivity of paper-based sensor array. [•] 8 pyridylazo indicators provide facile identification of the heavy-metal ions. [•] The immobilization of pyridylazo indicators was performed using polymer. [•] Array technologies and pattern-recognition were combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal learning organizations such as museums, zoos, aquaria, gardens, and community-based organizations are often positioned as having programming that fill a void that may exist in the lives of youth participants. Often these institutions do not recognize the assets that youth gain from their own homes and communities and bring to bear in these programs and that contribute to their success and persistence in STEM and academics. In this paper, we problematize the prevailing deficit-oriented approach to STEM enrichment programs for youth who are underrepresented in STEM. Drawing from Tara Yosso's theory of community cultural wealth, we describe the STEM identity and trajectories of three individuals as they navigated a long-term, museum-based, informal science learning program. Using Yosso's framework, we describe the capital that youth brought into the program and the ways that they leveraged this capital as they moved from middle to high school, and into their postsecondary studies and early careers in the sciences. Furthermore, we describe how their existing capital intertwined with capital they gained from the museum program in ways that fostered persistence and achievement in science.

The purpose of this study was to document within-year fidelity growth during installation and initial implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). Participants included school teams from schools throughout the United States that were in years one to four of SWPBIS implementation and routinely evaluated their implementation fidelity. The fidelity outcome was assessed with the Team Implementation Checklist (TIC) and was completed multiple times per year by SWPBIS teams. Results from multilevel fidelity growth models documented within- and between-school variability and growth predictors. Years implementing, location, school type and enrollment size were significant predictors of beginning year fidelity scores (intercept), and years implementing and relative socio-economic status were significant predictors of the average rate of fidelity change per month of school (slope). These results add to the growing field of implementation science, and practice recommendations are outlined. [This paper was published in "School Psychology Quarterly" (EJ1113648)]

Across Europe, assumptions are often made within the academic literature and by some social commentators that students have come to understand the purpose of higher education (HE) in increasingly instrumental terms. This is often linked to processes of marketisation and neo-liberalisation across the Global North, in which the value of HE has come to be associated with economic reward and labour market participation and measured through a relatively narrow range of metrics. It is also associated with the establishment, in 2010, of the European Higher Education Area, which is argued to have brought about the refiguration of European universities around an Anglo-American model. Scholars have contended that students have become consumer-like in their behaviour and preoccupied by labour market outcomes rather than processes of learning and knowledge generation. Often, however, such claims are made on the basis of limited empirical evidence, or a focus on policies and structures rather than the perspectives of students themselves. In contrast, this paper draws on a series of 54 focus groups with 295 students conducted in six European countries (Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain). It shows how understandings of the purpose of HE are more nuanced than much of the extant literature suggests and vary, at least to some extent, by both nation-state and higher education institution. Alongside viewing the purpose of HE as preparing them for the labour market, students emphasised the importance of tertiary-level study for personal growth and enrichment, and societal development and progress. These findings have implications for policy and practice. In particular, the broader purposes of HE, as articulated by the students in this study, should be given greater recognition by policymakers, those teaching in HE, and the wider public instead of, as is often the case, positioning students as consumers, interested in only economic gain.

Every year in the UK, a significant number of children sustain a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Children who sustain a moderate or severe TBI have been shown to experience continuing neurological decline in two or more domains up to five years post-injury. Environmental enrichment (EE)--which involves supplementing an environment with appropriately reinforced and rewarded, frequently changing, novel experiences--has been shown to effectively improve social and cognitive functioning in animals with experimental TBI. A growing body of evidence shows EE is also beneficial in the recovery of humans following a TBI. Children who have sustained a moderate or severe TBI often return to school and the educational setting is well-suited for the implementation of EE interventions during the later stages of TBI recovery. This paper reviews a variety of factors pertinent to moderate and severe TBI, neurorehabilitation and EE. It also offers EE considerations for educational professionals who are involved in the development and implementation of school-based interventions for children who have sustained a significant brain injury.

