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With the development of educational technologies, electronic books (e-books) have been improved and adapted to cater to new teaching models, as well as to overcome several challenges reported by printed book portability. The literature about the benefits of e-books in education is still fragmented as several studies have reported distinct disadvantages in addition to advantageous of using them. Currently, no prior study has systematically reviewed the research on the ways e-books have been employed in education and the associated benefits and challenges. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic review of 123 empirical studies on e-books in education. The findings show that the development and adoption of e-books by countries vary, calling for more international collaborations to facilitate the adoption of e-books worldwide. Additionally, several challenges of e-books were identified, such as eye fatigue and lack of knowledge on using e-books in education by both students and teachers. Therefore, it is suggested that more design strategies and training about using e-books can be conducted to enhance both teaching and learning experiences. Finally, it is argued that future research may focus on designing intelligent and open e-books to expand their use in different contexts and provide more personalized learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid evolution of mobile technology, the adoption of mobile learning in education has also increased. Several studies have conducted various systematic literature reviews to discuss mobile learning from different perspectives, such as its advantages and limitations. However, limited attention has been paid to pedagogy in mobile learning. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic review of 165 empirical studies on mobile learning to investigate the changing landscape of mobile learning pedagogy. The findings reveal that, despite the ubiquity and flexibility of mobile technologies, most mobile learning studies were conducted in formal settings. The findings also reveal that game-based learning and collaborative learning were the most frequently used pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, redefinition is the most frequently used pedagogical functionality of technology in mobile learning, based on the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) model. The findings of this systematic literature review could be beneficial to both researchers and practitioners in highlighting how mobile learning is designed and implemented, and what gaps should be focused on to enhance pedagogical experiences on mobile devices and thus achieve better mobile learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbooks use images, in addition to text, for delivering knowledge, thereby convey attitudes and values of students including those on gender bias. The gender bias presented in textbook images affects in subtle ways the students' learning outcomes, career choices, and how they perceive science. However, prior research has relied on explicit information presented by textbook images of several subjects to investigate gender representation, overlooking the implicit meaning behind images with a very limited attention to science textbooks. Therefore, this study uses the social semiotic framework to analyse the implicit meaning that images convey related to gender representation in Chinese and Egyptian science textbooks. Specifically, four (two for each country) science textbooks of grade nine were coded and analysed. The findings revealed that gender gap still exists in the images of both Chinese and Egyptian science textbooks. Specifically, females were less represented in the textbook images compared to males, and their role was mostly a caring role. Notably, unlike the Chinese females and the common gender stereotype, Egyptian females were represented in a more active and powerful way compared to males. The findings of this study could help in better designing science textbook images to reduce gender bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stannous oxide (SnO) is prepared by a sol–gel reaction, and the intermediate product is a white gel material, Sn6O4(OH)4, which is decomposed by a constant temperature heat treatment to form a regular black crystal, and the size reach 300 μm approximately. TG-DSC analysis shows that under air atmospheric conditions, SnO undergoes an oxidation and thermal decomposition reactions at 350 °C, which to form SnO2, Sn, and Sn3O4. With the temperature increasing, the reaction will continue and the final product will be SnO2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis shows that SnO is sensitive to oxygen. It is placed in air for about 2 months, and 81.8% of the crystal surface is oxidized to SnO2, but the inside of the crystal remains as SnO. Few layer crystal sheets was prepared by mechanical exfoliation with a thickness of 85 nm and a surface roughness of 1.02 nm, which provides a possibility for the application of few layers of SnO crystals to transparent and flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerodynamic performance and dynamic response of two cars in overtaking maneuver under crosswind were investigated using a multi-car two-way coupling method. The coupling was