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The 3D printed scaffolds constructed from polymers have shown significant potential in the field of bone defect regeneration. However, the efficacy of these scaffolds can be markedly reduced in certain pathological conditions like diabetes, where an altered inflammatory microenvironment and diminished small blood vessels complicate the integration of these polymers with the host tissue. In this study, the bioactivity of a 3D-printed poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffold is enhanced through the integration of hydroxyapatite (HA), icariin (ICA), and small intestine submucosa (SIS), a form of decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM). The decoration of SIS on the 3D-printed PLGA/HA/ICA scaffold not only improves the mechanical and degradative performance, but also extends the release of ICA from the scaffold. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that this functionalized scaffold mitigates the persistent inflammatory conditions characteristic of diabetic bone defects through inducing macrophages towards the M2 phenotype. Additionally, the scaffold promotes angiogenesis by enhancing the migration and tube formation of vascular cells. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of ICA and SIS with the HA scaffolds contribute to the superior osteogenic induction capabilities. This functionalization approach holds significant promise in advancing the treatment of bone defects within the diabetic population, paving a step forward in the application of polymer-based 3D printing technologies in regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chi and colleagues have argued that some of the most challenging engineering concepts exhibit properties of emergent systems. However, students often lack a mental framework, or schema, for understanding emergence. Slotta and Chi posited that helping students develop a schema for emergent systems, referred to as schema training, would increase the understanding of challenging concepts exhibiting emergent properties. Purpose: We tested the effectiveness of schema training and explored the nature of challenging concepts from thermodynamics and heat transfer. We investigated if schema training could (a) repair misconceptions in advanced engineering students and (b) prevent them in beginning engineering students. Method: We adapted Slotta and Chi's schema training modules and tested their impact in two studies that employed an experimental design. Items from the Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory and expert-developed multiple-choice questions were used to evaluate conceptual understanding of the participants. The language used by students in their open-ended explanations of multiple-choice questions was also coded. Results: In both studies, students in the experimental groups showed larger gains in their understanding of some concepts--specifically in dye diffusion and microfluidics in Study One, and in the final test for thermodynamics in Study Two. But in neither study did students exhibit any gain in conceptual questions about heat transfer. Conclusion: Our studies suggest the importance of examining the nature of the phenomena underlying the concepts being taught because the language used in instruction has implications for how students understand them. Therefore, we suggest that instructors reflect on their own understanding of the concepts.

This paper presents a case study on six elementary school teachers' perceived learning in a professional development program where teachers facilitated an integrated STEM robotics activity in an afterschool setting. Teacher reflections and interviews data were analyzed for themes. The findings revealed teachers' positive growth in the following areas: (1) knowledge in STEM disciplines; (2) pedagogies in STEM teaching; and (3) confidence in STEM teaching. Discussions and suggestions for future research directions were provided. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

Establishing a sense of community is important for student success in online learning environments. However, how online graduate students experience a sense of community in higher learning institutions providing their courses or degree is an area not fully explored. This article reports the results of an investigation into how graduate students in a fully online program perceived their sense of community to their institution. Further discussion of how the institution supported, or could better support, its students through services and/or aid follows. A mixed methods approach was utilized with three distinct phases. Although students in this study perceived a somewhat low sense of community, the interviews and mixed data helped provide insights on how a sense of community could be improved. The implications of this study may provide further understanding into the support and sense of community experienced by an increasing population of fully online learners.

Text mining is an emerging topic that advances the review of academic literature. This paper presents a preliminary study on how to review solar irradiance and photovoltaic (PV) power forecasting (both topics combined as “solar forecasting” for short) using text mining, which serves as the first part of a forthcoming series of text mining applications in solar forecasting. This study contains three main contributions: (1) establishing the technological infrastructure (authors, journals & conferences, publications, and organizations) of solar forecasting via the top 1000 papers returned by a Google Scholar search; (2) consolidating the frequently-used abbreviations in solar forecasting by mining the full texts of 249 ScienceDirect publications; and (3) identifying key innovations in recent advances in solar forecasting (e.g., shadow camera, forecast reconciliation). As most of the steps involved in the above analysis are automated via an application programming interface, the presented method can be transferred to other solar engineering topics, or any other scientific domain, by means of changing the search word. The authors acknowledge that text mining, at its present stage, serves as a complement to, but not a replacement of, conventional review papers.

