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Although group work activities are commonly employed in communicative second language (L2) classes, there are few studies that investigate how much teachers and students, the two main stakeholders, agree or differ on how group work activities should be conducted. To fill this gap, this study, which was carried out at a public university in Vietnam, examined the perceptions of both teachers and students to uncover matches and mismatches in their perceptions of important issues for effective group work implementation. The study explored the actual experiences of six teachers and ten students, who were chosen by convenience sampling. Thematic analysis of the interviews indicated that the benefits of group work were widely agreed upon, as were the preferences for group size and self-selection of group members. However, there was disagreement over ways of grouping, the role of leadership, and the use of peer assessment. The findings have significant implications for relevant stakeholders, especially in the Asian English as a foreign language (EFL) context, about what would work well and what needs to be addressed to maximize the effectiveness of group work implementation.

This study explored the role of social media on the career choices of Asian American students, particularly those opting for non-STEM fields, drawing on qualitative data from a sample of 12 participants. The findings revealed that social media exerted both positive and negative influences on career development. Positive influences included exposure to diverse career possibilities, fostering community connections and support, and providing role models and inspirational content. Conversely, social media could also distort career choices by presenting unrealistic portrayals of different fields. Neutral influences, such as personal decision-making and the sense of belonging facilitated by social media, were also noted. The study underscored the enhancement of self-efficacy and outcome expectations through social media, while also highlighting contextual supports and barriers. Despite the limitations of the small sample size, the research provided valuable insights and suggested directions for future studies to explore the long-term impacts and the potential of social media platforms to support career development. These findings underscored the importance of a balanced and critical approach to the use of social media in shaping career trajectories.

The U.S. education system has been a critical site in the nation's ongoing fight for racial equity. Yet, despite many attempts to promote equity within and across schools, efforts fall short in a system designed to uphold norms rooted in whiteness and white supremacy. We need anti-racist educational leaders who can identify and push back at the racial bias embedded in educational policies. Through a research-practice partnership with a Midwestern high school, we sought to understand how an anti-racist policy decision-making protocol can be used to redress inequitable policies to be racially just. The anti-racist policy decision-making protocol promotes social justice by empowering school practitioners to become policy agents. Implications from our findings point to the need for school practitioners to be critically introspective and identify and directly address the politics of whiteness that can ensue when working in partnership to do anti-racist policy change.

Comparing the performance of different continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems is challenging due to the lack of comprehensive guidelines for clinical study design. In particular, the absence of concise requirements for the distribution of comparator (reference) blood glucose (BG) concentrations and their rate of change (RoC) that are used to evaluate CGM performance, impairs comparability. For this article, several experts in the field of CGM performance testing have collaborated to propose characteristics of the distribution of comparator measurements that should be collected during CGM performance testing. Specifically, it is proposed that at least 7.5% of comparator BG concentrations are 300 mg/dL (16.7 mmol/L), respectively, and that at least 7.5% of BG-RoC combinations indicate fast BG changes with impending hypo- or hyperglycemia, respectively. These proposed characteristics of the comparator data can facilitate the harmonization of testing conditions across different studies and CGM systems and ensure that the most relevant scenarios representing real-life situations are established during performance testing. In addition, a study protocol and testing procedure for the manipulation of glucose levels are suggested that enable the collection of comparator data with these characteristics. This work is an important step toward establishing a future standard for the performance evaluation of CGM systems.