achieved by exchanging aerodynamic forces obtained by computational fluid dynamic and vehicle dynamic responses acquired by multi-body dynamics in real time. The change rules of the aerodynamic force, moment, yaw angle, and lateral displacement of overtaking and overtaken cars were revealed on the basis of coupling computation. The coupling effect between aerodynamics and dynamics and the interplay between overtaking and overtaken cars were also illustrated. Moreover, the necessity of the two-way coupling was verified. Final results indicated that the posture of the body and the lateral space of the two vehicles are crucial to the stability of the vehicles during the overtaking maneuver, and the interaction between the aerodynamic forces and the dynamic response should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the immunological abnormalities in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and analyze its relationship with treatment. Methods: Proportion of different immune cell subsets were detected in the peripheral blood of 124 ITP patients at different time points and 45 normal controls by flow cytometry. The treatments included glucocorticoids, intravenous IgG as first-line treatment and second-line drugs. Results: Elevated CD4/CD8 ratio and decreased the proportion of NK and CD4 + CD25 + CD127low regulatory T cells (Tregs) were found in pre-treated ITP patients than healthy controls. The newly diagnosed group had a significantly higher CD4/CD8 ratio than the relapsed group, but no differences in the proportion of B cells, NK cells and Tregs. No relationships were found between the curative effect and the pre-treated cell subsets within both the effective and ineffective groups. Furthermore, compared with the ineffective group, the effective group had higher Tregs and lower CD4/CD8 ratio post-treatment, but no significant differences in NK and B cells. Conclusion: ITP patients presented with a high CD4/CD8 ratio and low levels of Tregs and NK cells, suggesting that immune deregulation was involved in the pathogenesis of ITP. The pretreated immune status of ITP patients may not be related to the curative effect. Tregs significantly increased in the effective group post-treatment, highlighting that the mechanism of restoring Tregs may be involved in the treatment of ITP. However, whether or not the targeted regulation of Tregs is an effective treatment for ITP still requires further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early and accurate prediction of outcome in acute stroke is important. The aim of this prospective study was to explore the correlation between serum triiodothyronine level and prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients.Methods: A prospective observational study which included 359 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke from December 2014 to November 2015 was interrogated. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations were measured on admission to understand their value in predicting functional outcome within 90 d using multivariable models adjusted for confounding factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to define the best cut-off value of triiodothyronine to predict outcome. The accuracy of the test was assessed measuring the area under the ROC curve (AUROC).Results: Triiodothyronine was significantly decreased in patients with an unfavorable functional outcome as compared to patients with a favorable functional outcome within 90 d (p= 0.01). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that lower triiodothyronine concentrations on admission were associated with a risk for poor outcomes (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.01–0.25;p< 0.01). In addition, in ROC curve analysis, triiodothyronine may improve the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score in predicting functional outcome. The combined model AUROC was 0.84 for 30 d and 0.91 for 90 d, which were both significantly higher than the AUROCs of original NIHSS (0.83 and 0.87), triiodothyronine (0.64 and 0.69) and age (0.57 and 0.68) (allp< 0.05).Conclusions: Low serum triiodothyronine levels can be a predictive marker of short-term outcome after ischemic stroke. A combined model (triiodothyronine, age and NIHSS score) can add significant additional predictive information to the clinical score of the NIHSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phytochemical investigation onLagotis brevitubaled to the isolation and characterisation of 11 phenolic compounds:p-hydroxy-benzoic acid1, methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate2, vanillic acid3, protocatechuic acid4, caffeic acid5, glucose ester of (E)-ferulic acid6,p-coumaric acid7, vanillin8, diosmetin-7-O-β-d-glucoside9, chrysoeriol10and luteolin11. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with data in the literature. Compounds1–6were first obtained from the genusLagotis, and compounds1–9were isolated fromL. brevitubafor the first time. Compound4and11displayed remarkable antioxidant activities against DPPH radical (IC50 = 5.60 ± 0.09, 27.5 ± 0.06 mg/L, respectively), which were superior to positive control rutin. And compound11was also superior to rutin in ABTS assay (IC50 = 2.04 ± 0.13 mg/L). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

