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With the rapid growth of education data in large-scale assessment, machine learning techniques are crucial to the interdisciplinary development of education and information. Although data mining tools are increasingly used to predict overall student performance, resilient students in the digital world remain unstudied. Our study aims to comprehensively identify key features in the classification of academically resilient students (ARS) and non-academically resilient students (NRS) in digital reading. With a sample of 11,496 disadvantaged students from seven high-performing Asian economies, data drawn from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 were analyzed through Support Vector Machine (SVM). Results indicated that 20 key features were selected from 105 contextual features at the individual, home, and school levels, which demonstrated a high predictive ability of the model. Personal experience, especially the use of metacognitive strategies in digital reading and reading enjoyment were predominant features. Interestingly, information and communication technology (ICT) resources and usage showed mixed effects on resilient students. This study provides significant implications for cultivating resilient students in online learning environments.

Several international large-scale assessments were conducted at the turn of the new century, and during the past two decades the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) completed seven cycles of assessment to facilitate practitioners' policy debates and governance. This study reviews PISA-related articles published in English and Chinese. Three literature databases were searched, with a focus on SSCI, CSSCI, and TSSCI journal publications. The frequency of publication was analyzed according to the author's country affiliation, type of journal, and research categories/themes. Findings indicate that research on student-, school- and system-level indicators with a focus on students' learning processes and outcomes as well as critiques of technical matters on PISA were frequent topics in the literature during the past two decades. Issues of equality and equity examined in the publications have implications for enhancing practitioners' capabilities in terms of policy making and governance.

Although academic resilience is of great concern to contemporary educational practitioners, there is no consensus on its measurement. Furthermore, protective factors characterized by East Asian societal contexts remain ambiguous. This systematic review aims to offer an overview of the operational definitions, statistical methodology, and protective factors of academic resilience identified in East Asian countries/economies. With a focus on large-scale assessment (LSA) research, three databases (i.e., Web of Science, CNKI, and AiritiLibary) were searched and returned 31 peer-reviewed studies over the last decade. Results indicated that the definition-driven method was commonly adopted in international LSA studies (e.g., Programme for the International Student Assessment) to measure academic resilience, and the research conducted in national/regional LSA (e.g., China Education Panel Survey) tended to use the process-driven approach. Logistic regression was the most frequently data analysis technique utilized in the definition-driven approach, while structural equation modeling and mediation/moderation analyses accounted for the largest proportion of the process-driven methods. Our study shed light on the methodological issues of academic resilience in LSA. Additionally, it highlights the aspiration of educational researchers to identify Asian-specific protective factors from the social-ecological perspective to propose appropriate interventions fostering academic resilience.

The rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a notorious pest of rice in Asia. The larvae and adults of C. medinalis utilize specialized chemosensory systems to adapt to different environmental odors and physiological behaviors. However, the differences in chemosensory genes between the olfactory organs of these two different developmental stages remain unclear. Here, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of larvae heads, male antennae, and female antennae in C. medinalis and identified 131 putative chemosensory genes, including 32 OBPs (8 novel OBPs), 23 CSPs (2 novel CSPs), 55 ORs (17 novel ORs), 19 IRs (5 novel IRs) and 2 SNMPs. Comparisons between larvae and adults of C. medinalis by transcriptome and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the number and expression of chemosensory genes in larval heads were less than that of adult antennae. Only 17 chemosensory genes (7 OBPs and 10 CSPs) were specifically or preferentially expressed in the larval heads, while a total of 101 chemosensory genes (21 OBPs, 9 CSPs, 51 ORs, 18 IRs, and 2 SNMPs) were specifically or preferentially expressed in adult antennae. Our study found differences in chemosensory gene expression between larvae and adults, suggesting their specialized functions at different developmental stages of C. medinalis. These results provide a theoretical basis for screening chemosensory genes as potential molecular targets and developing novel management strategies to control C. medinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licorice is a widely used herbal medicine for the treatment of various diseases in southern Europe and parts of Asia. It has been reported that the isoliquiritin (ISL) from Glycyrrhiza root has the activity of promoting angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ISL on the wound healing activity of zebrafish and its mechanism. 6-month-old zebrafish were injured in the skin (2 mm in diameter) and then treated with ISL. By measuring wound size and by histological examination, we found that ISL improved wound healing. In addition, 4-day-old zebrafish embryos of double transgenic line [Tg(fli-1 :EGFP)]/[Tg(mpeg: mCherry)] were suffered from tissue traumas and then treated with ISL. Through fluorescent microscopy, we found that ISL promoted macrophage recruitment and angiogenesis in the wound area. Through qPCR analysis, we found that ISL up-regulated the expression of genes related to inflammation and angiogenesis in zebrafish embryos. These results showed that ISL could promote inflammatory response and angiogenesis, which played key roles in promoting wound healing. Therefore, ISL can be used as a promising candidate to promote wound healing. • Isoliquiritin promoted the wound healing in the adult zebrafish skin. • Isoliquiritin promoted the wound angiogenesis in the zebrafish embryos by macrophage recruitment. • Angiogenesis and inflammation related genes were stimulated by ISL during wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We take two typical Northeast Asia bimodal volcanoes as examples to explain the general features of Cenozoic bimodal ocean island basalt (OIB)-type volcanism in Northeast Asia. We present mineralogical, petrological, geochemical, isotopic, and full-waveform seismic tomographic evidence for the existence of two-layer magma chambers of Late Cenozoic volcanic activity beneath Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai (Paektu). Ulleung Island volcanic rocks, which are composed of alkaline basalt, phonotephrite, trachyte, and phonolite, belong to the alkaline magma series and display enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), slight depletion of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), enriched 87Sr/86Sr (0.70475–0.70507) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.51250–0.51255) isotopic values, and enriched 207Pb/204Pb (15.544–15.626) and 208Pb/204Pb (38.750–38.954) values, similar to the geochemistry of OIB. Ulleung Island felsic volcanic rocks are characterized by significant negative Ba, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti anomalies (δEu = 0.14–0.35) and positive Pb anomalies, slightly higher 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios relative to those of mafic volcanic rocks, although the mafic and felsic samples have similar Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope compositions without significant differences. Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai volcanic activities are likely related to the involvement of subduction-related compositions, but parts of the Mt. Changbai samples have been contaminated by crustal components to a certain extent. Mafic volcanic rocks of Ulleung Island are segregated from a deeper mantle source within a pressure range of 10.1–21.2 kbar compared with felsic volcanic rocks, which exhibit fractional crystallization of clinopyxene, spinel, plagioclase, and olivine. To explain this, a two-layer magma chamber beneath Ulleung Island with depths of 30–40 and 60–80 km is proposed, which is supported by mineral crystallization pressure and a three-dimensional full-waveform seismic tomography model. We also suggest that similar magma eruption processes and a two-layer magma chamber with depths of ~10 and 40–60 km also exist beneath Mt. Changbai. Taking the typical Cenozoic bimodal samples from Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai as examples, we argue that two-layer magma chambers exist beneath Cenozoic bimodal OIB-type volcanic activities in Northeast Asia. [Display omitted] • A two-layer magma chamber beneath the Ulleung Island is proposed. • Fractional crystallization might play a key role for Ulleung Island volcanic rocks. • Northeast Asia volcanism is related to the involvement of subduction-related compositions. • The general features of Cenozoic bimodal OIB-type volcanism in Northeast Asia are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baekdu volcano is a Cenozoic composite volcano in northeastern Asia that consists of a basaltic plateau, a basaltic shield, and a trachytic to comenditic stratovolcano. In this study, the petrogenesis and tectonic setting of Baekdu volcano are studied based on the whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of the Baekdu volcanic rocks. The K–Ar age and mineral chemistry are also investigated to estimate the evolution of the magma chamber depth beneath Baekdu volcano. The Toudao and Baishan basalts formed ca. 2.5 Ma and 1.1 Ma and erupted from magma chambers located at depths of 11.5 ± 2.2 km and 24.9 ± 3.8 km, respectively. The Xiaobaishan and Middle trachytes and the comendites formed during the Pleistocene from magma chambers located at depths of 2.9 ± 0.2 km, 5.4 ± 0.45 km, and 4.4 ± 0.3 km, respectively. These data suggest that the trachytes and comendites erupted from magma chambers located at depths of approximately 3–5 km. The Baishan basalts have geochemical characteristics comparable with those of ocean island basalt (OIB), whereas the Toudao basalts show enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB) or OIB characteristics. The trends of several components, such as the CaO/Al 2 O 3 ratio and the TiO 2 and Sc concentrations, are different between older basalts (>2 Ma, including the Toudao basalts) and younger basalts (<1.5 Ma, including the Baishan basalts), indicating that the magma-forming process changed ca. 2–1.5 Ma. The enrichment in Th/Yb ratios in the Toudao basalts indicates that they experienced crustal contamination. Trachytes and comendites are considered to be products of the fractional crystallization of the Baishan basalt based on the similar geochemical trends of the two rocks. Crustal assimilation (up to 20%) also occurred with fractional crystallization (more than 70%) during the formation of peralkaline silicic volcanic rocks. All volcanic rocks in Baekdu volcano have Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions comparable with the enriched mantle (EM1)-like signature. This EM1-like signature may have originated from the contamination of asthenospheric mantle with Paleoproterozoic lithosphere that sank into the asthenospheric mantle due to delamination caused by regional extensional events in northeastern Asia between the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic. The characteristics of trace element compositions indicate a within-plate tectonic setting for Baekdu volcano. These data imply that Baekdu volcano origin may have been related to a plume of EM1-type upper mantle under the North China Craton. [Display omitted] • Baekdu volcano is Cenozoic composite volcano in northeastern Asia • Baishan basalts formed from magma chambers located at 25 km depth • Trachytes and comendites erupted from magma chamber located at 3–5 km depth • Felsic volcanic rocks have same magmatic origin as the Baishan basalt • The origin of volcanic rocks may be related to a plume of EM1-type mantle [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: NRAS gene is associated with malignant proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). But its prognostic value on CRC is still unknown. The objective of this study is to perform a meta-analysis to obtain its prognostic value on survival of CRC patients. Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis was designed, undertaken and reported using items from the PRISMA statement. Relevant articles were identified through PubMed (containing Medline), Embase, Web of Science databases and Google scholar search engines from their inception up to October 3, 2016. The articles about NRAS on prognosis of CRC patients were enrolled. The association between NRAS and CRC survival time (including overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS], and disease-free survival [DFS]) was evaluated using hazard ratio (HR) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of fifteen articles were included. High-expression of NRAS was significantly associated with poor OS (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.15–1.61), and poor PFS (HR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.04–2.94). The combined HR of NRAS on DFS was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.37–2.03). Subgroup analysis showed that NRAS was significantly associated with poor OS for patients from Western countries (HR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09–1.73), but not for those from Asian countries. Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrate that NRAS gene could predict the poor prognosis for the CRC patients. More large-sample cohort studies are needed to further confirm this conclusion., (Creative Commons Attribution License)