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Grounded in sociocultural perspectives on language and learning, this study explores a recurring discourse event—student-led presentations in a US Grade 5 Science classroom—in order to better understand how discursive practices of a classroom might shape and challenge the learning experience of ESL learners. Findings show that discursive practices are developed not only from the wider cultural contexts of the discipline of science, but also from the local, immediate activity. Accordingly, academic challenges during the discourse events are products of local culture, as well as the broader academic field. The findings of this study point to the lack of transparency in the presentation of rules and norms of practice and expose the need for teachers to constantly self-evaluate their practice to increase this transparency in rules and norms of the classroom in order to promote the socialization of English learners into the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TPACK development requires transforming the old activity systems into a new activity system. • CALL training should help teachers achieve autonomy for a creative engagement with material and conceptual tools. • Activity theory can provide contextualized implications for CALL teacher education. To understand what helps or hinders teacher knowledge development in CALL, this study examined how 15 EFL teachers incorporated newly gained technological knowledge to make connections with their beliefs and practices about teaching and learning in a CALL training course. Grounded in Activity Theory, the analysis of multiple sources of data, including interviews, journals, class observations, and relevant materials, identified contradictions and sources of obstacles that hinder or motivate teacher's successful integration of technological tools. Findings suggest that CALL training can bring positive changes when teachers achieve autonomy for a creative engagement with material and conceptual tools involving a transformation in teacher and student roles, class rules, and objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Drug targeting to tumors with limited toxicity and enhanced efficacy of drug is one of the important goals for cancer treatment pharmaceutics. Monocytes/macrophages are able to migrate to tumor sites across the blood barriers by acting as Trojan horses carrying drug cargoes. Taking this advantage, we have intended to develop an efficient administration system using a biologically active carrier of mouse peritoneal macrophage bearing liposomal doxorubicin (macrophage-LP-Dox). We expect that this system could improve the cancer therapeutic efficacy through deeper penetration into tumor even hypoxic region behind tumor blood vessel. We first confirmed that macrophages containing iron oxides could migrate and infiltrate into tumors effectively by MR imaging. Next, we showed that doxorubicin (Dox) encapsulated with liposomes (LP-Dox) was successfully loaded into macrophages, in which the biological activity of macrophage and cytotoxicity of Dox against tumor cells were well preserved. Delivery of Dox into tumor tissue by systemic administration of macrophage-LP-Dox was verified in both subcutaneous and metastasis xenograft tumor models. Importantly, the effective inhibition of in vivo tumor growth was proved with this system. Our results provide the feasibility of macrophages-LP-drug as an active biocarrier for the enhancement of therapeutic effects in cancer treatment and open new perspectives for the active delivery of drugs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cyclodextrin (CD) is a well known drug carrier and excipient for enhancing aqueous solubility. CDs themselves are anticipated to have low membrane permeability because of relatively high hydrophilicity and molecular weight. CD derivatization with 17-beta estradiol (E2) was explored extensively using a number of different click chemistries and the cell membrane permeability of synthetic CD–E2 conjugate was explored by cell reporter assays and confocal fluorescence microscopy. In simile with reported dendrimer–E2 conjugates, CD–E2 was found to be a stable, extranuclear receptor selective estrogen that penetrated into the cytoplasm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Technology use in teaching plays an important role in semiotic mediation. • The gap between multimodal representation and communication was found in the teacher's discourse. • Recognizing the relationship between multimodal inputs can be challenging for English learners. • Technology can bridge the gap between multimodal representations and students' understandings. In order to understand the role of digital technology to mediate class interaction, and support English learners' language and content learning in a content classroom, this qualitative case study investigates class interactions in a grade 5 Science classroom. Data include a 13-week period of classroom observation, field notes, interviews with the teacher and six English learners, as well as other relevant artifacts. Findings show that technology use in teaching plays an important role in semiotic mediation by juxtaposing the representation of scientific phenomenon and concepts proposed by one mode against the representations presented by other modes. Technology also has a potential to fill the gap between teacher and student discourse, helping students to connect academic meanings with their individual understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]