On December 3rd 2015, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) approved the first inactivated Enterovirus 71 (EV71) whole virus vaccine for preventing severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). As one of the few preventive vaccines for children’s infectious diseases generated by the developing countries in recent years, EV71 vaccine is a blessing to children’s health in China and worldwide. However, there are still a few challenges facing the worldwide use of EV71 vaccine, including the applicability against various EV71 pandemic strains in other countries, international requirements on vaccine production and quality control, standardization and harmonization on different pathogen monitoring and detecting methods, etc. In addition, the affordability of EV71 vaccine in other countries is a factor to be considered in HFMD prevention. Therefore, with EV71 vaccine commercially available, there is still a long way to go before reaching effective protection against severe HFMD after EV71 vaccines enter the market. In this paper, the bottlenecks and prospects for the wide use of EV71 vaccine after its approval are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100β) in differentiating between intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke (IS). Methods: From June 2014 to July 2015, 46 ICH and 71 IS patients who had undergone computed tomography (CT) scans were enrolled. Patients' neurological deficits were evaluated by the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to assess functional disability 90 days after discharge. Plasma S100β was measured from a blood sample drawn upon arrival at the emergency department. Results: The plasma S100β concentration in the ICH group was significantly higher than in the IS group (p < 0.001). There were only significant correlations between S100β and hemorrhage volume (r = 0.820, p < 0.001), NIHSS score (r = 0.389, p = 0.008), and mRS (r = 0.732, p < 0.001) in the ICH group. Furthermore, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that an S100β concentration of 67 pg/ml yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.903 with 95.7% sensitivity and 70.4% specificity in differentiating between ICH and IS. In the ICH group, the plasma S100β concentration was significantly elevated in patients with poor functional outcome vs. those with favorable functional outcome (p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that an S100β concentration of 133 pg/ml yielded an AUC of 0.924 with 100% sensitivity and 76.2% specificity in identifying ICH patients with poor functional outcome. Conclusion: S100β could serve as a potential biomarker for differentiating between ICH and IS and predicting short-term functional outcome after ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Ischemia/hypoxia and reperfusion impair mitochondria and produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to mitochondrial and brain damage. Furthermore, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) as a cytoprotective gene protects cells against ROS-induced cell death in ischemia–reperfusion injury. Induction of HO-1 is involved in cytoprotective effects of taxol. Objective: We hypothesize that taxol protects cardiac myocytes possibly by preserving myocardial mitochondrial function and inducing HO-1 expression through the JNK pathway. Materials and methods: In this project, the perfused Langendorff hearts isolated from rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, ischemic, ischemic + taxol (0.1 μM), ischemic + taxol (0.3 μM), and ischemic + taxol (1 μM). Briefly, following a 15 min equilibration period, the control group was subject to normoxic perfusion for 120 min; the ischemia group, normoxic reperfusion for 120 min after 30 min ischemia; the taxol groups, normoxic reperfusion for 120 min after 30-min ischemia with taxol (0.1, 0.3, or 1 μM). The microtubule disruption score, ROS levels, and the activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I and III were examined by using immunohistochemical methods and free radical detection kits. Western blot assay was employed to study the underlying mechanisms. Results: After Taxol treatment (0.1 µM), the ischemic microtubule disruption score was reduced to 9.8 ± 1.9%. The study revealed that 0.1, 0.3, and 1 μM taxol reduced the level of ROS by 33, 46 and 51%, respectively (p < 0.05). In additional, 0.3 and 1 μM taxol dramatically increased the activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I (99.11 ± 2.59, 103.49 ± 3.89) and mitochondrial electron transport chain complex III (877.82 ± 12.08; 907.42 ± 16.21; 914.73 ± 19.39, *p < 0.05). Additionally, phosphorylation levels of JNK1 were significantly increased in the taxol group. Furthermore, the expression level of HO-1 increased with taxol treatments, which could be inhibited by the specific inhibitor of JNK, SP600125. Discussion and conclusion: Taxol stabilized microtubules and effectively reduced ROS levels during ischemia. It also preserved the activity of mitochondrial complexes I and III. Interestingly, taxol induced the expression of HO-1 via the JNK pathway in cardiac myocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) are the predominant pathogens causing outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) worldwide. Other human enterovirus A (HEV-A) serotypes tend to cause only sporadic