Establishing and maintaining a highly-trained pharmaceutical workforce is crucial for serving the healthcare needs of the population. Globally, various factors have been associated with the decision of students leaving high school to pursue an undergraduate degree in pharmacy, however, this topic has not yet been explored in Vietnam. To explore the motivations of first-year undergraduate pharmacy students to study pharmacy at university. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 428 first-year pharmacy students enrolled in undergraduate pharmacy programs from across all universities in Can Tho, Vietnam, including one public university (193 students) and two private universities (235 students), from November 2022 to February 2023. Exploratory factor analysis identified five underlying factors associated with the choice of students to study pharmacy, with internal consistency assessed using Cronbach's Alpha ([alpha]): personal factors ([alpha] = 0.86), career ([alpha] = 0.88), advice ([alpha] = 0.74), reputation ([alpha] = 0.84), and promotion ([alpha] = 0.76). Of these factors, personal factors had the greatest impact (mean = 4.13), while the least influential factor was promotion (mean = 2.92). Compared to public university students, private university students were more influenced by career (p = 0.019), advice (p = 0.002), and promotion (p < 0.001) when making the decision to study pharmacy. This study identifies the factors associated with the decision to pursue pharmacy education. These findings may be of interest to educational institutions addressing how they attract students and meet the workforce needs of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system.

For language learners situated in contexts where there is limited exposure to the target language, an authentic learning environment is important. Virtual Reality (VR) has been increasingly used in education to simulate realistic scenarios; however, little is known about whether VR can enhance the nature of authentic learning for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Motivated by that reason, this study was conducted to examine the affordances of VR when integrated with language tasks to facilitate authentic learning for EFL learners. Herrington et al.'s (2010) model of authentic tasks was adopted to evaluate the VR-integrated tasks. Twenty-four students participated in the VR technology intervention and were followed up with individual interviews. The results showed VR has the potential to enhance many of the ten attributes of Herrington et al.'s (2010) authentic tasks. Suggestions are provided to further extend the model to be more applicable in EFL contexts, alongside implications for practice and future research.

School communities across the United States are experiencing increasing calls to remove the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) from their curricula despite not actually doing so in practice. This anti-CRT push is part of a larger, conservative agenda to ban teaching "divisive" topics in public schools and exemplifies the underlying racial politics existent in educational policy implementation. In this article, we analyze the legal efforts to ban CRT and anti-racist teaching in one state through a framework that situates policy implementation within CRT, which seeks to advance how whiteness, interest convergence, racial realism, and the erasure of people of color are continual to policy implementation. Through a critical discourse analysis of anti-CRT rhetoric, we illustrate how predictable patterns such as white backlash, overt racism, racial violence, and racial trauma are brought to light in policy implementation. We then offer an example of CRT as critical race praxis (CRP) in another state that works to counter racism and create anti-racist change in policy design and implementation. CRP is perhaps one tool school leaders have at their disposal to subvert whiteness and white supremacy in policymaking, especially policy implementation.

Abstract Background Endometrial preparation significantly influences the success of embryo transfer procedures. Although both oral and transdermal estradiol are common methods for endometrial priming, their efficacy and potential side effects remain uncertain. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effectiveness of oral and transdermal estradiol in endometrial preparation, while also evaluating their respective side effects in patients undergoing assisted reproduction treatments. Method This randomized clinical trial (ISRCTN15301227) was conducted at Hung Vuong Hospital between July 2020 and March 2022. Among 550 eligible patients undergoing frozen embryo transfer cycles, we included 380 patients for the study. The study protocol and all materials received approval from the Ethics Committee of Hung Vuong Hospital (1315/CN-HĐĐĐ). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Group A (n =190) received oral estradiol at an initial dose of 4 mg per day for 7 days, with the dose increased according to clinical response. Group B (n =190) received transdermal estradiol at an initial dose of 2 measures of 2.5 g estradiol gel per day for 7 days, with the dose similarly increased according to clinical response. Treatment in both groups began on days 2–3 of the menstrual cycle, with the maximum duration of estradiol administration being 27 days. We compared estradiol levels on the day of progesterone administration, duration of treatment, total estradiol dose, endometrial thickness, pregnancy outcomes, and any observed side effects between the two groups. Results Group A exhibited significantly higher estradiol levels on the day of progesterone administration compared to Group B (270.5 pg/ml versus 186.5 pg/ml, p

