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Research shows that learning enjoyment in specific socio-scientific issues (SSI) plays an important role in predicting grade 10 students' learning interest and learning enjoyment (i.e., genuine interest) in SSI subjects generally. However, it remains unexplored whether learning enjoyment also mediates a predictive effect of learning interest in a Big Science SSI of pressing contemporary global concern--COVID-19--on grade 12 high school students' learning interest in SSI generally. The purpose of this study is to investigate how learning enjoyment may mediate the predictive effect of learning interest in the specific Big Science SSI of COVID-19 specifically on students' learning interest in SSI subjects generally. Latent variable modeling using data collected from grade 12 students (N = 691) showed personal perceptions of learning enjoyment in SSI partially mediated the predictive effect of learning interest in the SSI of COVID-19 on learning interest in other Big Science SSI subjects. Implications for promoting among science educators and policy specialists the active development of students' individual interests and involvement in other 21st century Big Science SSI challenges are forwarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously showed that a local immune response largely composed of type 1 T cells correlated with a favorable outcome of the peritonitis associated with peritoneal dialysis. To clarify how these subsets are recruited to the peritoneal cavity during inflammation, we measured integrin-mediated interactions between the T cells and human peritoneal mesothelial cells. Direct microscopy showed that lipopolysaccharide or peritoneal dialysis effluent stimulated the adherence of T cells to mesothelial cells, a process mediated by the integrins α6β1 and α4β1. Further, the migration of Th1 cell across human mesothelial cell monolayers grown on transwell surfaces was reduced by anti-α6β1 integrin antibody while that of Th2 cell was inhibited by an anti-α4 integrin antibody. Pretreatment with either lipopolysaccharide or rapid response peritoneal dialysis effluent stimulated T cell migration and this was significantly decreased by the α6β1 compared to the α4 antibody. These results suggest that integrins may play an important role in mediating selective T cell subset adhesion and migration across human peritoneal mesothelial cell monolayers and differential integrin expression and selective T cell subset recruitment during peritonitis may affect outcome.Kidney International (2008) 74, 808–816; doi:10.1038/ki.2008.330; published online 9 July 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 29-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus infection who was diagnosed with amebic liver abscess.

This study explores the impact of using assessment items with competing theories to encourage students to practice evaluative reflection and collaborative argumentation in asynchronous discussions. Thirty undergraduate students from various departments worked in small groups and took turns collaboratively discussing the given item's answer, reaching a consensus, and posting their consensual answer on the web. The remaining participants served as evaluators to reflect on the answer and provide comments. It was found that the students made significant progress in argumentation ability and conceptual understanding of related scientific content knowledge. In the beginning of the study, the group of students majoring in the sciences outperformed counterparts with non-science majors on the level of understanding of the assessment item's scientific concepts. At the end of the semester, the differences diminished between the two groups both on conceptual understanding and in argumentation ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnicity and age play important roles in the epidemiology of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) in children. The purposes of this study were to compare the clinical features, renal histopathology, steroid response, and long-term prognosis in Chinese children between different age groups. This is a retrospective cohort study of children aged between 2 and 18 years old with INS. Patients were divided into two groups according to age. Group I consisted of children between 2 and 8 years old (n = 49). Group II consisted of the remaining patients (n = 50). The clinical biochemical parameters, response to steroid treatment, renal histology, and long-term outcomes were analyzed. The biochemical parameters at the onset were similar in the two groups. Group II had a significantly higher frequency of microscopic hematuria (P = 0.011). Of the 67 children biopsied, minimal change disease was the most common histopathology for both groups. There was a higher frequency with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in group II (24% vs. 6.1%), but the difference between the two groups was not significant. During follow-up, the frequency of hypertension was significantly higher in group II (P = 0.006). Two cases in group I developed chronic kidney disease (CKD) vs. eight cases in group II. The frequency of progression to CKD is significantly higher (P = 0.042) in Group II. In conclusion, children beyond 8 years of age with INS have a higher incidence of microscopic hematuria, higher risk of hypertension and progression to CKD in long-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a primary glomerular disease that usually progresses to renal failure. Although high-dose pulse methylprednisolone therapy (PMT) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of steroid-resistant FSGS, adverse effects have caused parents to hesitate in approving the treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate whether low-dose PMT based protocol for treatment of young children with steroid resistant FSGS would effectively induce remission of proteinuria and prevent the progression of renal insufficiency. Methods: This is a retrospective study. The authors treated eight children with steroid-resistant FSGS with intravenous methylprednisolone pulse 10 mg/kg per day for three consecutive days weekly for 8 weeks. Partial responders were treated with the addition of chlorambucil or cyclosporine (CsA) and four fortnightly and eight monthly pulses of high-dose PMT (30 mg/kg per day). Results: Of the eight patients, six attained complete remission initially. The median urinary protein excretion in 24 h decreased from 4.25 to 0.39 g following 8 weeks of low dose ( P = 0.012). Marked decrease in urinary protein-creatinine ratio was noted soon after treatment ( P = 0.012). There was a significant increase in serum albumin level after treatment compared to the pretreatment condition (median, 3.35 vs 4.1 mg/dL, P = 0.018). Five of the eight patients remained in complete remission, and one of the eight patients relapsed during follow up. Relapse responded to repeated treatments of PMT and cyclosporine. The two patients with partial remission initially progressed to renal insufficiency in one patient and end-stage renal disease in the other patient. Conclusions: Low-dose PMT caused a significant decrease in the proteinuria of Chinese children with steroid-resistant FSGS with a low frequency of intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aesthetic science activities on improving elementary school at-risk families' children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and decreasing their anxiety about learning science. Thirty-six 4th-grade children from at-risk families volunteered to participate in a 12-week intervention and formed the experimental group; another 97 typical 4th graders were randomly selected to participant in the assessment and were used as the comparison group. The treatment for experimental group children emphasized scaffolding aesthetic science activities and inquiry strategies. The Elementary School Student Questionnaire was administered to assess all children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and anxiety about learning science. In addition, nine target children from the experimental group with the lowest scores on either positive thinking, or attitudes toward science, or with the highest scores on anxiety about learning science in the pre-test were recruited to be interviewed at the end of the intervention and observed weekly. Confirmatory factor analyses, analyses of covariance, and content theme analysis assessed the similarities and differences between groups. It was found that the at-risk families' children were motivated by the treatment and made significant progress on positive thinking and attitudes toward science, and also decreased their anxiety about learning science. The findings from interviews and classroom observations also revealed that the intervention made differences in children's affective perceptions of learning science. Implication and research recommendation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]