In an era in which information is rapidly growing and changing, it is very important to teach with the goal of students' engagement in life-long learning in mind. This can partially be achieved by developing transferable thinking skills. In our previous paper--Part I, we conducted a review of the transfer literature and suggested a three-attribute transfer skills framework presented graphically as a cube. The goals of this paper--Part II are (a) to investigate the application of the three-attribute transfer skills framework by conducting two studies; and (b) to demonstrate the value of the framework as a tool for design of assignments and assessment of students' transfer skills. In this paper, we have applied the three-attribute transfer skills framework to design assignments and to assess middle and high school students. In order to achieve the first goal we conducted two studies: (1) investigating high school chemistry students in a computerized laboratory setting, and (2) exploring middle school students who were exposed to a science enrichment program. Study 1 took a case-based chemistry approach and included assessment of high school honor chemistry students' transfer skills. In Study 2, we evaluated the transfer skills of ninth grade students who had participated in a science enrichment academic program with emphasis on physics and we compared boys to girls. Findings of Study 1 indicated an increase in students' far transfer skill as expressed by the progress students made in transferring knowledge from chemistry to other science domains and by using more chemistry understanding levels in their responses. In Study 2, we found that the near transfer skill of middle school boys was significantly higher than the same skill among girls who participated in the same enrichment program. Both parts, the review and the three-attribute transfer skills framework (previous paper--Part I) and the research (this paper--Part II), contribute to narrowing the gap between the theory of transfer, empirical research, and the practice of transfer in science classrooms.

Service-learning projects, especially the ones focused on the community, and on the Hispanic community in particular, need to be based on real felt and documented needs, and the outcomes need to be assessed in order to decide the worth and possible sustainability of the projects. This paper will focus on service-learning samples from my courses, addressed to the Hispanic Community in the Upstate of South Carolina. The projects have been implemented as part of the assessment criteria used to assign students' grades. A needs assessment survey was conducted earlier to determine the areas of work that students would address in their service-learning projects. At the conclusion of each semester students are required to provide a written page about their projects, not only from the point of view of application or enrichment of their learning, but also from their attitude and feelings about the service provided. Using students' reflection documentation, a qualitative analysis and conclusions will be provided to document the relative importance and worth of the different service-learning projects analyzed.

This paper explores one of the enduring small mysteries of student life -- why do women participate in study abroad programs more than men? To answer this question, original data collected from seniors and recent graduates of a sample of liberal arts colleges in the US were analyzed. Results show an intractable gender gap persisting, even after common explanatory factors are explored, although these factors also point to the problem as one of "gender and class", not gender per se. It concludes with a discussion of the meaning of cultural enrichment and venturing away from home for elite college women (elite women's "venture capital"), and a call for future studies that pay attention to the ways race, gender, and class intersect to produce particular meanings of study abroad participation.

In the absence of any one single internationally accepted definition of giftedness, New Zealand has officially opted to advise schools to develop their own definitions. How wise is this for a policy? Can we come closer to a definition that is sound in terms of research and that also reflects what is uniquely and essentially New Zealand? This paper looks at the two main approaches to defining giftedness and then seeks to consider them within the New Zealand context, taking into account our culturally embedded values and our commitment to equity of provision.

Remarkable advances in instructional communication technology (ICT) have now made it possible to provide high levels of enrichment services to students online. This paper describes an Internet-based enrichment program based on a high-end learning theory that focuses on the development of creative productivity through the "application" of knowledge rather than the mere acquisition and storage of knowledge. The program, called Renzulli Learning System (RLS), extends the pedagogy of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) to various forms of enrichment as well as first-hand investigative and creative endeavors. In this paper, a brief overview is provided about the SEM, the organizational framework upon which the RLS is based. This section will be followed by summaries of the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness and the Enrichment Triad Model, the two theories underlying SEM, and the final section presents a detailed description of the RLS.