HFMD cases. However, since a HFMD caused by coxsackievirus A6 broke out in Finland in 2008, CA6 has been identified as the responsible pathogen for a series of HFMD outbreaks in Europe, North America and Asia. Because of the severity of the clinical manifestations and the underestimated public health burden, the epidemic of CA6-associated HFMD presents a new challenge to the control of HFMD. This article reviewed the epidemic characteristics, molecular epidemiology, clinical features and laboratory diagnosis of CA6 infection. The genetic evolution of CA6 strains associated with HFMD was also analyzed. It indicated that the development of a multivalent vaccine combining EV71, CA16 and CA6 is an urgent necessity to control HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Full-time clinician educators are becoming more predominant in China, yet their effect is unknown.Purposes: The purpose of this study was to compare the teaching quality of full-time (FT) faculty with that of part-time (PT) faculty in one Chinese medical school.Methods: In 3 consecutive years, 881 3rd year medical students were enrolled and randomly distributed into two groups, being taught by either a FT faculty member or a PT faculty member. Their teaching quality was evaluated with student performance on a written exam, the standardized patient exam, and student satisfaction.Results: The students in the FT group always scored better on the written exam (1st year = 79.82 ± 9.2 vs. 81.26 ± 8.2,p< .188; 2nd year = 73.10 ± 9.8 vs. 76.51 ± 7.9,p= .001; 3rd year = 75.15 ± 9.0 vs. 79.51 ± 8.7,p< .0001). In the standardized patient exam, the students from FT groups always showed better performance in history taking and physical examination. Students continually gave higher evaluations to FT faculty in questionnaires (1st year = 76.8 ± 6.5 vs. 84.3 ± 2.2; 2nd year = 78.6 ± 3.9 vs. 89.7 ± 4.2; 3rd year = 75.8 ± 3.9 vs. 88.5 ± 3.5, allps < .001).Conclusions: The teaching quality of FT faculty in clinical-skills training is better than PT faculty in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptopilina syphax (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) is a newly recorded species of parasitic wasp, and it attacks the larval stage of Drosophilidae, mainly the Drosophila species. Few works have been done in the basic study of L. syphax, including the data of mitochondrial genome. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of L. syphax (GeneBank accession number: MT649407) was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq X Ten system. The mitochondrial genome is 15,882bp long and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes. Meanwhile, 26 genes are in majority strand, and the remaining 11 genes are in minority strand. The overall base composition is 41.7% for A, 6.0% for G, 13.6% for C, and 38.7% for T, with an A + T content of 80.4%, respectively. We also performed a phylogenetic analysis with other known mitochondrial genomes of some parasitic wasps. The results show that L. syphax is closely related to L. boulardi, which is another Drosophila parasitoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical detection of As(III) was investigated on the novel citrate stabilized gold nanoparticle modified glassy carbon electrode (AuNPs/GCE) in 1 M HCl by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. AuNPs/GCE was prepared by simply casting citrate stabilized gold nanoparticles onto the well-polished glassy carbon electrode. Gold modification was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, while transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis Spectroscopy revealed the size and distribution of gold nanoparticles. Anodic stripping voltammetry was performed with the modified electrode in As(III) solution. Electrochemical experiments proved that AuNPS/GCE exhibited good performance for As(III) analysis, the linear range were obtained between 0.05 and 1 ppb for trace level of As(III) as well as 1 to 15 ppb, with a limit of detection of 0.025 ppb. In terms of reproducibility, the precision of the aforementioned method in %RSD was calculated at 7.78% (n = 10), and the repeatability of the proposed method was calculated to be 1.59%. The application of the method to analyze As(III) in tap water was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify a discriminatory dissolution method able to predict the in vivo performance of tablet formulations designed for carbamazepine (CBZ). After evaluation of dissolution medium and rotation speed using a 25 central composite design and investigation of the in vivo release behaviors in beagle dogs, the dissolution method of CBZ 100 mg tablets was validated using a USP apparatus II, at a rotation speed of 75 rpm, and 900 ml deaerated water with 0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate (w/v) as the dissolution medium. Dissolution profiles were evaluated by the Weibull parameters and the modified fit factor, ƒ1,area. The in vitro- in vivo relationship of CBZ tablets was examined. Compared with the results from the USP and Chinese Pharmacopoeia monograph, the proposed system provides a superior discriminatory method. Since the dissolution method in pharmacopoeia for CBZ tablets is unable to distinguish between a good and a bad product, the method presented here can be used for the quality control testing of CBZ tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free 0.96(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-0.04LiTaO3 + x% MgO ceramics with x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 were prepared by conventional solid-state sintering technique. The effects of MgO on the phase transitional behavior, microstructure, piezoelectric and dielectric properties were investigated. 