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Based on the concept of Communities of Practice (CoP), this study describes the design and implementation of an online academic conference, Pedagogy and Practice in Technology Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) 2021, as a backdrop for exploring how to effectively promote the development of academic citizenship within the PPTELL CoP. To address this, we propose a framework focusing on four interrelated and interdependent dimensions: ubiquitous technologies, social practice, knowledge building, and academic citizenship. The conference utilized Zoom, Second Life, Slido, and several social media apps for various sessions and activities. A triangulation design was employed to analyze data from a post-conference online survey and observation notes. Our findings highlighted the effectiveness of the design in fostering academic citizenship, supported by multiuser virtual worlds like Second Life that enabled social engagement and knowledge building. We also discuss potential solutions to the challenges encountered, taking into account the nature of academic and higher education environments today.

This paper presents a new art metaverse prototype, constructed using virtual reality technology to create an immersive scene with a specific artistic style and integrate virtual avatar technology to allow interaction with characters in the art painting. Ninety-six college students participated in the study, divided into two groups: the virtual reality group (N = 48), who explored the art metaverse, and the computer group (N = 48), who engaged in traditional art appreciation by viewing artworks on a screen. Both groups then participated in art painting activities. The results showed that the virtual reality group experienced a significantly more positive impact on their art attitude compared to the computer group. Furthermore, EEG attention monitoring revealed that during the art painting activity following the art appreciation activity, the virtual reality group demonstrated significantly higher attention levels than the computer group. This study highlights the potential of virtual reality technology to enhance art appreciation and provides valuable insights for the future development of virtual reality metaverses.

Based on the concept of Communities of Practice (CoPs), this study describes the design and implementation of an online academic conference, Pedagogy and Practice in Technology Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) 2021, as a backdrop for exploring how to effectively promote the development of academic citizenship within the PPTELL CoP. To address this, we propose a framework focusing on four interrelated and interdependent dimensions: ubiquitous technologies, social practice, knowledge building, and academic citizenship. The conference utilized Zoom, Second Life, Slido, and several social media apps for various sessions and activities. A triangulation design was employed to analyze data from a post-conference online survey and observation notes. Our findings highlighted the effectiveness of the design in fostering academic citizenship, supported by multiuser virtual worlds like Second Life that enabled social engagement and knowledge building. We also discuss potential solutions to the challenges encountered, taking into account the nature of academic and higher education environments today.

In order to overcome the difficulties of meeting the engineering application requirements of the technical performance indicators of the fission ionization chamber, to explore the feasibility of the development of the longsensitive zone fission ionization chamber in actual application, and to realize the domestic application of the intermediate range detector for the excore nuclear instrumentation system (NIS) in the third-generation nuclear power plant, a cylindrical fission ionization chamber for the nuclear power plant external nuclear measurement system was developed. Based on the thermal neutron fluence standard device, standard γ radiation device and reactor irradiation hole test platform, the identification characteristics, thermal neutron sensitivity, charge per pulse, average electron collection time, high voltage plateau characteristics, repeatability and γ sensitivity of the fission ionization chamber were tested, and the relationship between the detector performance and temperature was tested. The test results show that the thermal neutron sensitivity of the fission ionization chamber can reach 0.53 s-1/nv, the charge per pulse is 1.88×10-13 C, the average electron collection time is 400 ns, the high voltage platform characteristics platform length ≥400 V, platform slope ≤4%/100 V, γ sensitivity 3.30×10-9 A·Gy-1·h, repeatability maximum value 2.4%, all indicators are better than the design requirements. The successful development of the fission ionization chamber lays a solid foundation for the subsequent development of the long-sensitive zone fission ionization chamber.