The major objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of dynamic assessment (DA) in revealing outcomes of cognitive education programmes. Three programmes based on "mediated learning experience" theory are reviewed: "Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment", "Bright Start", and "Peer Mediation with Young Children". In all three programmes DA was more effective than standardised tests in revealing their effects. The paper includes discussion of mediated learning experience theory and its relation to DA. The content and focus of the cognitive education programmes are described as are the specific test instruments selected for use in the DA sessions. The paper concludes by considering reasons why DA is not used more frequently in educational research. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

The Enrichment Triad Model (ETM), a model developed by Dr. Joseph Renzulli, is a programme for infusing high-end learning strategies into existing educational programmes to promote excellence, enhance self-confidence, and nurture creativity in students. Such a programme is well known among elementary and secondary teachers but still unexplored and unknown within higher education faculties. The ETM was developed in the early 1970s as an alternative to the available models for gifted education and, in the last decades, it has been transferred to the regular classroom as a model to develop all students' creative productivity. The purpose of this paper is to present a way that ETM can infuse enriched experiences into higher education. This paper will present pedagogical and organisational foundations of ETM and a six-step process to integrate the model into university courses.

Sally Reis's research interests are related to talent development in all children as well as special populations of gifted and talented students, including students with learning disabilities, gifted females, and diverse groups of talented students who are often underserved. She is also interested in extensions of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model for both gifted and talented students and as a way to expand offerings and provide general enrichment to identify talent and potential in students who have not been previously identified as gifted. Her most recent work has involved methods for using gifted education pedagogy to stimulate interests, learning styles, and abilities in all children. The American Psychological Association has cited her as one of the 25 most influential psychologists in the world in the area of Talent Development and Gifted Education. This interview discusses her career and contributions to talented and gifted education.

Project EXCITE was developed and implemented specifically to raise the achievement of gifted minority students in a large suburban school district of Chicago so that they could qualify for advanced programs and accelerated tracks in high school in mathematics and science. This paper describes the goals, components, eligibility, and selection procedures of the EXCITE program. The number of students annually nominated for Project EXCITE, the number and percentage selected, and reasons for attrition, are presented in tabular form. The four components described herein, aimed at addressing the major factors contributing to the achievement gap are parent education and support, peer support, academic enrichment, and individualized talent development. The author concludes by stating that while Project EXCITE has increased minority students' access to accelerated and advanced programs, accomplishing high achievement commensurate with students' abilities within those programs is more difficult. (Contains 2 tables.)

Structural equation modeling (SEM) refers to a family of statistical techniques that explores the relationships among a set of variables. Structural equation modeling provides an extremely versatile method to model very specific hypotheses involving systems of variables, both measured and unmeasured. Researchers can use SEM to study patterns of interrelationships among variables, compare different groups to each other, study change over time, and do many other types of sophisticated analyses. This paper will present an overview of SEM, present an illustration of research using SEM, and provide suggestions for ways that this powerful technique can be used to answer a variety of research questions within the field of gifted education. (Contains 5 figures and 7 endnotes.)