Clay is an essential resource for improving the brick and ceramic industries. However, the demand for clay needs to grow. Estimating industrial mineral reserves requires an optimal and unbiased statistical tool. Geographical information systems and geostatistics are two promising tools that could be used to predict clay resources. The study objective was to apply these two tools to compare the performance of the methods for spatial clay resource prediction, considering clay thickness and spatial distribution. The demonstration site is in Tam Binh district, Vinh Long Province, Viet Nam. The results show that the Gaussian variation model at a 600 × 400 m distance is good for sampling and extrapolating clay thickness. This is based on 240 geolocated samples with different densities. Projected clay reserves match measurements, and the spatial statistical method is more accessible and valuable than the traditional method. The interpolated method’s total selected soil borehole number was optimized for clay resource estimation, and geostatistics can help manage and plan clay resources and save money. Future research should examine various spatial interpolation techniques and approaches in management, land use, and topography to improve the accuracy of calculations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of conducting regular collaborative activities via Google Docs on English academic writing skills. Utilising a mixed methods design, this study was conducted with 24 Vietnamese high school students who participated in a fully online English as a foreign language (EFL) course in academic writing. The pre- and post-test results indicated that the students' overall academic writing skills were significantly improved over the course. Regarding individual aspects of academic writing, there were significant improvements in the areas of task response and lexical resources, while the areas of cohesion and coherence and grammatical range and accuracy did not witness significant improvements. Further analysis of semi-structured interviews with these students revealed that they valued the usefulness of Google Docs-based collaboration in enhancing their English academic writing skills, however they held mixed opinions about the enjoyment of collaborating on the platform. This study also revealed a number of challenges experienced by this group of students when they used Google Docs in online collaboration. Implications and suggestions for future studies are discussed.

In the realm of cancer immunotherapy, the meticulous selection of neoantigens plays a fundamental role in enhancing personalized treatments. Traditionally, this selection process has heavily relied on predicting the binding of peptides to human leukocyte antigens (pHLA). Nevertheless, this approach often overlooks the dynamic interaction between tumor cells and the immune system. In response to this limitation, we have developed an innovative prediction algorithm rooted in machine learning, integrating T cell receptor β chain (TCRβ) profiling data from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients for a more precise neoantigen prioritization. TCRβ sequencing was conducted to profile the TCR repertoire of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from 28 CRC patients. The data unveiled both intra-tumor and inter-patient heterogeneity in the TCRβ repertoires of CRC patients, likely resulting from the stochastic utilization of V and J segments in response to neoantigens. Our novel combined model integrates pHLA binding information with pHLA-TCR binding to prioritize neoantigens, resulting in heightened specificity and sensitivity compared to models using individual features alone. The efficacy of our proposed model was corroborated through ELISpot assays on long peptides, performed on four CRC patients. These assays demonstrated that neoantigen candidates prioritized by our combined model outperformed predictions made by the established tool NetMHCpan. This comprehensive assessment underscores the significance of integrating pHLA binding with pHLA-TCR binding analysis for more effective immunotherapeutic strategies.

The use of different approaches for design and results presentation of studies for the clinical performance evaluation of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems has long been recognized as a major challenge in comparing their results. However, a comprehensive characterization of the variability in study designs is currently unavailable. This article presents a scoping review of clinical CGM performance evaluations published between 2002 and 2022. Specifically, this review quantifies the prevalence of numerous options associated with various aspects of study design, including subject population, comparator (reference) method selection, testing procedures, and statistical accuracy evaluation. We found that there is a large variability in nearly all of those aspects and, in particular, in the characteristics of the comparator measurements. Furthermore, these characteristics as well as other crucial aspects of study design are often not reported in sufficient detail to allow an informed interpretation of study results. We therefore provide recommendations for reporting the general study design, CGM system use, comparator measurement approach, testing procedures, and data analysis/statistical performance evaluation. Additionally, this review aims to serve as a foundation for the development of a standardized CGM performance evaluation procedure, thereby supporting the goals and objectives of the Working Group on CGM established by the Scientific Division of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Abstract G-protein coupled receptors help regulate cellular function and communication, and are targets of small molecule drug discovery efforts. Conventional techniques to probe these interactions require labels and large amounts of receptor to achieve satisfactory sensitivity. Here, we use frequency-locked optical microtoroids for label-free characterization of membrane interactions in vitro at zeptomolar concentrations for the kappa opioid receptor and its native agonist dynorphin A 1-13, as well as big dynorphin (dynorphin A and dynorphin B) using a supported biomimetic membrane. The measured affinity of the agonist dynorphin A 1-13 to the κ-opioid receptor was also measured and found to be 3.1 nM. Radioligand assays revealed a dissociation constant in agreement with this value (1.1 nM). The limit of detection for the κOR/DynA 1-13 was calculated as 180 zM. The binding of Cholera Toxin B-monosialotetrahexosyl ganglioside was also monitored in real-time and an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.53 nM was found. Our biosensing platform provides a method for highly sensitive real-time characterization of membrane embedded protein binding kinetics that is rapid and label-free, for drug discovery and toxin screening among other applications.