0.96(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-0.04LiTaO3 ceramics were chosen because of their high piezoelectric coefficient d33 and electromechanical coupling factor kp. These samples exhibit a polymorphic phase transition from orthorhombic to tetragonal symmetry near the room temperature, which is analogous to the morphtropic phase boundary (MPB). In order to further improve the piezoelectric and dielectric characteristics meanwhile decrease sintering temperature, alkaline earth element Mg had been doped in 0.96(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-0.04LiTaO3 ceramics. Our results show that the doping of MgO could not only improve the sintering performance but also be effective on promoting the dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether infiltration by CD25 positive cells, macrophages, and activated macrophages in the kidney is predictive of chronic histological injury and renal prognosis in adults with noncrescentic IgA nephropathy. Renal biopsies of 36 patients with noncrescentic IgA nephropathy were examined by immunohistochemistry for glomerular and interstitial CD4, CD8, and CD25 positive cells, monocytes/macrophage (Mac387), and activated macrophages (27E10). Renal injury (glomerulosclerosis, mesangial cell hypercellularity, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis) at the time of biopsy and renal prognosis (follow-up creatinine and creatinine clearance) were assessed. The mean follow-up period was 22.5 ± 16.5 months. The number of interstitial CD8 positive cells was the best predictor of renal injury at the time of biopsy, and was positively correlated with glomerulosclerosis ( p = 0.04), tubular atrophy ( p = 0.04), and interstitial fibrosis ( p = 0.01) but not with mesangial cell hypercellularity. The number of interstitial Mac387 and 27E10 positive cells were the best predictors of renal prognosis ( r 2 = 0.33 and 0.34 respectively, both p [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous study we found that an episode of acute subclinical nephrotoxicity with gentamicin (G) (but not that induced by another proximal tubular cell nephrotoxin: ferric nitrilotriacetate, FeNTA), paradoxically reduced the progression of renal function and injury in uninephrectomized rats with nephrotic glomerular disease due to Adriamycin nephropathy (AN). Here, we hypothesized that subclinical exposure to G reduces early renal cortical tubulointerstitial inflammation and NF-κB activation in AN. To test this hypothesis, male Wistar rats with established AN received either G (10, 40, or 80 mg/kg by daily s.c.i. for 3 days), FeNTA (1.25, 5, or 10 mg/kg by a single i.p.i.), or vehicle (n = 8 per group), 13 to 15 days after disease induction. Although G and FeNTA caused acute tubular necrosis in a dose-dependant manner (day 17), only the highest doses (10 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg) produced an acute elevation in the serum creatinine. On day 33, chronic tubulointerstitial inflammation (tubular atrophy, interstitial ED-1 + /CD8 + cell accumulation) and NF-κB activation were exacerbated only in the groups that caused functional nephrotoxicity. These data suggest that: 1) the protective effect of subclinical G nephrotoxicity in chronic AN does not involve early changes in interstitial inflammation or NF-κB activation; and 2) a single episode of G exposure must be accompanied by clinically apparent nephrotoxicity in order to accelerate progression in a nonuremic model of chronic glomerular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence of NF-κB independent inflammatory signals in the cortical tubulointerstitium may explain the incomplete suppression of interstitial monocyte accumulation by the antioxidant NF-κB inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), in nephrotic rats with established Adriamycin nephropathy (AN). Because PDTC is known to have anti-proteinuric effects, in this study we investigated whether earlier commencement, during the pre-nephrotic phase of AN, would be more effective in reducing interstitial monocyte accumulation. Male Wistar rats with AN received either vehicle or PDTC (50 mg/kg bd i.p.i.) from d7 until d30 (n = 8 per group). On d30, PDTC reduced renal cortical lipid peroxidation (43%), wet kidney weight and tubulointerstitial injury in AN, but did not decrease proteinuria. Accordingly, inhibition of interstitial ED-1 accumulation remained incomplete (52%). Interestingly, the early administration of PDTC in AN, induced polyuria and renal cortical NF-κB DNA-binding activity was reduced by only 35%. These results suggest that: (i) the combination of an anti-proteinuric agent with PDTC may be required to completely suppress interstitial monocyte cell accumulation in AN and, (ii) the timing and duration of PDTC therapy are an important determinant of its efficacy to reduce NF-κB activation, in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]