Abstract Background Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a common and distressing side effect. We conducted this clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of true acupuncture vs. sham acupuncture in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) among patients with advanced cancer. Methods A total of 134 participants were randomly allocated into true acupuncture (TA) (n = 68) and sham acupuncture (SA) (n = 66) groups. Participants in both groups received acupuncture session twice on the first day of chemotherapy, and once consecutively on the following 4 days. The primary outcome was using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) to assess CINV. The secondary outcome measures were the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score (ECOG), Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). Results Compared to the SA group, the TA group didn’t show significant improvement in complete response rates of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (all P > 0.05). However, the TA group could modestly reduce the severity of nausea (from day-3 to day-21, P

Mutual learning between teachers and their colleagues plays a vital role in their professional growth. However, previous studies show that collaborative teacher learning tends to be confined to small groups, and that it is difficult to make it explicit, showcase, or transfer teachers’ tacit knowledge. This study explores this problem by creating a digital system that allows teachers to create, display, and trade their knowledge products; 508 teachers from one K–12 school created and traded their knowledge products, while 1,148 teachers from other schools participated in the knowledge product transaction on the digital system. Using social network analysis, we discovered that teachers use this method to generate a lot of interaction and that teachers who taught similar subject areas communicated more with one another. There is a significant correlation among each teacher’s number of created knowledge products, knowledge products sold, and the number of knowledge products purchased from others. The study has potential to contribute to research on teacher learning, thinking, and actions.

Emerging evidence has revealed that cricothyroid (CT) muscle dysfunction in unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) further impairs patients' voices. Given that CT muscle dysfunction does not influence vocal fold position, the mechanism of voice dysfunction induced by dysfunction of CT muscle in UVFP patients remains controversial. This study compares aerodynamics between UVFP patients with and without CT muscle involvement. This cross-sectional study recruited patients with UVFP manifesting dysphonia, and UVFP was confirmed with videolaryngoscopy and laryngeal electromyography (LEMG). Voice analysis and aerodynamic tests were further performed. Patients with (CT+ group) and without (CT- group) CT muscle involvement were compared. A total of 175 patients (40 in the CT+ group and 135 in the CT- group) with UVFP were analyzed. The CT+ group showed lower maximal sound pressure level (SPL) (P =0.039), mean SPL (P =0.042), peak air pressure (P <0.001), mean peak air pressure (P <0.001) and aerodynamic power (P =0.004) than the CT- group. The decrease in SPL, peak air pressure, and aerodynamic power in UVFP patients with CT muscle dysfunction suggests that the effect of CT muscle dysfunction is mediated by a change in aerodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the concept of Communities of Practice (CoPs), this study describes the design and implementation of an online academic conference, Pedagogy and Practice in Technology Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) 2021, as a backdrop for exploring how to effectively promote the development of academic citizenship within the PPTELL CoP. To address this, we propose a framework focusing on four interrelated and interdependent dimensions: ubiquitous technologies, social practice, knowledge building, and academic citizenship. The conference utilized Zoom, Second Life, Slido, and several social media apps for various sessions and activities. A triangulation design was employed to analyze data from a post-conference online survey and observation notes. Our findings highlighted the effectiveness of the design in fostering academic citizenship, supported by multiuser virtual worlds like Second Life that enabled social engagement and knowledge building. We also discuss potential solutions to the challenges encountered, taking into account the nature of academic and higher education environments today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface condition and corrosion resistance are major concerns when metallic materials are going to be utilized for applications. In this study, FeCoNiCr medium-entropy alloy (MEA) is first treated with a nitrogen atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and then coated with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) for the surface modification. The hydrophobicity of the FeCoNiCr MEA was effectively improved by OTS-coating treatment, APPJ treatment, or the combination of both treatments (OTS-coated APPJ-treated), which increased the water contact angle from 54.49° of the bare MEA to 70.56°, 93.94°, and 88.42°, respectively. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests demonstrate that the APPJ-treated FeCoNiCr MEA exhibits the best anti-corrosion properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that APPJ treatment at 700 °C oxidizes all the alloying elements in the FeCoNiCr MEA, which demonstrates that a short APPJ treatment of two-minute is effective in forming a metal oxide layer on the surface to improve the corrosion resistance of FeCoNiCr MEA. These results provide a convenient and rapid method for improving surface properties of FeCoNiCr MEA.