Digital game-based learning is gradually becoming a trend in education, with certain positive impacts. Thanks to the game element, children's learning process becomes easier and more enjoyable. This study surveyed over 100 preschool teachers in Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province, to clarify the importance of applying technology software in designing educational games. Consequently, the process of designing and using educational games to help children become familiar with Math symbols is proposed based on Wordwall software. The proposed process received strong agreement from preschool teachers. To use Wordwall software-based games effectively in math familiarization activities, teachers need to be flexible and proactive in selecting games that are appropriate for the lesson’s objectives and content as well as the characteristics of preschool children. This study serves as a useful tool to support preschool teachers in designing educational games in general and educational games for familiarizing children with mathematical symbols in particular.

River basins receive wastewater from socio-economic activities. In such a context, a comprehensive assessment and forecast of load-bearing capacity needs to be developed. This capacity depends on many complex factors, such as hydrology, hydraulics, and environment, leading to applying a modelling approach. This study aims to propose a hybrid modelling approach to evaluate and predict the river water environmental capacity (RWEC) in a basin. Big data technology with Python is applied to process modelling results and RWEC forecasts. The long short-term memory (LSTM) model predicts RWEC on each reach of the river channel network. The {RWECP, i, P = Nitrate, BOD, Phosphate, i = hourly} data set and related factors form a time series of data used for the LSTM forecasting model. Forecast results are evaluated through the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). The results show that the average level over all 24 reaches for 7 forecast days: RMSENitrate = 22.16 (kg/day), RMSEBOD = 38.92 (kg/day), and RMSEPhosphate = 0.79 (kg/day). This is an acceptable result for a complex system and 7-day forecast. The results of the study help significantly with pollution control. HIGHLIGHTS Suggesting steps to determine river water environmental capacity (RWEC).; Building a forecasting model based on long short-term memory (LSTM) to predict RWEC.; Assessing and forecasting RWEC for the concrete basin.; Comparing forecast accuracy by standard metric RMSE and MAE.; Clarifying RWEC dependence on hydrodynamic and environmental factors.;

A TiO2/graphene quantum dots composite (TiO2/GQDs) obtained by in situ synthesis of GQDs, derived from coffee grounds, and peroxo titanium complexes was used as electrode modifier in the simultaneous electrochemical determination of uric acid and hypoxanthine. The TiO2/GQDs material was characterized by photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray mapping. The TiO2/GQDs-GCE exhibits better electrochemical activity for uric acid and hypoxanthine than GQDs/GCE or TiO2/GCE in differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements. Under optimized conditions, the calibration plots were linear in the range from 1.00 to 15.26 μM for both uric acid and hypoxanthine. The limits of detection of this method were 0.58 and 0.68 μM for uric acid and hypoxanthine, respectively. The proposed DPV method was employed to determine uric acid and hypoxanthine in urine samples with acceptable recovery rates.