Robotics has been advocated as an emerging approach to engaging K-12 students in learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study examined the impacts of a project-based STEM integrated robotics curriculum on elementary school students' attitudes toward STEM and perceived learning in an afterschool setting. Three elementary school teachers and 18 fourth to sixth graders participated in an eight-week-long program. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed, and showed students' attitudes toward math improved significantly at the end of the robotics curriculum. Three specific areas of perceived learning were identified, including STEM content learning and connection, engagement and perseverance, and development and challenge in teamwork. The findings also identified the opportunities and challenges in designing a STEM integrated robotics afterschool curriculum for upper elementary school students. Implications for future research studies and curriculum design are discussed.

Undergraduate research opportunities have expanded from elite universities in the United States to universities and institutions of all ranks and sizes. Research studies have shown positive outcomes in regards to the research experience for undergraduates (REU), such as enhanced research skills and competencies. However, with the widespread implementation of REU programs across the country, there are some challenging issues, such as fierce competition among students for limited participation opportunities and underrepresented students' needs commonly being overlooked. This study reported a three-year, nine-week REU Site program in cybersecurity designed for underrepresented students (women and minorities) and participants from institutions with limited research opportunities. Results showed that most participants enjoyed the opportunity to work on a real-world project which afforded them research experience in the REU program as it helped participants improve various research skills. The study contributes to the design of REU programs for underrepresented students and students with limited research opportunities. Recommendations for future REU programs are discussed.

Homeostasis of bone metabolism is regulated by the central nervous system, and mood disorders such as anxiety are associated with bone metabolism abnormalities, yet our understanding of the central neural circuits regulating bone metabolism is limited. Here, we demonstrate that chronic stress in crewmembers resulted in decreased bone density and elevated anxiety in an isolated habitat mimicking a space station. We then used a mouse model to demonstrate that GABAergic neural circuitry in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) mediates chronic stress-induced bone loss. We show that GABAergic inputs in the dorsomedial VMH arise from a specific group of somatostatin neurons in the posterior region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which is indispensable for stress-induced bone loss and is able to trigger bone loss in the absence of stressors. In addition, the sympathetic system and glutamatergic neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius were employed to regulate stress-induced bone loss. Our study has therefore identified the central neural mechanism by which chronic stress-induced mood disorders, such as anxiety, influence bone metabolism., Introduction Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are closely related to bone metabolism abnormalities (1-3) and can lead to low bone mass and increased risk of fracture (4, 5). [...]

The intent of this study was to learn about students' perceived barriers and the impact of those barriers on the quality of online discussions between two distinct cultural groups in Eastern and Northern Siberia (Russia). A mixed-methods approach utilizing surveys and interviews was used to investigate (1) the types of barriers the students perceived participating in an asynchronous online course across the two cultural groups, and (2) the impact of those barriers on the quality of students' postings. Findings indicate that cultural influences can add potential barriers to online learning aside from those widely reported in the literature. The study has implications for instructors and designers in creating online learning environments, especially as it relates to asynchronous communication across multiple locations and cultural backgrounds. (Contains 2 tables.)

Limited research has been conducted on how to incorporate computer-supported collaborative learning into translation instruction despite the potential benefits. A study was conducted with a group of college English majors in China to examine the effects of using a social annotation tool to encourage student interaction during translation activities. The results showed that students made greater improvement when they completed the translation assignments with the support of a social annotation tool than when they completed the assignments in the traditional way. In addition, students had a positive attitude toward the use of the social annotation tool.