Search

IgE multiple myeloma is a rare subtype of myeloma, accounting for <0.1% of all myeloma cases. Difficulties in diagnosing and monitoring this rare myeloma type are recognized, including the need of heightened awareness for initial diagnosis, performing a reflex immunofixation test using an anti-IgE antisera, and recognizing the possibility of the prozone phenomenon. Here, we report a rare case of IgE multiple myeloma with the prozone phenomenon. This case was characterized by a paradoxical increase in IgE levels with a progressive increase in the dilution factor. Moreover, serial monitoring of IgE levels correlated with the trend in the serum free light chain ratio, especially when the monoclonal protein was no longer detectable. This case highlights the need for laboratory professionals to be vigilant about the occurrence of the prozone phenomenon in IgE multiple myeloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of communicative competence in a second language invoked in defining the construct of widely used tests of communicative language ability have drawn largely on the work of language specialists. The risk of exclusive reliance on language expertise to conceptualize, design and administer language tests is that test scores may carry meanings that are misaligned with the values of non-language specialists, that is, those without language expertise but perhaps with expert knowledge in the domain of concern. Neglect of the perspective of lay (i.e., non-linguistic) judges on language and communication is a serious validity concern, since they are the ultimate arbiters of what matters for effective communication in the relevant context of language use. The paper reports on three research studies exploring the validity of rating scales used to assess speaking performance on a number of high-stakes English-language tests developed for professional or general proficiency assessment purposes in Korea, Australia, China, and the UK. Drawing on Jacoby and McNamara's (1999) notion of “indigenous assessment”, each project attempted to identify the values underlying non-language specialists' judgements of spoken communication as they rated test performance or participated in focus-group workshops where they viewed and commented on video- or audio-recorded samples of performance in the relevant real-world domain. The findings of these studies raise the question of whether language can or should be assessed as object independently of the content which it conveys or without regard for the goal and context of the communication. The studies' findings also cast doubt on the notion that the native speaker should always serve as benchmark for judging communicative effectiveness, especially with tests of language for specific purposes, where native speakers and second-language learners alike may lack the requisite skills for the kind of effective interaction demanded by the context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated how 20 university students described their collective and individual learning experiences using social media technologies (SMTs). Data consisted of transcribed focus group discussions, which were analysed for students' use of first person singular and plural pronouns as well as for the kinds of verbs they used to describe their learning. Findings indicate that none of the participants used first person plural pronouns more frequently than first person singular pronouns to describe their learning experiences. Students also used possessive, stative and passive verbs in addition to verbs denoting more traditional learning behaviours associated with cognitive, psychomotor, affective and conative activities when discussing their learning. We conclude that, although evidence of a clearly definable ‘collective intelligence’ was lacking, co-occurrences of both group-oriented and self-oriented utterances were evident. Students' use of verb types highlighted issues of ownership, identity and control as additional features of their SMT enabled learning experiences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The reuse of waste papers by conversion into valuable carbon materials has received considerable attention for diverse applications such as energy storage and water purification. However, traditional methods for converting waste papers into materials with suitable properties for specific applications are often complex and ineffective, involving consecutive carbonization and activation steps. Herein, we propose a simple one-step microwave (MW)-assisted synthesis for preparing waste paper-derived porous carbons (WPCs) for energy storage and water purification. Through a 30-min synthesis, WPCs with graphitic structure and high specific surface area were successfully produced. The fabricated WPCs exhibited outstanding charge storage capability with a maximum specific capacitance of 237.7 F g−1. Additionally, the WPC demonstrates a high removal efficiency for various dyes, achieving a maximum removal efficiency of 95.0% for methylene blue. The developed one-step MW synthesis not only enables the production of porous carbon from waste paper, but also offers a viable approach to address solid waste management challenges while simultaneously yielding valuable materials. [Display omitted] • Waste paper-derived porous carbons were synthesized by one-step microwave synthesis. • Within 30-min MW synthesis, graphitic and high-surface area WPCs were produced. • WPC exhibits outstanding electrochemical capacitance of 237.7 F g−1. • WPC exhibits high removal of various dyes, with maximum of 95.0% for methylene blue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The effect of Coriolis force and herringbone grooves on mixing performance in rotating microchannels was investigated. • The Coriolis force balanced appropriately with centrifugal force achieved efficient mixing. • Two strategies of the Coriolis force and herringbone induced multiple local vortices, improving mixing efficiency. • A two-sided herringbone mixer required the shortest channel length for 90% mixing in this study. Mixing is a critical process in reagent reactions used in biomedical applications. Nevertheless, achieving rapid mixing in microfluidics is challenging because of the low-Reynolds region. This study numerically investigated the mixing performance of a rotating channel based on the Coriolis force with herringbone grooves. In the absence of grooves, the mixing was maximized when the Coriolis force was appropriately balanced with the centrifugal force. As the aspect ratio increased from 0.5 to 2.0, rapid mixing was achieved owing to the decreased transverse distance between the rotating flows. Mixing improved with the herringbone grooves, achieving up to >90% for the shortest channel length (20 mm) among the various microchannels. This enhancement resulted from the flow split and recombination induced by the combination of the Coriolis force and grooves. This study will help create and design microchannels for disk chip miniaturization, automation, and integration into lab-on-a-disk-based biomedical procedures, such as point-of-care diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the prevalence of MP contamination in marine environments and the potential for ingestion, this study focused on detecting MPs in widely consumed omega-3 supplements. We developed and validated a testing method for analyzing microplastics (MPs) in omega-3 dietary supplements using micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FT-IR). For sample preparation, 30% H 2 O 2 pretreatment and 20 μm stainless-steel filtration were adopted to digest omega-3 samples. A total of 88 omega-3 products were collected and examined, including animal- and plant-origin omega-3 with different packaging materials. Recovery test using reference MP materials was conducted to enhance the reliability of the method. As a result, the recovery was more than 70.4%, and relative standard deviation was below 36.9% in three laboratories. MPs (>20 μm) were detected in all the samples. The number of MPs were 9.5 ± 5.3 particles/g and 16.3 ± 8.1 particles/serving size. The developed method can be applied to MP analysis of omega-3 supplements. • Developed μ-FT-IR method for microplastic (MP) analysis in omega-3 supplements. • Detected MPs in all samples; average quantity: 16.3 ± 8.1 particles/daily serving size. • Proposed testing method with acceptable recovery results in three laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an insufficient in-depth analysis of the nature and prevalence of the typologies of child homicide in Asia, particularly in South Korea. In the current study, we sought to determine the prevalence and identify the heterogeneity of the child homicide phenomenon in South Korea. All 341 original case files (i.e., hospital, police, and autopsy reports) of homicide incidents involving children aged 0–18 in 2016 were obtained from the forensic autopsy archives of the National Forensic Service (NFS), which handles 100 % of the medico-legal autopsies in South Korea. These were examined and reclassified based on our definition. A cluster analysis using Gower's distance was applied, which has rarely been utilized in this field of research. By performing a qualitative analysis, we first extracted 70 (numerical, logical, categorical) crime, victim, perpetrator, and household relevant variables, which were later utilized in the cluster analysis. Among the 341 cases from 2016, 95 were judged to be at least suspicious child homicide cases. When applying the cluster analysis, eight sub-clusters were extracted: child torture, maternal filicide, neonaticide, death not related to previous abuse, paternal filicide, paternal infanticide, maternal infanticide, and psychotic killings. The commonality and the unique aspect of the child homicide phenomenon in South Korea, in comparison with the results from previous research from other countries, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]