Vancomycin is a critical antibiotic frequently utilized in clinical settings, with therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) strongly advised to optimize treatment efficacy and mitigate the risk of adverse effects. However, current methods for measuring vancomycin levels in human plasma are hindered by long analysis times and complicated sample preparations. Thus, this study developed and validated a novel UPLC-MS/MS method for a rapid (with a running time of 3.5 min) and simple analysis of plasma vancomycin. To quantify vancomycin concentration in human plasma, we have developed and validated the UPLC-MS/MS method with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, meeting the strict criteria according to the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) guidelines for validation biological analysis methods. Vancomycin and atenolol (internal standard) underwent positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) and detection in multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The selected MRM transitions were m/z 725.66→144.16 for vancomycin and m/z 267.29→189.96 for atenolol. Plasma samples were precipitated using a simple mixture containing acetonitrile, methanol, and formic acid as a pH adjuster. The separation was performed using the Poroshell 120 Phenyl Hexyl Column (4.6 × 150 mm, 2.7 μm) maintained at 25 °C for 3.5 min. Isocratic elution with a mobile phase (methanol and 0.1% formic acid in a 40:60 v/v ratio) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min was employed. The method showed linearity (0.1–75 μg/mL) with a coefficient of determination above 0.9994 and a lower limit of quantification at 0.1 μg/mL. Precision, both intraday and interday, was below 10%, and accuracy ranged from 91.70% to 111.57%. System suitability, selectivity, stability, carryover, dilution, recovery, and matrix effect validation results all met acceptable criteria. The established UPLC-MS/MS method is expected to be a rapid, simple, and reliable tool for drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies, enhancing patient care during vancomycin administration.

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic since the last days of 2019 has led to school closure worldwide and forced institutions at all levels to move to online or distance learning. This study was conducted to explore university students' readiness to such a sudden situational shift to online learning. We surveyed 1304 online-learning students in a higher education institution in Vietnam. Through exploratory factor analyses, we identified three dimensions of online learning readiness (OLR): online learning motivation, online learning self-efficacy beliefs, and online self-directed learning. We then conducted multiple regression analyses to investigate the predictive power of different students' individual characteristics and perceptions on OLR, and the impacts of the three OLR dimensions on students' intention to use online learning (IU). Our results suggested that students' perceived facilitating conditions and their online learning experience were the significant predictors of OLR. Furthermore, online learning motivation was the construct that exerted the strongest influence on IU, compared to other OLR constructs. The study highlights the need for improving facilitating conditions to support students' OLR. It also suggests enhancing the usefulness and enjoyment that students perceive from online learning to improve their willingness to use this learning channel.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) is a common disorder associated with significant impairment in quality of life. This clinical practice guideline, jointly developed by the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology, aims to inform clinicians and patients by providing evidence-based practice recommendations for the pharmacological treatment of CIC in adults. METHODS: The American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology formed a multidisciplinary guideline panel that conducted systematic reviews of the following agents: fiber, osmotic laxatives (polyethylene glycol, magnesium oxide, lactulose), stimulant laxatives (bisacodyl, sodium picosulfate, senna), secretagogues (lubiprostone, linaclotide, plecanatide), and serotonin type 4 agonist (prucalopride). The panel prioritized clinical questions and outcomes and used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework to assess the certainty of evidence for each intervention. The Evidence to Decision framework was used to develop clinical recommendations based on the balance between the desirable and undesirable effects, patient values, costs, and health equity considerations. RESULTS: The panel agreed on 10 recommendations for the pharmacological management of CIC in adults. Based on available evidence, the panel made strong recommendations for the use of polyethylene glycol, sodium picosulfate, linaclotide, plecanatide, and prucalopride for CIC in adults. Conditional recommendations were made for the use of fiber, lactulose, senna, magnesium oxide, and lubiprostone. DISCUSSION: This document provides a comprehensive outline of the various over-the-counter and prescription pharmacological agents available for the treatment of CIC. The guidelines are meant to provide a framework for approaching the management of CIC; clinical providers should engage in shared decision making based on patient preferences as well as medication cost and availability. Limitations and gaps in the evidence are highlighted to help guide future research opportunities and enhance the care of patients with chronic constipation.