In order to explore the effects of two plants on the spatial distribution and nutrient distribution of crusts in different directions and distances after 30 years of aerial seeding, as well as the relationship between crust thickness and nutrient content, this paper takes the aerial seeding afforestation area in the northeastern margin of Tengger Desert as the research area, and the crusts under the plants of Hedysarum scoparium and Calligonum mongolicum as the research objects. The distribution of crust thickness and nutrients was analyzed, and the relationship between them was constructed. The thickness of the crust of H. scoparium and C. mongolicum was the largest in the southeast direction and the smallest in the northwest direction. With increasing distance from the plant, it shows a significant decreasing trend. The crust thickness of H. scoparium was higher than that of C. mongolicum. The nutrient indexes in the southeast direction of the crust of H. scoparium and C. mongolicum were significantly higher than those in the northwest direction; With the increase of the distance from the root of the plant, the nutrient content showed a significant decreasing trend. The contents of organic matter and available nitrogen in the crust of C. mongolicum were higher than those of H. scoparium, and the contents of available potassium and available phosphorus were lower than those of H. scoparium. The trend of nutrient enrichment rate of the crusts of the two plants was consistent with the trend of nutrient distribution. There was a significant positive correlation between the crust thickness and nutrients in the four directions under C. mongolicum. There was a significant positive correlation between the crust thickness and nutrients in the southwest direction under H. scoparium. The changes of available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and organic matter content in the crust under H. scoparium can explain 52.5% of the change of its thickness. The changes of available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and organic matter content in the crust under C. mongolicum can explain 78.5% of the change of its thickness. After 30 years of aerial seeding in Tengger Desert, the thickness and nutrients of the crust in the southeast direction of H. scoparium and C. mongolicum were significantly higher than those in the northwest direction and showed a decreasing trend with the increase of distance from the root of the plant. There was a positive correlation between crust nutrient and thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The B cell receptor (BCR) is a membrane-bound protein complex that is required for the normal development of B cells. BCR signalling is also involved in the pathogenesis of B cell cancers. While there is substantial literature on genomic analyses of the BCR, there are limited proteomic studies of receptor structure and its interactions with neighbouring proteins. This is partly due to the location of the BCR in the surface-membrane lipid environment that has limited the ability to enrich the complex for proteomic analysis. Here, we report an enrichment technique that can be used for mass spectrometry analyses of the BCR from live B cells. B cells are central to the adaptive immune response and provide long-lasting immunity after infection. B cell activation is mediated by the surface membrane-bound B cell receptor (BCR) following recognition of a specific antigen. The BCR has been challenging to analyse using mass spectrometry (MS) due to the difficulty of isolating and enriching this membrane-bound protein complex. There are approximately 120,000 BCRs on the B cell surface; however, depending on the B cell activation state, there may be hundreds-of-millions to billions of proteins in a B cell. Consequently, advanced proteomic techniques such as MS workflows that use purified proteins to yield structural and protein-interaction information have not been published for the BCR complex. This paper describes a method for enriching the BCR complex that is MS-compatible. The method involves a Protein G pull down on agarose beads using an intermediary antibody to each of the BCR complex subcomponents (CD79a, CD79b, and membrane immunoglobulin). The enrichment process is shown to pull down the entire BCR complex and has the advantage of being readily compatible with further proteomic study including MS analysis. Using intermediary antibodies has the potential to enrich all isotypes of the BCR, unlike previous methods described in the literature that use protein G-coated beads to directly pull down the membrane IgG (mIgG) but cannot be used for other mIg isotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endogenous peptides, particularly those with post-translational modifications, are increasingly being studied as biomarkers for diagnosing various diseases. However, they are weakly ionizable, have a low abundance in biological samples, and may be interfered with by high levels of proteins, peptides, and other macromolecular impurities, resulting in a high limit of detection and insufficient amounts of post-translationally modified peptides in real biological samples to be examined. Therefore, separation and enrichment are necessary before analyzing these biomarkers using mass spectrometry. Mesoporous materials have regular adjustable pores that can eliminate large proteins and impurities, and their large specific surface area can bind more target peptides, but this may result in the partial loss or destruction of target peptides during centrifugal separation. On the other hand, magnetic mesoporous materials can be used to separate the target using an external magnetic field, which improves the separation efficiency and yield. Core–shell magnetic mesoporous materials are widely utilized for peptide separation and enrichment due to their biocompatibility, efficient enrichment capability, and excellent recoverability. This paper provides a review of the latest progress in core–shell magnetic mesoporous materials for enriching glycopeptides and phosphopeptides and compares their enrichment performance with different types of functionalization methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an enrichment case study to showcase a possible avenue for attending to the needs of academically strong mathematics students. We report on a group of university students who were presented with the opportunity of exploring a specific first year mathematics topic deeper, using an inquiry-based learning approach as part of an enrichment programme. Following the intervention, students completed a questionnaire and a few were interviewed to establish their experiences of the enrichment programme. We discuss the successes and pitfalls of the intervention and report on the impact it had on the participants.

