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Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of four different forms of feedback (such as, complete solution, line-by-line correction, line-by-line hint and correct-incorrect final answer) of a mobile-assisted learning application on linear equations and motivation of students towards mathematics learning on students' mathematics performance. Design/methodology/approach Totally, 285 Grade 7 students (72 students each for the first-three feedback and 69 students for the last feedback) participated in the five-day experiment. A validated instrument was utilized to determine the motivation of students in learning mathematics. Findings It was revealed that students solved more problems and spent more time in the line-by-line hint type of feedback. The correct-incorrect final answer group had the most number of incorrect problems solved. It was found that the scores of the students would be different from one another after they utilized the app. Nonetheless, all of them learnt significantly from the app. Five steps of hierarchical regression revealed that all types of feedback were consistent predictors of posttest scores. Thus, the first null hypothesis stating that there is no significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the students when categorized by different forms of feedback was rejected. The second null hypothesis stating that the four types of feedback and motivation of students do not influence mathematics performance is partially rejected. Research limitations/implications The study can be replicated in a school with a different atmosphere. Practical implications The use of the application is highly recommended for students who are beginning to learn linear equations. Teachers can replicate the four types of feedback in an actual classroom setting. Originality/value It was confirmed that the four types of feedback can teach the students learn mathematics, regardless of the motivation of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noninvasive imaging has been widely applied for monitoring antiangiogenesis therapy in cancer drug discovery. In this report, we used different imaging modalities including high-frequency ultrasound ( HFUS), dynamic contrast enhanced- MR ( DCE- MR), and fluorescence molecular tomography ( FMT) imaging systems to monitor the changes in the tumor vascular properties after treatment with γ-secretase inhibitor PF-03084014. Sunitinib was tested in parallel for comparison. In the MDA- MB-231Luc model, we demonstrated that antiangiogenesis was one of the contributing mechanisms for the therapeutic effect of PF-03084014. By immunohistochemistry and FITC-lectin perfusion assays, we showed that the vascular defects upon treatment with PF-03084014 were associated with Notch pathway modulation, evidenced by a decrease in the HES1 protein and by the changes in VEGFR2 and HIF1 α levels, which indicates down-stream effects. Using a 3D power Doppler scanning method, ultrasound imaging showed that the% vascularity in the MDA- MB-231Luc tumor decreased significantly at 4 and 7 days after the treatment with PF-03084014. A decrease in the tumor vessel function was also observed through contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging with microbubble injection. These findings were consistent with the PF-03084014-induced functional vessel changes measured by suppressing the Ktrans values using DCE- MRI. In contrast, the FMT imaging with the AngioSence 680 EX failed to detect any treatment-associated tumor vascular changes. Sunitinib demonstrated an outcome similar to PF-03084014 in the tested imaging modalities. In summary, ultrasound and DCE- MR imaging successfully provided longitudinal measurement of the phenotypic and functional changes in tumor vasculature after treatment with PF-03084014 and sunitinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Hexokinase IV, or glucokinase (GK), is a regulator of glucose concentrations in the body. It plays a key role in pancreatic insulin secretion as well as glucose biotransformation in the liver, making it a potentially viable target for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Allosteric activators of GK have been shown to decrease blood glucose concentrations in both animals and humans. Here, the development of a mathematical model is presented that describes glucose modulation in an ob/ob mouse model via administration of a potent GK activator, with the goal of projecting a human efficacious dose and plasma exposure. The model accounts for the allosteric interaction between GK, the activator, and glucose using a modified Hill function. Based on model simulations using data from the ob/ob mouse and in vitro studies, human projections of glucose response to the GK activator are presented, along with dose and regimen predictions to maintain clinically significant decreases in blood glucose in a Type 2 diabetic patient. This effort serves as a basis to build a detailed mechanistic understanding of GK and its role as a therapeutic target for Type 2 diabetes, and it highlights the benefits of using such an approach in a drug discovery setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]