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Vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol, a typical lignin-derived phenolic compound, was studied on Al-MCM-41 supported Ni and Co catalysts at 400 °C and atmospheric pressure. Ni was found as an active metal for ring opening activity while Co favored the deoxygenation activity. Besides benzene and phenol were observed as the major deoxygenation products, the existence of toluene, cresol and other methylated C 7–12 products was the result of methyl transfer reaction over the acidic function of support. Co/Al-MCM-41 catalyzed not only HDO to remove oxygen but also transalkylation to prevent the carbon loss via methanization. In addition, coke deposit mainly gathered on the surrounding area of cobalt particles, leading to the faster deactivation in HDO activity than transalykation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gingival stem cells (GSCs) are a novel source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are easily accessed from the oral cavity. GSCs were considered valuable autograft MSCs with particular characteristics. However, the limitation in the number of available GSCs remains an obstacle. Therefore, this study aimed to stimulate GSC proliferation by ascorbic acid (AA) and determined the effects of AA on GSC pluripotent potential-related gene expression. GSCs were isolated from gum tissue by explant culture and continuously subcultured before analysis of stemness and effects of AA on pluripotent-related gene expression. GSCs cultured with various concentrations of AA showed increased proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. AA-treated GSCs showed significantly higher expression of SSEA-3, Sox-2, Oct-3/4, Nanog, and TRA-1-60 compared with control cells. More importantly, GSCs also maintained their stemness with MSC phenotypes and failed to cause tumors in nude athymic mice. Our results show that AA is a suitable factor to stimulate GSC proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative study of the economic and social functioning of low English proficient (LEP) Vietnamese-Australians and Australian-born patients with psychotic illness in Australia. The study background was discussed and cited the role of culture and language and the influence family relations in terms of work, social, and independent functioning. Key interventions to improve or enhance independent functioning of LEP patients were recommended.

The use of any forms of teaching evaluation, particularly student evaluation of teaching (SET) is often subjected to controversies. In the context of Vietnam, since 2010 the Ministry of Education and Training has mandated the use of SETs in all universities and colleges. However, the ultimate aim of SETs to trigger much needed change in the quality of teaching and learning at tertiary level remained elusive. In this paper, the challenges of SET implementation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Vietnam from cultural and policy perspectives will be discussed. Employed meta-analysis from the extant literature of models of teaching and learning, it is argued that challenges will remain unless a new approach to teaching evaluation, that is, student learning-focused approach, is embraced in the development of SETs across HEIs in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of heavy metals at trace or higher levels in foods and food ingredients is not unexpected given the widespread unavoidable presence of several metals in nature, coupled with advancement in analytical methods and lowering limits of detection. To assist risk managers with a rapid risk assessment when facing these situations, a metal dietary exposure screening tool (MDEST) was developed. The tool uses food intake rates based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2010 consumption data for the U.S. population two+ years and up and for infants age six months to

The ubiquity of using Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) in higher education is inherently controversial. Issues mostly resolve around whether the instrument is reliable and valid for the purpose for which it was intended. Controversies exist, in part, due to the lack of a theoretical framework upon which SETs can be based and tested for their content validity. In this paper, based on Bigg's 3P model of teaching and learning, three approaches to teaching evaluation were derived, namely, (i) student presage focused, (ii) teaching focused, and (iii) learning focused. Each approach adopts a particular belief about knowledge, perception of teaching, and a distinctive focus of teaching evaluation. We argue that the adoption of a learning focused approach to teaching evaluation is necessary in SET development as this will provide feedback for all parties involved in teaching and learning (the teachers, the administrators, and the students) about what each party needs to do to achieve the intended learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Cu-MOFs were showed to be efficient heterogeneous catalysts for ortho -amination of benzoic acid derivative C–H bonds by N–H amines using 8-aminoquinoline as bidentate directing group. The optimal reaction conditions involve the use of Cu-MOFs (25%), N -methylmorpholine oxide (NMO) as an oxidant, secondary or primary amine coupling partner, DMF, DMA, or NMP solvent at 90–100 °C. Furthermore, the Cu-MOFs catalyst could be facilely isolated from the reaction mixture and reused several times without remarkable degradation in catalytic reactivity. Contribution from homogeneous leached active copper species, if any, is negligible. To the best of our knowledge, C–H activation reactions using bidentate directing groups, which are increasingly gaining importance, under heterogeneous catalytic systems were not previously mentioned in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]