Presents previously unpublished paper written by Abraham Maslow during the mid-1960s in which he outlined dozens of methods for overcoming ennui and "burnout" thereby enriching peoples' lives. Discusses the realm of honesty, pride, and dignity and entering the being-realm. (Author/ABL)

The lowest-order nonconforming virtual element extends the Morley triangular element to polygons for the approximation of the weak solution u ∊ V := H2 0 (\Omega) to the biharmonic equation. The abstract framework allows (even a mixture of) two examples of the local discrete spaces Vh(P) and a smoother allows rough source terms F ∊ V* =H-20(Ω). The a priori and a posteriori error analysis in this paper circumvents any trace of second derivatives by some computable conforming companion operator J: Vh → V from the nonconforming virtual element space Vh. The operator J is a right-inverse of the interpolation operator and leads to optimal error estimates in piecewise Sobolev norms without any additional regularity assumptions on u ∊ V. As a smoother the companion operator modifies the discrete right-hand side and then allows a quasi-best approximation. An explicit residual-based a posteriori error estimator is reliable and efficient up to data oscillations. Numerical examples display the predicted empirical convergence rates for uniform and optimal convergence rates for adaptive mesh-refinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most innovative reading practices currently rely on the paradigm of dialogic reading. Book clubs, literary gatherings and study circles are emerging in different social spaces to promote reading and literary discussion amongst adults, and libraries, bookshops, cultural centres, etc. are increasingly developing strategies in this direction. Despite the vast development of reading clubs throughout Spain, empirical research on this phenomenon is still at the embryonic stage. This paper queries the ability of this practice to encourage the pleasure of reading, as well as civic and literary education. The results, obtained from an ethnographic study of nine book club meetings and six key informant interviews, show that the discussions contribute to: (1) developing a taste for reading, literature and reading habits; (2) fostering debate about values and learning about personal experiences related to the stories covered in the various readings; and (3) learning academic skills that go beyond the scope of an informal literary analysis. The main conclusion of our study is that book club meetings generate a very favourable context for literary analysis, as they foster reading innovation and the cultivation of literature, as well as promoting values education and adult learning from a dialogic perspective.

Despite significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis and extensive clinical research, there are few proven therapies addressing the underlying immune dysregulation of this life-threatening condition. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the literature evaluating immunotherapy in adult patients with sepsis, emphasizing on methods providing a "personalized immunotherapy" approach, which was defined as the classification of patients into a distinct subgroup or subphenotype, in which a patient's immune profile is used to guide treatment. Subgroups are subsets of sepsis patients, based on any cut-off in a variable. Subphenotypes are subgroups that can be reliably discriminated from other subgroup based on data-driven assessments. Included studies were randomized controlled trials and cohort studies investigating immunomodulatory therapies in adults with sepsis. Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov, from the first paper available until January 29th, 2024. The search resulted in 15,853 studies. Title and abstract screening resulted in 1409 studies (9%), assessed for eligibility; 771 studies were included, of which 282 (37%) were observational and 489 (63%) interventional. Treatment groups included were treatments targeting the innate immune response, the complement system, coagulation and endothelial dysfunction, non-pharmalogical treatment, pleiotropic drugs, immunonutrition, concomitant treatments, Traditional Chinese Medicine, immunostimulatory cytokines and growth factors, intravenous immunoglobulins, mesenchymal stem cells and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. A personalized approach was incorporated in 70 studies (9%). Enrichment was applied using cut-offs in temperature, laboratory, biomarker or genetic variables. Trials often showed conflicting results, possibly due to the lack of patient stratification or the potential influence of severity and timing on immunomodulatory therapy results. When a personalized approach was applied, trends of clinical benefit for several interventions emerged, which hold promise for future clinical trials using personalized immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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